MQResource

This week's quilter in the spotlight is Vicki Welsh. Vicki was one of the very first members of MQR. I have appreciated her support not only in the forums, but also behind the scenes. I've had the pleasure of meeting Vicki and feel lucky to call her a friend.

Vicki has been organizing our Postcard swaps and you should be sure to visit her blog, she is always up to something interesting.

MQResource: First, tell us about your family!

Chris and I have been married for 20 years and we do not have kids. My definition of “pets” is a little loose. I consider all of the birds that we feed as pets and we have 3 sweet dogs that live in another neighborhood that visit often. We even buy 3 different kinds of treats for them. On second thought, I suppose we are their pets.

Chris was in the Navy for 23 years and I am a Risk Manager for an insurance company. Our marriage is a little rocky at the moment. Somehow it worked out that he could retire last year but I am still working. I really messed up somewhere in my life plan. His life plan is going gang-busters and I’m only a little bitter. Envy is unhealthy!

MQR: Where do you call home?

After a number of years moving around with the Navy, we now call Montpelier, VA home. It’s a beautiful village just northwest of Richmond. We are both from Virginia. He’s from the DC area and I’m from a tired little furniture factory town called Bassett.

MQR: How long have you been quilting? How did you get into it?

My Mom started teaching me to sew when I was 6. We sewed most of my clothes. When I graduated high school my parents gave me a sewing machine. It was the worst insult of my life. I was going to college and a college student does not MAKE her clothes! I was devastated. Of course, I soon discovered that I was still poor and if I wanted to avoid walking through Blacksburg, VA naked then I would have to demean myself by making my clothes.

Boy was I surprised to then find out that after college I was still poor! Companies had yet to discover my great genius and value. Several years later I found out that I could afford nice fabric and a passion for sewing was born as the need to sew diminished.

My next sewing machine was the one Chris gave me instead of an engagement ring. It took me a long time to talk him into that. When people would ask about my engagement ring I would tell them it was too big to wear!

I started making quilts sometime in the 1990’s but did not stop making clothes until about 5 years ago. I expect that I will get back in to garment sewing at some point but I doubt that I will ever do tailoring again.

MQR: Do you still do much piecing, or are you all about the quilting?

I’m all about all of it. There isn’t one part of quilting that I don’t like doing – except maybe sewing on the hanging sleeve.

MQR: Do you have a quilting business? If so, what is your favorite part of quilting for other people?

Holy cow no! I can’t even imagine quilting as a business. I do quilt for my Mom and 2 friends but they have absolutely no say in how or when the quilt is quilted. I am occasionally compensated with free lunch.

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

Finding all of the time that I need to make all of the things that I want to make.

MQR: What are your favorite quilting tools?

My quilting friends, who listen to my hair-brained ideas, tell me to stop obsessing and sometimes come over and quilt with me. The local ones, that is. The internet has opened up an incredible world of cyber-friends and mentors. I don’t know what I did before the internet.

MQR: What hobbies do you have (beyond quilting)?

Well, now that’s the problem isn’t it? Too many hobbies! When not quilting I like to make soap, watch the birds around my house, do some mixed media stuff (can’t call that art yet – it’s still stuff), dye fabric, buy supplies and make to-do lists for Chris. Remember, he’s retired so he has to do all of the errands and chores!

MQR: Anything else?

I love my longarm. There’s nothing more calming than a few hours playing with my Willie.

MQR: What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

The Last Will and Testament flavor – I’m horribly allergic to dairy. Should anyone every want to auf me it will be easy. No need to buy poisons, a carton of milk will do fine. Cheesecake will also work.

MQR: Do you prefer salty or sweet snacks?

Specifically Salsa Verde or Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos (both are non-dairy) and dark non-dairy chocolate. I am medically required to eat chocolate every day to help build up my immune system. It’s doubly important in the summer when my allergies go haywire. 3 ounces of dark chocolate seems to be the optimum medicinal dose. The Doritos work well as a meal replacement option when Chris isn’t home to cook.

My favorite “treat" beverage is Macallan single malt scotch in a glass, no ice and no water. The glass is optional.

I also drink white tea daily for treatment of “life transition” symptoms – aka menopausal bitchiness. Chris finds the scotch to be a better medicine to help him deal with the condition.

MQR: What are your favorite books/authors?

According to Chris I do not read because all of my books are in audio format. I’ll listen to just about any kind of book aside from science fiction and romance. I suppose I could try a romantic science fiction book and see if the negatives cancel out.

MQR: What are your favorite movies?

I have some difficulty sitting long enough to watch an entire moving. The last theater movie I went to was the first in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. After 2 and a half hours I was getting a little perturbed that I had been there so long and we were not even close to getting that ring where it needed to be. I was horrified to find out there were 2 more movies – I didn’t catch the “trilogy” part. I made Chris tell me the whole story in 5 minutes. I haven’t been in a theater since. Now he either goes to movies alone or is meeting his girlfriend there – I don’t ask.

“If you brother bit you don’t come whining to me, bite him back.” -- Mom

MQR: What is one of your goals for 2008?

Make some stuff, keep my friends entertained, laugh at something every day and figure out how to join Chris in retirement. Working for a living isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Vicki's Blog: http://vickiwelsh.typepad.com

All photographs were provided by Vicki.

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

Thanks for playing along, Vicki! Tune in next week to see who will be the next Quilter In the Spotlight!