Creative Quilting and YOU…

Have you ever been to a quilt show and were simply awestruck by the beauty of it all? This weekend in the little town of Waxhaw, North Carolina such an event is taking place.
It is called a Barnful of Quilts and is held at Fox Farms. This annual event usually takes place the second Saturday in October so this year it will be this Saturday, October 11th 10-5. It is a one day affair. Quilt-lovers and Quilt-makers come from near and far to not only gaze upon the beauty but to learn techniques, check out new patterns and chat with fellow quilters.

This year one of the featured quilters is a longtime Mary Jo’s Cloth customer,Susan Brubaker Knapp. She is a a Quilter who turned her passion into a business.
“Quilting started as my hobby, but has turned into a passion and a business. I teach quilting classes at local quilt shops, and have published patterns for my original quilt designs.


"I love traditional hand quilting and needleturn appliqué, but have embraced innovative machine techniques. I started making “art quilts” — works of art executed in fabrics and fibers — in 2005. My quilts have won national as well as local awards, and have been exhibited at national and international venues.”

Susan stays very busy with her quilt business. She holds quilting technique workshops all over the country, sharing her passion and expertise with other talented folks. “Creating fiber art is an intense tactile experience. My core materials — cloth and thread — are the result of my background as a traditional quilter. But I also use substances foreign to traditional quilters, such as fabric paints and dyes, Tyvek, Angelina fibers, and water-soluble wax pastels, to transform the cloth.” She also mentions she just got back from an extraordinary quilting event held in the quaint town of Staunton, Virgina. This literally is a month-long celebration of quilts called "Quilts: Past, Present & Future." Studio Art Quilt Associates' (SAQA) yearly conference for the VA/NC/SC region. Check it out for next year it could be fun and inspiring.
Susan is a huge fan of Mary Jo’s Cloth store and stops by often.
"I am fortunate to live about 45 minutes drive from Mary Jo's, and I visit fairly often. My quilter friends in other states are so envious. When I get about 10 minutes away, I start hyperventilating... and it doesn't get better when I step inside! Pure heaven! I started out as a traditional quilter, and I used to spend most of my time in the cotton prints. Today, I still love traditional quilts, but I've been picking up some other types of fabric (silks, organzas...) that I think will end up in my art quilts sooner or later. Mary Jo's carries everything a quilter or sewer could want or need, and being there and seeing it all feeds my creativity."

At Mary Jo's we are fortunate to provide a huge selection of fabric and other supplies for so many projects to so many passionate, talented and creative people. Thanks for sharing your story with us Susan.

Do you have a story or project to share? Take a moment and Email us a photo and share your work, we cannot wait to see it!