GETTING ACQUAINTED
Tell us a little about yourself: where you live, what your life looks like outside of quilting, and what people might be surprised to know about you.
I live in Asheville, NC with my husband, Mark, surrounded by mountains, nature, and creativity. When I'm not quilting, I'm knitting, trying my hand at sewing garments, growing dahlias, and making sourdough bread. I'm also very involved in a local nonprofit, Open Hearts Art Center, that's been changing the lives of disabled adults through the arts for over 20 years. Life before Asheville was the complete opposite as a marketing executive in the TV and brand marketing industry in NYC. I have fun stories about hanging out with all kinds of famous people like Gene Simmons, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Criss Angel, Buzz Aldrin, William Shatner, John Legend, and past US president among others.
How did you learn to quilt, and who (if anyone) taught you?
I've always been insatiably curious. If you have a hobby, I will ask you one thousand questions about it! So when I met Donna in 2021 and learned about her sewing adventures, it was only a matter of time. On my first visit to her sewing studio, I was stunned in all the best ways. She has multiple modern and vintage sewing machines, a gazillion rulers, scissors, and notions, and a fabric collection that left me speechless. I blame Donna entirely for my quilting obsession and am so grateful for our friendship and shared love of making things.
YOUR DESIGN WORK
How did you make the leap from quilter to pattern designer? What was your first pattern, and how did it feel to release it into the world?
Endless curiosity strikes again with a healthy dose of life-is-short abandon. After an amazing but stress-filled corporate career in the urban jungle, I left that chapter behind to embrace the mountain life in Asheville. As a lifelong learner with a love of math, workflow, graphic design, and writing, I thought a course in pattern writing sounded fun. Famous last words. The pattern I designed for the course became my first release -- Pine Shadow -- an on-point quilt (translation: significantly more complicated math) in multiple sizes, because apparently I don't ease into things LOL. Releasing Pine Shadow into the quilt-a-sphere felt thrilling and a little terrifying but when the first sale came in, it was goosebumps and happy tears.
How would you describe your design style to someone who had never seen your work?
I call my style Modern Heritage. I'm drawn to classic blocks that carry a kind of quiet history in their geometry. But then I love things that feel familiar and fresh at the same time. It's so fun to have the freedom to add a modern sensibility to what came before by playing with color, shifts in scale, and the impact of negative space. If you've never seen my patterns, imagine a quilt that would feel at home in a farmhouse and in a modern mountain home. Those two worlds were never really that far apart for me.
What's the pattern you're most proud of, and why?
It's a collection of 4 coordinated patterns. The Land of the Sky collection holds a special place in my heart. I released 4 patterns, each in 5 sizes, all at once, which was -- let's be honest -- crazy! It was months of work, coordinating tech editing, pattern testing, proofreading, sample making, and creating the marketing assets. The marketing shoot might be my favorite memory. My dear friend Noelle was visiting and dared to say yes when I asked her to take photos and videos for me along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It took five hours with stunning backdrops, and the kind of golden weather that makes you feel like the universe is on your side. We wrapped, sat down to lunch and the skies opened up and poured. I'm so proud of this pattern collection -- each design reflects my deep love of this chapter of my life, lived in a place that still takes my breath away.
YOU & THE CRAFT
Are there any techniques, blocks, or styles you haven't tackled yet but are dying to?
Releasing a pattern with curves that converts "hesitaters" into curve enthusiasts. I love sewing curves and they unlock a whole new world for quilt designs. One thing I love most about designing patterns is guiding quilters to do tackle things they think might be hard but in practice, really aren't. That is actually embedded in my "pattern promises" on my website -- to write patterns that work for the way your individual brain works, that are clean and calm and never overwhelming, and that show you exactly what you'll see in your hands at every step.
What's your favorite part of the quilting process and why?
Peace in the making. My mind is a busy place! Quilting quiets it and anchors me in the present moment. Something settles when I touch fabric and that kind of stillness is a gift. And then, I end up with a one-of-a-kind, handmade, everlasting beautiful thing that didn't exist before and is entirely me. It's a win-win of epic proportion!
What's always in your fabric stash? Any go-to collections, designers, or colors you find yourself reaching for repeatedly?
Warm, autumnal earth tones have my heart. If a fabric looks like it belongs in a WNC forest in October, it's coming home with me. As my stash has grown -- and, oh how it's grown -- I've noticed how often I reach for solids and low-volume, muted prints. I love what I call "calm" fabrics -- minimalist in spirit, if not in quantity. :) I also love small-batch hand-dyed fabric. And because apparently I can never have enough hobbies, next on my list is learning how to dye my own fabric with natural dyes.
Do you have a quilt in your home (that you made or not) with special significance? Tell us about it.
Early in my quilting journey I made the Home Street quilt by one of my favorite designers, Erin at The Blanket Statement. I loved that quilt! But its significance came much later in ways I didn't anticipate. The end of 2024 was a rough one. My husband had a recurrence of cancer -- not life-threatening but serious enough to require six weeks of radiation treatment in New York City. While he was there and I was alone on the mountain, Hurricane Helene tore through Western North Carolina. When he finally came home to recover, he pulled that quilt from the stack and it became "his" comfort quilt. His recovery quilt. The thing he reached for. We still talk about what that quilt stands for -- resilience, strength, and the quiet power of a handmade thing to provide comfort.
THE BUSINESS OF DESIGN
How do you balance the creative side of designing with the business side of selling?
I've always been what people call left and right brained. Creative and strategic at the same time. My long career through ad agencies, television, and marketing tech companies definitely taught me how to think about design, storytelling, audience, and business strategy. I find all of that easily transferrable from the board room to the sewing studio. If anything, I find the two sides feed each other. My design work is better when I'm thinking about who it's for. And the business decisions are better when they're rooted in something that brings me joy. Hampton Quilt Studio is truly a sweet spot!
RAPID FIRE
Listening to / watching while you sew?
Lately, ALL the previous seasons of The Great British Sewing Bee.
If you could only use one color family for the rest of your quilting life, what would it be?
Warm, autumn, earth tones
Scrappy or planned colorway?
Always planned! I'm a planner!
ONE LAST THING
What's next for you? Anything exciting on the horizon you can share?
A collab with my friend Kelly from Kye+Hardy. She makes amazing hand-dyed linen fabric but she's an even more amazing friend.
Where can people find you online?
- Website: hamptonquiltstudio.com
- Instagram: @hamptonquiltstudio