My initial influences have all come from my family. My Aunt Lois (who made me make my own replacement "blankie" which was a tied one patch quilt), my great-great grandmother (whose quilt my mother hung on the wall and I became fascinated by all those little triangles), my friend Bonnie (who was already a quilter and convinced me I could be too), my great-grandmother (whose quilts I played on and studied as a child), and my father (who let me "steal" his sewing machine).

As for a quilter's hall of fame? Oh my, tricky there -- there are so many fantastic quilters and designers who inspire in so many ways. I really can't decide.

Oh gosh, there's so many!
I took one of my first ever classes with Jenny Bowker - expat Aussie quilter now living in Egypt but teaching all round the world!

My first machine quilting classes were with Bev McClune - and now I keep learning from her DVDs (see quiltersworld.com.au)

I mostly learned from books and magazines, though - and Bill and Weeks's Modern Quilting book really got me going again!

I always sewed but thought quilting was too fussy and precise for me. My friend Emma Jane came to visit and was working on a quilt. I thought I'd just try it and I was hooked. My biggest influence in style is probably Tonya from http://lazygalquilting.blogspot.com/
Her tutorial on Wonky houses and letters changed my style completely.

Is it wrong to nominate a people? I would have to say the Amish influenced me to become a quilter. But Jo Merecki taught me to quilt. She passed away around this time four years ago. I work in her store and attempt to impart at least some of her great enthusiasm and knowledge. I will never have her lovely manicured nails.

Gwen Marston and Nancy Crow. I discovered their work about 7 years ago and realized that quilting could be more than I had ever thought before. I saw Nancy's work as true art and I loved that Gwen challenged me to just let quilting be fun!!

I learned to quilt from the book "quilting school" by Ann Poe and have been most influenced by the ladies in my online groups. They are always coming up with ideas to stretch my quilting mind. I made a brown quilt last year because of them. A brown quilt!

Recently, the girls at Material Obsession have really influenced my fabric choices.

I was influenced by my mother (who is craft in ALL ways possible) and by Alex Anderson. I knew I wanted to quilt and watched her show for about 2 years. AND THEN I went to a quilt show with a friend and went on a shopping frenzy and I've been quilting and shopping ever since!

My mom.

In our family we didn't have any traditions to pass down. There were no bakers, quilters, knitters, seamstresses. When my mom was in her mid-fifties, she fell in with some quilting friends and got the bug BAD. A few years later, in the two weeks we were together after the death of my grandmother, mom began to teach quilting to me, and it was a very healing time for us, and the start of a different, closer relationship for the two of us. Now I live with her again, and we spend many happy evenings together in the sewing room.

My Grandma Jewel was always sewing, crafting and quilting. She had a bookshelf lined with different quilt books. She made sure each of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren had a special quilt. When she passed away, I was given her quilt books and her quilt frame. I'm not sure if I will ever use her quilt frame, but I can't get rid of those two pieces of wood, they hold to many memories for me of Grandma in the garage with her quilts framed and handquilting them. Now, I'm a sewer and a quilter because of her.

Wow, some great stories here. And yes, you can nominate a book, a people or even a way of thinking.

Can I nominate too? Oh, well I'm doin it anway! :) I was influenced most by my great-great grandmother Ann Midgley McCune 1826-1902. I wrote about it here on my blog: http://quiltswithlove.blogspot.com/2007/02/why-i-quilt.html
She supported herself and her family through quilting...so do I!

All the women on my maternal side have been quilters coming from my Granny and her sisters, then her daughter my Nana, my mom and now me and my sisters are also. I grew up with a puff quilt (stuffed with nylons!) that my Granny or one of her sisters had made, very patchworky and very red. My Nana made every grandchild a pieced string quilt, made from heavy polyester and double knits (weighs a TON lol). My mom made me a gorgeous quilt for my hs graduation. And now I am a quilter also :) The end and what a neat contest! xoxo melzie

I nominate my grandmother, Alex Anderson and the new young fabric designers who all are taking a cue from Amy Butler (Heather Bailey and Anna Maria Horner spring to mind).

I still use a quilt that my grandmother made me when I was a child. It's a simple churn dash pattern and was machine pieced but then hand quilted. Mixed techniques, yay!

Alex of course is simply inspirational with her many books and her now defunct HGTV quilt show, Simply Quilts.

And finally the new fabric designers who are giving freshness to quilting fabrics. Do you remember when all you could find were the calicos?

And no, I couldn't narrow it down either. :-)

The family member I credit most with passing on the "quilting bug" is my great-grandmother, Nettie Reese. She was a prolific quilter who always "had a quilt on" until her death. I was honored to know her and my other quilting great-grandmother, Granna Clark. (How blessed I have been to have known 5 of my 8 great-grandparents.) My Grandma Faye (same as Gina's) was also a dedicated quilter, though I personally remember her more for the time she spent with me, her sometimes crazy crafts, and her beautiful crocheting. Her wonderful, practical denim quilts that we loved as children...and which made great tents on the clothesline by the way... are also a cherished memory. :)

My first ever quilt book purchase was Debbie Mumm's "Quick Country Quilting" and I read that book over and over...don't think I made one thing out of it...but it made sense of it all for me and I was hooked.

So I nominate a few grandmas and Debbie Mumm as my influences. I also nominate my mother, who taught me how to sew. Thanks to all.

Leslie B.
Missouri

Sorry for the duplicate posts. My computer was not responding well.

Don't worry you win for the most entries in 5 minutes. A packet of patterns is coming your way. Thanks sis.

Aha...so my strategy worked, then? :)

My grandmother and my mom were my biggest influences. My grandmother because despite having 7 children she was always making beautiful things. Everything she did from crochet to quilting was beautiful. She made beautiful quilts for me that I'm so happy to be able to pass down to my children. Also, she gave me 3 huge boxes of pretty pink calicos when I was in college that I still use and sew with.

My mom because she taught me how to sew and taught me that quilt making is a true art form by teaching me about Amish quilts and taking me to the American Folk Art museum in the 70's to see quilts that represented the height of creative expression.

I have to mention too all the other creative women in my family, some of whom are artists working with paint and others who actually weave their own cloth and dye their own wool for hooking. They all taught me that creativity in any form is a gift and one of life's purest joys.

Oh, and I want to nominate Donna Wilder the former head of Free Spirit. She deserves huge credit for initially recognizing the talent and potential of many of the new designers. It's not easy to change a whole industry and that's what she did by taking on designers who have given us all a new way to think about what quilting fabric is. I still love calicos and I love the modern larger scaled designs and I'm grateful to Donna for making room in the marketplace for both.

Georgia Bonesteel, she influenced my quilting life since she was one of the very first pioneers on the television with instructions on quilting, she was the fist all others followed , she is given little credit yet she was there in public in 1978.

My Grandma Lorna who had her sewing machine in her closet and made quilts out of leftover fabric and sheets. I received my first quilt from her when I was 8 and my second one when I was 18. I love them both and neither are perfect. I was always impressed with those quilts which imparted so much love. I started quilting when I was 28 and hope my quilts have as much love in them as hers do to the people she made them for.

There person I am nominating is not a famous quilter or designer. This is a local woman who teaches quilting. Her name is Diane Hagen. You've probably never heard of her but that's okay. She was a wonderful teacher for me. The main thing she taught me that really fired my love for quilting was that you don't have to follow a pattern, do what YOU like and that every quilt doesn't have to be a work of art. If you are enjoying the creative process then that is what matters!

My grandmother Anna made wonderful quilts that I loved as a child. When I asked her to teach me to quilt, she said that I had to wait because I needed to enjoy my youth. I promised to remember what she taught me until I was older and she consented to show me her work. She was also a gardener. We both loved zinnias. I still miss her. She died before I started quilting. I often think that she would have loved all the fabric we have now.
I met Jinny Beyer in 1983 and I still choose fabrics for quilts in the way that she taught ( contrast, value, scale etc.)

My two aunts influenced me the most, though neither of them quilted. My Aunt Vic loved crafts of all kinds and My Aunt Stella gave me my first sewing machine when I was 12.

Georgia Bonesteel, she influenced my quilting life since she was one of the very first pioneers on the television with instructions on quilting, she was the first, all others followed . She is given little credit yet she was there in public in 1978, gave us quilting on the go, lap quilting techniques, machine piecing too.She went on cruises and foreign countries long before it was chic or popular. IzzyRenbjor

I was most influenced to quilt because I needed help in getting through a difficult situation, the death of my 27 year old son. I needed to keep busy, I needed to be still (but not too still), I needed to affirm life through creativity, I needed to acknowledge God's divinity when I compared my efforts to His, and I needed to heal. Quilting has been such a powerful therapy to me and has now become such a wonderful tool for move on and imbrace life. So I nominate not a person, but a purpose that quilting fulfills.

I guess the one person who influenced me the most in quilting is Gina Halladay. She set up a class for beginner quilters at a local quilt store. I was one of the 6. I think we all fell in love with quilting in that class. And of coarse, anywhere Gina is you know is going to be fun!!!

I was inspired by one of the mums at my sons school who was organising a group to make a quilt as a fundraiser for the school. Through her passion and love for quilting I became addicted as I had always been a lover of beautiful fabric and textiles and mad keen on craft of all types and with a mother who was a dressmaker and studying fine arts myself I found quilting to be the ultimate creative outlet for me.
And as for the person I would chose for 'The Quilters Hall of fame' it would have to be Kaffe Fassett. I have grown up with his beautiful knitting patterns, needlepoint, mosaics and now fabric and quilting patterns, he is such a major inspiration in the quilting world.

Eleanor Burns! She has fantastic instructions, my first quilt was her Jewel Box pattern.

Sorry for the Triple posts...it looked like it wasn't loading my post. I apolgize. That's what I get for being up at 4 am!

When I was a brand new history teacher, my mom took me to see an Eleanor Burns show. She did this fascinating history of quilts, which was ultimately a history of women's social position in American society. She had a huge HUGE stack of quilts and went through them chronologically, talking (so enthusiastically!) about when the quilt was made, and what was going on in society at the time. You could just imagine the pioneer, or the suffragette, or the depression-era mom who made it. It was extremely powerful to me because so often US history is the history of men. Her performance made me change my whole perspective on the importance of women and their domestic contributions to society. Not only did I become a quilter after that, but I also incorporated quilting into my history lessons and even developed a quilting unit with the math teacher! Definitely Eleanor Burns!

When I had my second son I was a little sad that no one seemed to acknowledge him as a new baby. Most people figured that I had all I needed from my first son. But a couple weeks after his birth I received a small hand crafted quilt in the mail from my sister-in-law. It was by far the best gift I have ever gotten and had the greatest impact on me. It truly started me down my road of quilting because I wanted other people to feel the way that I felt that day, and still do. Thanks Kathy!

Gosh a list of folks come to mind, my Mom, Dorothy Trant, taught me to sew and made nearly every garment I wore until I left home. My first quilt was a cheater panel made for my son with a rented sewing machine after we moved to Ca. in the late 60s.
For the QuiltersBuzz Hall of Fame it has to be Sheila Ingersoll who owned a LQS until she retired a few years ago. I wandered in after making a few small baby quilts 30 yrs after my first and her genuine warmth and interest in helping me learn was so inspirational and is to this day. I know hundreds if not thousands of local quilters owe their start to her too! Sheila still hand quilts (everyday!) better than anyone I know and she is so prolific always having several new things to show off. Thank you Sheila!

I really want to nominate my very dear MOM who inspired me to do so many crafts, but especially quilting.
I have sweet memories to my childhood sitting next to mom learning how to sew and how to make lovely clothes for the dolls and bears, and how to make nice quilts from all the leftover fabrics.
I still have some of them and they are treasures for me.
Later mom and me visited many quiltshows, shops and workshops.
And we had lots of fun and made so many quilts together.
Her influence to my quilting life ( and more) is very important to me.
Thank you mom for being there for me always, and for all these special moments we share together.
They are so special to me.

I nominate my mom, Gail Lee, as the most influential quilter in my life. I tell people that she gave me the quilt bug and I haven't been able to shake it. She started quilting when I was in high school and taught me to quilt then as well. I remember having a quilt up on a big quilt frame in the basement. The kind you quilt in as far as you can reach and then roll up the sides so you can reach more unquilted area. I also attended several quilting bees with her. We are talking the old fashioned kind of quilting bees with lots of German ladies sitting around the quilt gossipping and sharing and having wonderful german food for lunch. I thank my mother for those experiences.

I nominate my 2 daughters (now grown) as my inspiration to quilt. In the late 70's and early 80's I was making clothes for my girls as a creative outlet. I realized then that I put a lot of time and energy into clothes they grew out of so quickly. I realized (at age 25) I wanted part of me to be with them and their future children when I'm gone so I started making quilts.

I taught myself to quilt buying black and white (newspaper like) quilting magazines. The first book I bought was by Georgia Bonsteel. I now have a nice library of magazines and books.

So, I nominate my daughters Casey and Danielle as my inspiration to quilt. Danielle has already said as soon as she's out of graduate school she plans to start making quilts. And Casey is going to have our first gandchild in November. I love to quilt.

I'd have to nominate my mom Ann, hands down. My earliest memories were sitting under her quilting frame playing with my Barbie dolls and pretending it was my house. Occasionally she'd let me help by pushing the needle through and I could pull it and put it back up to her. Sometimes we'd do that for a while. She always had a quilt going. I never though my own daughter cared or paid any attention to my quilts but at the state fair last year, I actually caught her asking me if stitches were by hand or machine and she recognized some block names! I was thrilled that it hadn't skipped her totally!

One of the key priorities to my quilting life is not to make quilts and then fold them on a shelf, but to make quilts to give to family and friends to use and love. I learned that from my Aunt Louise Boyer. She loved to quilt, and often had a quilt in when I went to visit. One of those quilts became a high school graduation gift to me, and I still regularly use it. I am now that one that makes quilts for gifts, whether it is a daughter or granddaughter's graduation, a mother-in-law's 80th birthday or most recently a gift for my mother for 'just because.' I hope that those who receive my quilts catch the spirit and also find the great joy of making and giving for others.

I would say Amy Butler. I'm new to quilting, and it all started when I saw her fabrics and patterns!!

My Aunt Maude, who was the grandmother I never knew on that side, made me a baby quilt. That quilt later inspired me to begin quilting. Anita Covert, owner of a quilting store in East Lansing, MI, shared her talents and sense of color which inspired me to try my wings even more and she helped me learn to trust my instincts. My most recent inspiration, besides my quilting friends, is Ricky Tims. I attended one of his seminars and realized I can do different things in the quilting world. I'm so glad for those who have, do and will inspire me. I hope someday I will be that inspiration for someone else.

I want to nominate my husbands ex-wife Alyce.
When I moved in with my husband I found in the attic a whole box of 5 inch squares(which weren't very square). A girl friend of mine was having her first grand baby so I thought "hey I will use those old squares in the attic to make a baby quilt" 2 weeks and a real mess of a tumbling blocks quilt later ... I was hooked! I went down to the local quilt store and joined a charity group. That was almost 3 years ago.

I would also nominate Weeks Ringle at Funquilts. Modern inspiration and helped me find my Voice.

I watched Alex Anderson for about 3 years before I decided to try my hand at quilting. She took the mystery out of the process and made me realize I could do it.

My Grammy - Maria Soltesz. She immigrated from Hungary to the US alone, at the age of 16. She entered through Ellis Island and worked in the woolen mills of New England. Although she never made an American style quilt she did all sorts of needlework. Her items were works of art. She came to live with me when I was 1 yr old. My Grammy ended up raising me. She taught me how to knit, crochet and tat. I miss her greatly. She will always be my inspiration.

Reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder books over and over again as a child made me want to make quilts and green tomato pie. The pie wasn't great but the quilts keep coming. I would nominate Laura!

My Mom has been the biggest influence in quilting. Although she really didn't make that many quilts herself, she helped others to handquilt theirs and loved the process. She was busy making clothes for me, I guess. I learned to hand quilt from her but also spent many years sewing garments for family members. I always knew that some day I wanted to take the time to learn to make quilts. I did just that in 1999 beginning with just a tied quilt for my first grandchild. Now I am hooked and like a sponge just soak up all the knowledge from all quilters, famous and friends alike.

I was inspired to start quilting when I found I was a unit short one month prior to graduation from SF state. My Grandma sent me a quilt she had started and I made a deal with my advisor that if I finished the quilt I could earn the unit. Prior to the news, I had written a paper on Quilting as an American craft and was subliminally drawn into the fold. Also, during that time we attened my first quilt show and it knocked my socks off. So I guess it was grandma, college and a quilt show.

A group of ladies from church inspired me to quilt, I showed up one day and saw them making strip quilts and figured "Hey I can do that!" My quilts were never of the heirloom quality, but they have been used and loved. Then years later as head of our youth group, I got to teach each girl make her own quilt when she graduated. Most of them still quilt to this day.

American Patchwork and Quilting and Lynne Hagemeier influenced me to quilt. I was doing a freelance project at APQ (I'm a graphic designer) and they let me check out one of their machines. This was coupled with deciding to check out a local quilt store and falling in love with some deep plum fabrics that Lynne Hagemeier of Kansas Troubles Quilters designed. From there, I just jumped in.

While Eleanor Burns showed me how easy it is...
It was Alex Anderson and her willingness to be accessible, share and teach. She has helped quilting become my life, starting with her message board. I met my best friends there. They share, support and contribute to my quilty life. I will be eternally grateful.

I nominate my grandmother, Mary Porcher, for your Hall of Fame. My grandmother sewed clothes for my mother and her sister, my Aunt Betty all of their school years. When Grandma Porcher died we found several hand-pieced quilt tops and stacks of squares that needed assembling. I took up quilting so I could assemble the family heirlooms. My mother and Aunt Betty each got a quilt, as did their grandaughters, my sister and myself. Thank you Grandma!

I think my biggest influence has been my computer! I have learned so much from all the other quilters I have met online in chat groups or from reading their blogs. I especially have to give credit to Pat Sloan who has a great website with oodles of free patterns and a wonderful Yahoo group where she challenges and encourages all of the members. I have learned to be more open to alternate techniques and more adventurous with color and applique through her inspiration that she sends out every day.

I'm a self taught quilter.
I did get my love of crafting from my grandmother Winifred, she would work with me, making doorknow hangers for Christmas with felt, sequins and beads.
I started quilting before the rotary cutter!! But have loved every minute of it.
I get my inspiration from Mary Lou Weidman, Jane Tenorrio Coscarelli.
Machine Quilting hereo's, Pam Clark,
Kimmy Brunner... and the list goes on and on!!

Your stories are amazing! How cool to read about how you were "touched" by the quilting bug.
Alex Anderson posted about this post on her blog and there are even more amzaing stories to read on her site.
https://www.thequiltshow.com/os/blog.php

Two quilters whose style has infuenced change in my quilting -- Miriam Nathan-Roberts and Sue Nickels.
First Miriam, because of her "Lattice Interweave" quilt which I saw in 1984 above Ghirardelli's Chocolate factory. You can see the quilt here: http://www.miriamnathanroberts.com/quilts_1980-1990/
When I saw it hanging from overhead pipes in a white room, I thought she had woven pieces of steel to hang in front of her quilt -- only to find that she had dyed the fabric in the gradations that gave the optical illusion. That changed my ability to see Value.
Sue Nickels, secondly, because she unlocked the secret door to successful applique for me and changed the direction of how I design quilts. She totally inspired me (the die-hard Beatles fan) with "The Beatles Quilt" http://www.sue.nickels.com/beatles_quilt.html and has become my mentor and friend over the years.
Both phenomenal quilters!

Thanks, Gina, you made me think!

I nominate my daughter Kelsey for challenging me to make her a quilt for her dorm room. I had never made a quilt before and I am one of those that always love a challenge. Need I say, the quilt was made in two weeks and now I have made over 100+.

Just to be clear...your name as an author appears after your post.

When I think of "who" inspired me, I am not really sure. I do not come from a family with generations of quilters like my friend Dana. My aunt started quilting when she was 65 years old. She is now 80+ and has a house-full of quilts (most king size!) I would have to say quilts themselves inspired me. I have always loved them and wanted to be a part of the creative process. So, I searched out a good quilt shop, signed up for a few lessons, and the rest is history!

What fun to read all the comments. Like many, I cannot name just one. The first quilt, (and therefore quilter) I remember was a blue and white quilt my great grandmother made. I loved it in my mother's home as a child. Now I cherish it in my own home as a link to my heritage. My mom started quilting about the same time I did. She had a real talent for choosing fabrics. I loved going with her to quilt stores. My first teacher was Jeana Kimball, about 20 years ago. She has a knack for making students believe they can make something wonderful. These three women blend seamlessly into my quilting inspiration.

No one I knew quilted when I first took it up, so I learned everything I know from a book by Marsha McCloskey. I pored over that thing for a month before I even bought fabric. My favorite quilts are ones that I've made from her book. I like all the new and fashionable designers out there (Denyse comes to mind) but I'll always credit Marsha for getting me into the game.

I was inspired to sew as a teenager by my Grandmother and Mom, but inspired to quilt as an adult by my neighbor, Teri Dowdee. She had all of these gorgeous quilts in her home and I "needed" to make one. Well, making my first one led to my opening a quilt shop and continuing my passion. I hope that I can inspire others to join this wonderful family of quilters.

Tammy Lee - Although I always admired my grandmothers for their quilting, they passed away before, I was smart enough to ask for lessons. As I grew older I had a desire to learn. Tammy gave me lessons and I so appreciate the time she spent on me. I love quilting with a passion.

I got given a quilting friend, Bronwyn Gosling when I had my second son and was overwhelmed by the feeling of receiving such a gift. Immediately got her to teach me to quilt and supplemented it with the book Quilts, Quilts and More Quilts for lots of technique. However, it was Kaffe Fassett that sent me into a whirlwind of color appreciation and for that, I am forever grateful! k

I had long admired quilts and their makers, however I didn't think this was something I could do. That is until one day I accidently tuned into Alex Anderson on "Simply Quilts" and thus another quilter was born.
Alex does so much for the quilting community. She has her website, which is a wealth of information and even has her podcasts which continue to educate and inspire millions of quilters all over the world. With the cancellation of "Simply Quilts", Alex has taken the opportunity to venture into using advanced technology to continue to reach quilters all over the world with her new show, "The Quilt Show", that she co-hosts with Ricky Tims. There is no stopping her. She will use whatever venue is available to instruct and inspire quilters everywhere. Yes, Alex "It's a New Day". I thank her from the bottom of my heart for bringing me on this journey. It is an honor to nominate her for this award.

In the summer of 1999, when my Grandma's Macular Degeneration reached a point when she could no longer sew, she gave me her Singer 2010 sewing machine so that I could learn. She gave me much more than that sewing machine. She may not have realized it then but she opened a whole new world for me.

When I was growing up, my mom and grandma were always sewing. I may not have paid attention when I was younger but I was always around it. I must have absorbed quite a bit. Fabric store trips were torturous and LOOOOONNNNNGGGG. Holidays were always fun because there was always something homemade. Christmas Eve at my Grandma & Grandpa's house was always full of Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. I could never sit still during Mass; I always wanted to get back to their house to open presents. But, they were different kinds of presents...always homemade. I can't remember a single store bought gift from my grandparents. I'm sure there have been some, but those aren't what's clear in my memory. To me, it's all of the outfits that Grandma made...I would grin from ear to ear thinking I was the most special kid on the planet because inside was sewn a tag that said, "Especially made for you by Grandma." The flannel pajama's...ohhh lots of flannel pajamas and when my Laura Ingalls Wilder kick began, my pajamas started coming with flannel hats just like Laura would wear to bed on the TV Show.

My first quilting project was learning how to rotary cut. My Grandma sent me off with her rulers and cutting mat and a giant box of flannel scraps. Now, my Grandma had 6 children, their spouses and 15 grandchildren. The box of scraps was from all of the flannel shirts and pj's that she had made....over a 40 year period. I cut, and cut, and cut 6.5" squares until there was no more fabric in that box to cut. Sure, my squares were all cut pretty wonky...nothing went with or without the grain...heck, I didn't even know what that was! I just kept sewing the squares together. In the end, I made a blanket for my dog, a twin size for myself, my Grandma and my second cousin Sammi along with a Queen Size for my cousin Keri. I was thrilled. But it wasn't until later that I realized what these quilts really meant. My Grandma didn't know about her quilt until her 80th Birthday Party. She was thrilled with it. It was so much fun watching my cousins all gather around my Grandma's quilt, pointing out which flannel pieces they had pajamas out of, uncles pointing out which pieces their flannel shirts were made out of.

In the middle of January I was in a quilt shop and saw a line of fabric that I thought was perfect for my Grandma. I said to my mom, "This summer I'm going to buy that fabric and make Grandma a quilt." Then in the beginning of February she had 3 heart attacks. I felt an overwhelming urge to make it for her right then. I bought the fabric on a Saturday. I chose a pattern called "4 Patch Flip" because I knew it was something that I could put together quickly. I had it in my head that time was of the essence. I ironed the fat quarters and cut the fabric right in front of her while she talked about how beautiful the fabrics were. I didn't let on that they were for her, just kept telling her that they reminded me of her. On Sunday, I sewed the top together, added the borders carefully mitering each corner. By Sunday night the quilt was layered and basted together. On Monday night after work I started to quilt. Mind you, my first experience with Free Motion Quilting was a class at the end of November. I really hadn't had much time to practice but with this quilt I just got it in my head that I was doing it and wasn't going to let my fear stop me. I stippled that entire quilt in three evenings. I used a product called "Quilting Made Easy" on the two borders, added the binding and by Wednesday night I called my mom for help removing basting tacks, cutting strings and removing the paper from the borders. I also managed to clog my vacuum and have to disassemble it that same evening! By Thursday night I was sewing my label on and was ready to take it to my Grandma. All told, since it was in such a short amount of time I was able to add my hours up. It took 25 hours from start to finish. But...I had a lot of nervous energy and worry that was actually working to my benefit and determination.

My Grandma loves her quilt. More than I ever anticipated. I just had that feeling of relief that came from giving it when I had felt so helpless while she was in the hospital. I wanted, no, NEEDED this by way of making a quilt to show her how much I loved her and how much I appreciated her giving me this gift of quilting. I named the quilt, "My Grandmother's Flower Garden." On the label I wrote, "Grandma, Thank you for inspiring me to become the quilter I am today."

All, and I mean all, of my influence/inspiration comes from tv/internet/magazines. I live in a remote town in Quebec Canada where the people here just don't quilt. I spend countless hours on the internet on quilting sites, ordering quilting books (which I have sunk a small fortune in!) and watch every TV shows dedicated to quilting (getting up at 5:30 a.m. Saturdays). Thanks to Alex Anderson and Elanor Burns I got bit by the quilting bug and have developed an insatiable thirst and the dreaded "material hoarding" (and hiding - from my husband..lol). I live in a town that knows nothing about quilting and every time I leave town...the first question I ask is where is the nearest material store?! My friends think I am obsessed..and they are probably right. There are so many quilters out there who deserve my vote! All I can say is thank you for the willingness to share your passion with me! I am doing the same here...quilting is contagious, and before I leave town, there will be quilters living here.

Hi Gina. That one is easy, my Grandma Buckles. She taught me to sew and do handwork. All of her quilts are whole piece tops that she hand appliqued or cross stitched. My fondest memories are of her sitting in her chair doing her needlework while I sat on the floor nearby sewing doll clothes. I can still remember the smell of cedar when she opened her scrap cabinet to let me look through her fabrics.

My mother gave me a set of hand pieced Drunkard's Path blocks that were half finished when my grandmother died. I took a quilting class two years ago so I could learn enough to do something with the blocks. I've finally got a plan and hope to finish that project soon.

Your post reminded me that I really need to photograph her quilts for my daughters. I see quilting as a magical legacy. I hope the things I create will be cherished the same.

am i the first one to say denyse schmidt? i think she is so talented and she has definitely inspired me. i love the look of her quilts as well as her fabric designs. i just received some of her katie jump rope fabric in the mail today and i am so excited to start cutting it up and sewing it back together!

With having no long line of family quilters, I was totally unaware of the quilting world until a friend begged me to take a beginner class with her. Long story short-she dropped out of the class and I was hooked. So my first teacher, Ille Waters. with her infectious love of quilting, fabrics and design was my first inspiration.
Second has to be Ruth McDowell and her book "Art and Inspiration". I read it from cover to cover and was in awe. Her eye for design, technique and fabric interplay is amazing. Because of her I have a love for "art quilts".
Third strong influences are my beginning students I taught in South Carolina. To teach something I love and then see the results of their own creativity and to watch them flourish and surpass me was priceless. The friendships I made in those classes and with my quilting groups are what make life so fun and quilting so addicting!

A professional : Smaranda Bourgery
http://perso.orange.fr/creation.smaranda//pages_a/presentation_a.htm
&
http://perso.orange.fr/creation.smaranda//pages_a/gallery.htm

I have built into the fiber of my being that I must rebel against my mother, and so I quilt. Growing up, my mother did not do time consuming tasks like quilting, she sewed as a necessity so she sewed simple dresses and clothes for me and my 7 siblings, if she made a quilt it was two sheets with an old blanket between them tied together with yarn. So, it is my mother who "influenced" me to quilt. All I can say is that I'm glad my rebellion didn't take me on other paths.

My maternal great grandmother and grandmother were both quilters -- in fact the last quilt my grandmother made, as she was losing her eyesight, was for ME. Sadly, she passed before I had a chance to learn from her. I made my first quilt 9 years ago while my right arm was in a cast. It was hand pieced and hand quilted, because I had lots of time to spend on details. When I finally decided that quilting would be my fulltime passion, it was as a result of watching Alex Anderson many, many early mornings on HGTV. So many thanks to all those quilters who've inspired us all.

A local quilt shop carried yarn and being a knitter I would shop there and admire the quilts! After asking the owner for a job, I found my self surrounded by the most amazingly talented women! Gina was the store manager and talked me into trying to make French Roses. I was hooked!
My great friend Allison and her mother Sheila Ingersoll shared wonderful ideas and invited me to visit other local quilt shops. My co-worker Manon has taught me lots of great tricks and shortcuts to making my quilts the RIGHT way! I am still learning new things and becoming more confident in my quilting skills.

I would have to say that my love for fabric and quilting started as a little girl and was influenced by my Grandmother. She would "put a quilt on" and have all of her friends over to help her quilt it. My sister and I would lay under the quilt and watch the pattern take shape. It was so fun to listen to the older ladies talk about quilting and life. My grandmother also saved all of her scrap fabric and encouraged me to make clothes for my Barbies which introduced me to sewing and a great addiction to fabric.

Kaffe Fassett, and his fabrics and books, and all the designers he pulls together in his books. His bold use of color and stunning graphic patterns made me realize my quilts could be as bold, wild, and lively as I wanted... his spectacular color combinations still rock my world :-)

There are no quilters in my family. I was influenced by Jennifer Chiaverini's quilting novels. I read The Christmas Quilt on a whim just before Christmas one year and loved it soooo much, I have read all of her novels. After reading a couple of them, I decided I wanted to be a quilter instead of just reading about it. Her books really inspired me, so I nominate Jennifer.

I´m from Germany and over there quilting is somthing like an undiscovered planet. So the biggest influence on my quilting came from Bonnie from quiltville.blogspot.com. Her patterns are so easy to make, yet so complex in design and colour.

the fabulous gals at Cozy Cottage in Brea CA were the ones who got me going with quilts just over 2 years ago. The first class I took was with Stephanie, now at Threaded Pear, and I was hooked. Gina sold me my first fabric and thread. I just said 'okay' to everything she suggested and nothing has changed..!! I am about to order a Statler Stitcher....help, when does it end?

Easy!! Nancy Crow: www.nancycrow.com, Anna Williams (via Nancy Crow), and many of the quilts (and their makers) in the catalog of the 1971 Whitney Museum quilt exhibition.

Wow, this is a big question...and I have a long list.
let me think about this and get back to you.

H2