Border Quilt Interview with Tara

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 Tara.

PBJ:  Name and business name: Tara Miller, The Quilt District

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

Tara: Enthusiast! (Designer, Maker, Rookie Historian)

PBJ: Designers: Do you have any new patterns/books/fabrics coming out this year that you can share about?

Tara: I’m releasing Prescott Road in August! Half-square triangle lovers will totally dig it. 

Behind the scenes a bit: I have a pillow pattern in the works that will be in a booth at Quilt Market Houston in November. It’s called Mod Garden and it’ll be so much retro fun!

Prescott Road

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

Tara: My sister-in-law was pregnant with her second child and I wanted to make a baby “blanket.” I went on YouTube… and down the rabbit hole. I soon learned the difference between a blanket and a quilt (!), and I’d watch anything I could get my hands on. I joined Facebook groups for quilters where I learned bits of tips and tricks when people would post questions (such as pros and cons of pre-washing). The rest is history.

PBJ: What is your favorite part of the quilting process 

Tara: Seeing it start to come together, which really happens twice: (1) When I’m auditioning the fabric selections and watching them zing or flop, and (2) When the quilting on it is almost finished and it handles like a unified piece; it feels like a quilt.

PBJ: What is your least favorite part?

Tara: Two, really: Basting. Blek. Roughly between the 1/2 and 3/4 marks when I have made most of the important design decisions and it’s down to working through the tedium of the construction. I can see it finished, I can almost taste it, and I’m impatient. I want it to come together because I’m ready to put my energy into the next piece.

PBJ: What is your favorite quilty tool?

Tara: My sewing machine. Possibly one of the most incredible inventions of the industrial revolution. Absolute genius.

Prescott Road - close up

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?

Tara: Right now? Teal. I love blues and I love greens, so I guess you could say I’m trying to have it all. LOL

Oddly enough, I’m not really using it much right now.

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

Tara: Usually TV or movies (I just went through all three seasons of Outlander!). Often historical education type things: inside the Tudor monarchy or archaeological digs and investigations at Roman ruins in Britain. That sort of thing. I’ve also lately been listening a lot to some podcasts! Just Wanna Quilt, RadioLab, The Hidden Brain, and The TED Radio Hour are my favorites.

And I have a ritual: During the making of every quilt, I watch When Harry Met Sally at least once. It has become like a good luck charm or something.

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

Tara: Between zero and 12 hours. Totally depends on the day and the project and what else is going on. I work a day job, and some nights I’m able to get into my sewing. Other nights I just don’t have it in me. Some weekends are nothing but quilting. I’ve been known to take vacation days from work to finish a quilt.

Enough with the usual interview questions lets have some fun.  

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? 

Tara: Quilting cottons forever. Why? I like the way they feel and I like the variety of prints available.

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

Tara: Bonnie Hunter. She’s a color master and she has an amazing attitude.

Fabric pull for The Border Quilt Quilt Along

PBJ: Does your sewing machine have a name? 

Tara: My Singer is named Polly, after my paternal grandmother. This is the machine I started quilting on. No, it wasn’t hers.

My mid-century Japanese import is named Betty, because the guy selling it advertised it as being a “White” machine (and I knew enough to know that was a terrific brand, but didn’t know enough to spot this wasn’t one of them).

My Brother is named Sister. Obvious reasons.

My Janome is named Sewphie. Because I thought it sounded cute.

PBJ: Does your seam ripper have a name? 

Tara: No. That would give it an attitude. He’s smug enough on his own.

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

Tara: Last week. I needed to swap out the denim 100 needle for a quilting 90.

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

Tara: Don’t stress about it! It’s meant to be fun! It will have some imperfections. That’s ok. You’re not a machine.

Blog: www.quiltdistrict.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/quiltdistrict

Instagram: www.instagram.com/quiltdistrict

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 Tara. 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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