MQResource

 This week's quilter in the spotlight is Diane Fink, she's the one in the hat at the Kansas Speedway.  There's a reason why she's been dubbed our Princess of Speed!  If you would like to leave a comment or ask a question, you can head on over to the forum (you do have to have a forum account). A post can be found here.

Tell us about your family (kids, spouse, pets, etc.) DH, Matt and I have been married almost 18 years now.  We have two son's Cody who will be a senior this coming year and Dusty who will be a freshman.  We enjoy camping, fishing, hunting (them not me, well I like the quiet house when they go hunting), high school sports and Nascar.  Let's not forget my baby girl Abby, the black labby, she makes our house a home.

MQR: Where do you call home?

We live in a small community in north western Wisconsin.  We moved here in 1994, from Shakopee Minnesota, for DH's job. This is certainly a much quieter place to have raised my kids, than Shakopee has become since we left there.  We live in a house that was built in approx, 1910.  It is in town just 5 blocks from the high school and two blocks from the pool.  Which made it easy for the boys to get where they wanted to go very easily.  Up until last year Durand was a no stop light town.  That just tells you how small of a town it is.

When I as in 4th grade we had an assignment to do make something in that they would have made in 1776, as it was 1976 and the USA was celebrating it's bicentennial.  Well since my mother was a quilter and I always wanted to make one of my own.  I made my first big quilt, as I had made several doll quilts before this. Four years later my mother opened a quilt shop and I worked there for her durring my high school years. I took a break durring my college years and the when Cody was on the way I hand quilted a baby quilt top that I had made a  shop sample when I worked at the shop.  It wasn't until we moved here to Durand that the bug hit me bad.  The first winter we were here we rented a house out in the country, seven miles from town.  I had many fabrics in my stash as my DM had just closed her shop and I was able to stock up cheap. The winter brought lots of snow and I was at home with a 3 Y/O and an infant.  I had an old knee operated machine, that got a good work out that year.  Time passed, I had a couple of jobs and a move to town.  In the summer of 2001 I started my hunt for a longarm quilting machine, I hit a couple shows, and looked at a couple of older used machines.  I happened to be at home sick on September 11th and watching the today show as the events of the day unwound.  I called the machine manufacturer that very day and bought a used machine that they had.  I wasn't gonna work at job I didn't love, life was to short.  On my birthday 3 weeks later my machine was delivered.  I was since able to purchase a new A-1 machine and continue to love what I do (well most of the time) So 1976 to 2008, that makes 32 years I have been at this quilting thing.

I do it all, as I run a mystery group at a local shop that I make the samples for I get plenty of piecing time. I have also recently made time to do some piecing that I want to do that has nothing to do with the club.  I need that variety to keep me interested.

yes, I have a quilting business.  My favorite part is when I get a great quilt that I can freehand to my hearts content, and then seeing the look on my customers face when I have blown them away.

MQR: What is the most challenging part of quilting for you?

When I have thread issues with the machine.  I hate to mess with timing as I am afraid I will make things worse.

MQR: What are your favorite quilting tools?

Well of course my A-1. Followed closely by a drawing pad for doodling.

Camping and nascar, are those considered hobbies?

 MQR: What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Toss up between chocolate with peanut butter in it, or lemon merangue pie ice cream

MQR: Do you prefer salty or sweet snacks?

used to be sweet, but since I cut high fructose corn syrup out of my diet I now crave salty

MQR: What is your favorite beverage?

Iced coffee lately, but the green smoothies run a close second, and water is also good

 MQR: What is your least favorite food?

Liver

 MQR: What are your favorite books/authors?

Nicholas Sparks, Nora Roberts and of course the Harry Potter books.

 MQR: What are your favorite movies?

Mystery Alaska, Escanaba in the Moon light, Titanic, the Notebook, I enjoy a good laugh or a good cry.

I know that you are looking for some quote from someone great here, but in our house we are more about lines from movies. We have two favorites.  From Mystery Alaska, the little boy is being intereview on national TV and says "I have a toys pony and he takes big poops (well he uses the other word)"  I know it dumb but it makes me laugh everytime I hear it.  Another quote and I don't know where it is from.  "Bla bla bla, all I hear is I'm a dirty trap"

MQR: What is one of your goals for 2008?

I have been fighting illness since last November, so the big thing for me is to get healthy.  That involves healing, losing weight and eating healthier.  Things are going in the right direction for all three of those things currently.

All photographs were provided by Diane.

Don't forget, you can visit the forum here, if you would like to comment.

Thanks for playing along, Diane! Tune in 2 weeks for the next Quilter In the Spotlight!