Jan 11, 2013
During my journey creating and selling my jewellery, I have come across many talents artists and would love to share some of my discoveries with you. Ann of Magpie Quilts is a fabulous local quilter. Here is what she had to say:
Q: Please give a little blurb about who you are and describe your shop & work
A: Hi! I’m Ann Symes and I am a wife, mother, grandmother and crafter. I’ve been crafting all my life and quilting for the past 25 years. I discovered Etsy a few years ago and opened my shop, Magpie Quilts, and life has not been the same since! I love creating things for other people and working with different colour palettes than I use in my own decorating. I am learning and stretching my creative juices more than ever and it’s the online creative community that is pushing my limits further and further.
Q: What is your favourite thing to make?
A: I would have to say the hand-quilted and embroidered pieces like the Dresden Star and the Old Friends Pillow are my favourite pieces to make. There’s just something about sitting and stitching something by hand that’s restful and good for the soul! I would love to hand quilt every one of my quilts, but then I wouldn’t have time to finish all the ideas in my head.
Q: Describe how many hours goes into one of your quilts and any other pain staking tasks to create it.
A: Baby quilts will typically take 5-8 hours to make from cutting fabric to sewing the final label. A double bed size quilt will take 3-4 times that time. I usually don’t do a complete project in one sitting, rather I’ll do the cutting on one day, sewing on another and quilting on another. Quilts larger than baby size will go to my local long-arm quilter Marie from Blueberry Hill Quilts in Chestermere and she does an amazing job choosing thread colours and quilting designs. Fabric is always a challenge as I usually work with what I have on hand and sometimes it’s not quite enough to finish a project. I’m never quite 100% sure where all my fabrics come from and finding a match locally is not always possible.
Q: Where do you get your inspiration from? What keeps you motivated?
A: I’m inspired by traditional piecing, modern colours and the prolific online quilting community. Online sites like Pinterest and Flickr can keep me occupied for hours as can the blogging world. It’s easy to get discouraged when sales are few and far between, but when someone buys something and finally receives it and loves what I’ve made, it’s the best motivator in the world! I’ve had pieces in my shop that have sold in less than 24 hours and others that have been listed since the beginning and are still there – they just haven’t found the right buyer yet! Sometimes I have a pattern in mind and then find the fabric to put it together, but often, I’ll have a pile of fabric and just by looking at it, I’ll know what I need to make it into. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t!
Q: Do you also have a day job on top of creating and selling your lovely quilting projects?
A: I used to have a day job, but it didn’t allow for the creative outlet that I needed and I am thankful that my husband’s job pays the bills so I can do this!
Q: Anything else about yourself or your shop you would like to feature?
A: I’ve done a few custom quilts this past year and have found them to be very rewarding experiences. I can work off a paint chip or a fabric sample and with a few conversations, am able to come up with some options for patterns and colours. It’s a flexibility that comes from a direct relationship with the quilt maker – something you won’t find in ready-made stores.
Etsy shop is http://www.etsy.com/shop/MagpieQuilts
Blog: www.magpiequilts.com
Flickr is http://www.flickr.com/photos/annsymes/
Pinterest here http://pinterest.com/annsymes/