It's nice to meet you!

Hi, my name is Diane and this blog is about my quilting adventures. I have many long time readers that probably know way more about me than they care to, but I've noticed lots of new visitors lately, so I thought it would be fun to share some things that you may not know about me...

I've been quilting for 22 years.
I took a quilting class while on maternity leave from work. I wanted to make a baby quilt for my first child. I was hooked from the first stitch. I had never really sewn anything before and didn't own a sewing machine until I needed to buy one for that class. I had slept under quilts that my great grandmother made, so I knew I loved quilts, I just didn't know how much I would love making them!

My hubby is a hard working airline pilot.
I've been happily married to my husband for 25 years. We met on a bus in NYC and were engaged 8 weeks later.  He is gone a lot because of his job so maybe that's the secret? LOL The rest is history...

I was a flight attendant for 10 years.
After using my college degree (education) for a two years, I decided I needed more adventure, so I became a flight attendant for American Airlines. I traveled internationally most of that time and loved every minute of it. I retired after my first maternity leave because I knew I couldn't be too far away from my baby! I still regret that I gave up that career, but the trade off was SO worth it!

I was a home school mom.

My husband and I planned to home school our kids through the middle school years before we even had our babies. We chose to educate and travel with them through those years because, sadly, public school is pretty much a waste land during those years. We had a wonderful time and I'm pretty sure we learned as much as the kids did! It was an amazing time to really enjoy as a family and I cherish those memories.

My three amazing kids are all currently in college.
My daughter Kelly, 21, is a junior at Berry College, majoring in animal science. She works at the equestrian center and is on the equestrian team. Her first love has always been horses! She is beginning the process of applying to veterinarian schools.
My sons David and Danny are 20 year old twins. They are 15.5 months younger than their sister. I'm still tired. David is a sophomore at UGA and majoring in computer science. He loves to run and work out. Danny is a sophomore at Virginia Tech and is majoring in mechanical engineering. He is a member of the roller coaster club and they travel to theme parks for behind-the-scenes the tours. He also likes to run and work out.

My fur babies are my constant companions.
Buddy is a 13 year lhasa apso. He is a bit grumpy but he still likes to play with the other dogs. Hubby says he's a cat that barks and that's fairly accurate.
Bailey is our 11 year black lab. She was a rescue and had some injuries to one of her back legs, but she doesn't let that slow her down! She is the sweetest dog ever. She's so tolerant of Boomer.
Boomer is our 4 year old golden retriever who is the happiest dog alive. He LOVES getting attention and playing and being wild. We love him just as much as he loves us, and that's a LOT.
We also have a rescue kitty named Luna. She is bipolar. You never know what you'll get with her, purring or a bite, could go either way at any time. She HATES the dogs. So we don't see much of her. I do like it when she curls up on my feet at night in bed. We savor her sweet moments as they can be fleeting.

I belong to 2 local quilt guilds.
One of the best parts of being a quilter is the connections we make with other quilters. I belong to two local guilds. One guild is very active and has lots of great speakers and workshops. I've been in that guild since I started quilting 22 years ago.
My other guild is a little group mostly for show and tell and social. They are a fun bunch of folks who like to laugh and have fun.
My bee group isn't a guild, but it's my favorite group. There are five of us who meet monthly and share everything about life, family, health, and of course, quilting. These are the women who really sustain me. I'm so lucky to be a part of this group.

I was first published in a quilting magazine in 2012.
The first quilt I ever submitted to a magazine was published in 2012. I was then published in multiple issues of almost every major quilting magazine. It was fun but it's not a financially lucrative pursuit. They pay doesn't cover the cost of fabric and shipping much less the time and effort. But it's a thrill to see my projects in print.
Sadly, the last four quilts I have submitted have been refused. That's what happens when one person is the acquisitions editor for all of the magazines. They either like your stuff or they don't. Oh well. I've been there and done that, no need to look back.

I've written 2 books.
The two books I've written for C&T Publishing are Scrap Quilt Secrets and Strip Quilt Secrets. I had planned to write another book next year called Selvage Quilt Secrets but they decided the market for that is limited and declined to move forward with it. I am so relieved. Writing a book is a huge labor of love and isn't for the faint of heart. There is a massive amount of work involved in learning how to format, code, and cross reference all of the things that will be in the book. The diagrams and illustrations all have to be drawn to scale and colored. Then it's all sent off and formatted. Once it's sent back, the author is responsible for editing and catching all errors and fixing all of the diagrams and illustrations that were interpreted incorrectly. And deadlines. Oh my the deadlines.
I'm not sure I have another book in me after these two. I just want to enjoy where I am now and worry about book writing later...

I got a Handi Quilter Amara almost a year ago.
Last year on Valentine's Day, my longarm arrived. I had never thought I would get a longarm. I learned how to use one at the local quilt shop where I work one day a week and found it much more fun than I expected. It wasn't as intimidating as I thought it would be. One thing led to another and I am the very happy owner of an Amara. I am going to attend Handi Quilter Academy in June to learn more about it but I've done pretty well so far, I've quilted over 50 quilts my first year! Click HERE if you want me to quilt for you! I would love to!

I love to travel.
After all these years, I still love to travel. I get to travel while teaching and sharing with quilt guilds and I love to travel to quilt shows. This year I am going to Quiltcon in Nashville and the Sydney Quilt Show for the first time ever! I also hope to attend the Pour L'Amour du Fil show again in the future.
Family travel is still a top priority and we are going to spend a week in northern California for spring break this year. I love seeing the world through my kids' eyes. They make everything more fun!

The future...

I don't really have any plans beyond the next two years of teaching and sharing the quilts I've designed. If you would like for me to visit your group or guild you can get more information HERE. I do plan to continue creating quilts and publishing patterns. I also plan to keep sharing all of the adventures right here (including the Sew Along and Mystery Quilts that have been so much fun, as well as free projects and patterns) on this blog and on Instagram and Facebook. I plan to spend time quilting with friends and enjoying my family as much as possible (when college schedules allow.)

I'm excited to see what the future holds. Thanks for sharing the adventures with me!

Enjoy every stitch!
Diane