Denyse Schmidt, contemporary quilter and former ballerina, is one of the featured artists in the Feb./Mar issue of “Home Companion” magazine. The article features 3 artists who made “complete U-turns in their careers”… and one of them is Denyse Schmidt, a self-taught quilter who quit her “day job” in 2000 to plunge into her quilting business full time. She is a former ballerina, performance artist and official seamstress to Trappist monks, according to the article.

Today her line is carried in select department stores and catalogs and yet she still finds time to do custom quilt work. Her studio is housed in a former munitions warehouse in Bridgeport, CT.

I recently received her book “Denyse Schmidt Quilts” for a birthday present. It is fabulous. She says about her work -- "There is a fine line between slightly off and too wacky. One of my strengths is finding that right balance.” And she does it well.

And it seems Denyse has quite a following in the quilt/blogging world. Lisette at “Textile Seahorse” has quite a smashing photo of the “Steve, the Cat” doll she made from a pattern in Denyse’s book. Check it out-- he’s too cute!

The “What a Bunch of Squares” quilt, featured in the book, has sparked Blair at “Wise Craft”. “I know I have the true spark of a new project on the horizon when I go to sleep dreaming about how I will make it”. she says.

“I’m not really into traditional quilts, but I think that people like Denyse Schmidt are creating fabulous artworks with fabric, and I just love her use of colour and shape.” says Claire blogging at “Claire-a-belle”.

“One of the great quilt-making traditions is the sharing of designs and ideas,” said Denyse Schmidt in the opening paragraphs of her book.

Blogging allows us quilters and fans of Denyse Schmidt to share in her quilting designs and techniques and to experience her unique approach to quilting.

Are you a Denyse Schmidt fan?