For the weeks leading up to the Quilt Along, which now starts September 12, there will be a quilty interview with bloggers participating in the quilt along. The fabric designer, quilter and the photographer of the Enchanted Forest version will be interviewed as well. You can look for a new interview every Monday and Thursday now until September 10th. Find all the information for the quilt along HERE.
So grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine depending on the time of day in your area and lets get to know Daphne.
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| Old Growth, First, Art Quilts, Victoria Quilters Guild, 2018 |
PBJ: Name and business name:
Daphne: Daphne Greig, Patchworks Studio
PBJ: What name would you give yourself in the quilting world? Designer, teacher, quilter, tester, etc
Daphne: I wear a lot of 'hats':
Pattern Designer/Technical Writer, Author, Teacher, Art Quilter, Fabric Sales Rep for Northcott, Fabric Designer – the last one is my latest career adventure!
PBJ: Designers: Do you have any new patterns/books/fabrics coming out this year that you can share about? Teachers: What classes do you teach? Testers: what do you do with all of the blocks/quilts that you make? Quilters: Longarm, domestic machine, computerized, manual?
Daphne: I can't give too much away regarding my upcoming fabric collection but....it is a collection for Banyan Batiks and based on surface design motifs I have used in my art quilts. Fabrics will be released at International Quilt Market in Kansas City in May 2019, with fabric delivery in Fall 2019.
I design and publish approximately a dozen patterns each year
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| PS392 - Shibori Weave, with Banyan Batiks Shibori collection |
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| PS388- Maplewood Trail, with Northcott's Stonehenge Maplewood |
This pattern is coming in December and it uses a panel from Banyan Batiks– YES, it is a Batik panel!
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| PS409- Chantilly, with Banyan Batiks French Macaroon Collection |
I have travelled extensively to teach over the past 20 years, including at major quilting conferences. I have scaled back my 'away' teaching in the last 2 years but still accept a few engagements each year. I also teach regularly at a local quilt shop since the interaction with students is something I love.
My workshop information is on my website: http://daphnegreig.com/category/workshops/
I 'accidentally' became a Sales Representative for Northcott several years ago when the rep for my area retired and I was 'in the right place, at the right time'. My territory is very small – Vancouver Island on Canada's West Coast. I already knew most of the shops and manufacturers and they knew me through my teaching, books and patterns. Visiting them is one of the ways I stay connected to the larger quilting community.
PBJ: Who taught you/ or inspired you to learn to quilt?
Daphne: My first quilt was a baby quilt made for my son in 1980. I had never made a quilt before but had a vague idea about how to make it. The sewing was not difficult because I've been sewing since I was very young. I tied the quilt and added some quilting stitches with perle cotton in the squares. His 'blankie' was well-loved but is still in fairly good shape. It is always the first quilt I show for my Quilter's Adventure lecture.
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| First Quilt, 1980 |
When I wanted to make a bed-size quilt for my daughter several years later I attended a 'Quilt in a Day' class at Satin Moon Quilt Shop in Victoria, BC. Robin Whitbread (the owner) taught the class and inspired me so much that I wanted to make quilts forever. I became a 'stash collector' and have been making and designing quilts ever since.
My first classes were taught at Satin Moon and the shop sold my first patterns. Now my patterns are sold around world, I've written 5 quilting books and taught all over North America and on quilting cruises – all because I wanted to learn the right way to make a quilt!
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| Daphne's Books |
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| Teaching "Split Quilts", Maui, 2017 |
PBJ: What is your favorite part of the quilting process
Daphne: I really love all parts of quilting. There was a time when the actual 'quilting' wasn't my favourite because I didn't have much experience. I could make tops, tops and more tops but knowing how to quilt them and having the skills to quilt them took time. The more quilts I completed, the better I got. That's advice I give to all my beginning quilters. You just have to do it and not be too critical of yourself. You WILL get better with practice. If you think about anything you have learned in your life, could you do it well right away? How about baking? Has everything turned out perfectly the first time?
PBJ: What is your least favorite part?
Daphne: I don't dislike anything about quilting, except perhaps having so many fabric choices!
PBJ: What is your favorite quilty tool?
Daphne: I have to say my Rotary Cutter – where would I be without this amazing tool that allows me to start every project with accurate cutting? We all have an excellent opportunity to do good work if we can cut well.
PBJ: What is your favorite color? Do you use it in your quilts? If not, what color do you find yourself using a lot? Why do you use that color the most?
Daphne: I love green – all its shade, tints and tones. But I'm particularly fond of lime green.
I don't use green in every quilt but if the collection of fabrics I am using includes green I'll try it first. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I generally play best with the cool side of the colour wheel with a few pops of hot or warm to provide contrast.
PBJ: When sewing, do you watch T.V. / movies, listen to music, have it quiet?
Daphne: I love it quiet when I sew with just the sounds of my machine to keep me company.
PBJ: How much time do you spend quilting a day?
Daphne: I try to sew every day but often I spend more time on the computer than in my studio. Designing and writing take time as does social media. Keeping in touch with customers and colleagues is an important part of my job. I have developed 'systems' so I can spend less time on regular tasks and I always look for ways to streamline my work so I can have more time in the studio.
PBJ: If you had to choose between quilting cotton, batiks or flannels to sew with *for the rest of your life* which would you choose? Why?
Daphne: That's a very tough choice – particularly since I have designed a batik collection! I think I would choose quilting cotton for several reasons: the broad variety of prints available in cotton and I sew clothing for my granddaughters and cotton fabrics are the best choice for their garments, quilts and pajamas.
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| Summer Tops, 2018. Fabrics: Scandia by Jane Sassaman |
PBJ: You are taking a quilting cruise, who’s your teacher?
Daphne: Well...I've been the teacher on 6 quilting cruises.....but I would enjoy learning on a cruise (or on land) with Jenny Bowker. And I'd go anywhere for another workshop with Ricky Tims.
PBJ: Does your sewing machine have a name?
Daphne: My unnamed Bernina 440 is one of 3 Bernina's I own. None of them have names – just their model numbers (original 831, 1260, and 440). I also have a 1953 Singer Featherweight, an inheritance from my aunt.
My Avanté longarm has tried to have a name but nothing seems to 'stick' so she's just Avanté.
PBJ: Does your seam ripper have a name?
Daphne: No name for this either....just don't want to interact with it too much!
PBJ: When was the last time you changed your needle?
Daphne: I change my needle after about 6-8 hours of sewing or if I hear the machine not sewing well (because I don't have the music playing I can hear this right away). I'll also change the needle if I am using a thread that requires a larger or smaller one or different type.
PBJ: We have a big quilt along coming up. What is your advice to any quilter new to the quilt along world?
Daphne: I am actually new to the Quilt Along world, though I've designed, written and taught a lot of Block of the Month programs. My advice is to not get ahead of yourself. Just take it one step at a time, enjoy making each part of the project in order. If you are making blocks, make 1 or 2 first before you cut everything so you understand how the blocks go together.
Pace yourself; you don't need to set aside a large amount of time to get started. Just work away in smaller time slots and you will make progress. My 89 year old Mom often says 'Rome wasn't built in a day'. She has years of experience with projects big and small, so I usually pay attention to her advice.
I am 'reversing' the values for my quilt – my darkest fabric will be where the lightest one is in Jen's quilt. I have selected a group of Banyan Batiks for my quilt and I think my version will have a bit of 'drama'.
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| Banyan Batiks – Ketan, Ketan Multi, Shadows |
Instagram: Coming Soon
I'll leave you with a place that inspires creativity for me – a garden with all those luscious greens.
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| Van Dusen Garden, Vancouver, BC |
Interview Schedule
Sept 12 - Quilt along begins!
I hope you enjoyed getting to know a little bit about Daphne. If you have any questions for her, please put them in the comments, with an email address if your settings are set for no reply, and I will make sure she sees them. I hope you follow her and give her some quilty love!
Happy Stitching!
Jen
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