Border Quilt Interview with Joanne

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 Joanne of  Quilts by Joanne

PBJ:  Name?

Joanne: Joanne Harris

PBJ: What name would you give yourself in the quilting world? Designer, teacher, quilter, tester, etc?

Joanne:I am a pattern tester

Testers: what do you do with all of the blocks/quilts that you make? 

Joanne: When my pattern tests are finished and can be seen (many are secret for a while) I donate them to charity. Most donations go to my local Scrapbag group or to Project Linus. The Scrapbag group donates quilts to local people undergoing medical treatment, to people who have lost homes due to fire, or to people in need. 

PBJ: Who taught you/ or inspired you to learn to quilt?

Joanne:  I learned to sew in High School Home Economics class some 50+ years ago. I took my first quilting class through a LQS just over 40 years ago. I had an aunt who did almost couture level sewing and I have always aspired to be as meticulous as she was.

PBJ: What is your favorite part of the quilting process?

Joanne: I like sitting at my machine and sewing.

Plus Paws

PBJ: What is your least favorite part?

Joanne:  I am not fond of cutting out.

PBJ: What is your favorite quilty tool?

Joanne: My favourite quilty tool is anything that improves my accuracy. So the Bloc-Loc rulers have been a wonderful invention.

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?

Joanne: I love pretty much any blue and do often use that in quilts. I find if I have a choice I use the green/blue/purple trio a lot. I find those colours both happy and relaxing and I have a good sense of what goes with what on that side of the colour wheel. The warm colours and the yellow greens are harder for me to use.

Bonus Triangles

PBJ: When sewing, do you watch T.V. / movies, listen to music, have it quiet?

Joanne: Generally speaking we run a quiet house. When we watch the TV we watch it and then turn it off. sometimes I put on a relaxing spa sounding CD to listen to.

PBJ: How much time do you spend quilting a day?

Joanne: I spend some time every day quilting. Some days it is just a few moments other days it is several hours.

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?

Joanne: I think I would take batiks if I had to stick with only one of type of fabric. I love the colour combinations you get within an individual piece of fabric, I like the texture, well I just plain like them.

PBJ: You are taking a quilting cruise, who’s your teacher?

Joanne:  If I was taking a cruise, which will likely never happen I would take one with Bonnie Hunter. I love a good scrap quilt and she is the queen of scrap quilts. And now that she will not come to Canada this might be the only way I get to take a class from her.

PBJ: Does your sewing machine have a name?

Joanne: No name for any of my sewing machines but I do make every effort to get them to the spa on an annual basis.

PBJ:   Does your seam ripper have a name?

Joanne: I don't have a favourite seam ripper or a name for one. I have several and they are located near where I sew so that I do not have to spend hours searching.

Simple Sheep Bricks

PBJ: When was the last time you changed your needle?

Joanne: Such an embarrassing question. I changed my needle about a month ago. Well I think it was about a month ago. I have cleaned out the bobbin area about four times since I changed the needle.

PBJ: We have a big quilt along coming up. What is your advice to any quilter new to the quilt along world?

Joanne: Advice for a newbie to the Quilt Along world. It might be to not get discouraged if you get behind. If you do, then try to do a little bit of each step so that you have tried it out while everyone is "still talking about that step"

Blog:

https://quiltsbyjoanne.blogspot.com/

Instagram:

 turtlequilterjo

Interview Schedule

July 27 - Nancy - Masterpiece Quilting

July 30 - Vicki - My Creative Corner3

Aug 2 - Becca - Pretty Piney

Aug 6 - Kate - Seams Like A Dream

Aug 9 - Terri - Lizard Creek Quilting

Aug 13 - Joanne - Quilts By Joanne

Aug 16 - Marija - Mara Quilt Designs

Aug 20 - Alison - Little Bunny Quilts

Aug 23 - Stephanie - Quilt'n' Party

Aug 27 - Daphne - Daphne Greig

Aug 30 - Tara - The Quilt District

Sept 6 - Tracy (quilter) - Fabrics Plus

Sept 10 - Kelly (photographer) - Handmade Boy

Sept 12 - Quilt along begins!

I hope you enjoyed getting to know a little bit about Joanne. 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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The Border Quilt Quilt Along is coming September 2018

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