Geri Richardson
Hello, my name is Geri Richardson - aka Grannie 'G';
About
six years ago I decided there must be more to life than going to work
(I worked in land planning as a drafter) and coming home to fix dinner.
So I signed up for a beginners class in quilting which was being
offered at the time by our local adult school. Like so many other
quilters I had been exposed to quilting through my grandmother and had
experienced quilting by "helping" her (she probably took it all out
when I wasn't looking). Anyway; many, many years later - I took a class
to learn how to get from the beginning to the finished product. Isn't
that how most of us started?
From the first class I was
"HOOKED", yep - big time. It didn't take long for me to figure out that
piecing was not my "piece of cake". Applique was a different story.
With applique I could color outside the lines. I finished that class
then took another. By the time I finished the second class I thought I
knew it all (sound familiar?). So over the summer I started a major
project. A queensize hand appliqued, hand quilted wedding gift. I
really learned a lot in the year it took to finish!
Since beginning quilting, I have learned some things I think are worth passing along.
- 1: There are no rules for Applique. If it, works use it
- 2: One of my customers came by during a show to tell me that she was almost finished with one of the patterns she had purchased; but it didn't look anything like my sample! My response to her, and to any other quilter, was "I certainly hope not!" A pattern is only a place for you to start. By all means make it your own, experiment, enjoy!
- 3: I do encourage my students to try as many different techniques as you can find. There are no "Applique Police" to follow you home and say you have to do exactly as the instructions say. If you want to do fusible applique, great! Raw edge is ok, freezer paper, templates, starch and press are only a few techniques. Just because I prefer the basted needle turn method, does not mean it works for everyone (but do try it, you may like it).