Let's Get Started...

I thought I should start my Blog with some insight on how I ended up where I am today... It all started with a trip to a local quilt shop, Jillybean's Pride, in Oakville, Ontario Canada. I was of course picking out new fabric I had to have and thread to add to my collection, when I noticed the most AWESOME Quilt I had ever seen. I can't tell you what blocks the quilt had or even what colour it was, but the quilting on it was life changing for me. The texture, the designs, I was lost in the moment. I found out that day that the quilt had been quilted by a lady named Carol Cunningham from the Quilt Batt, on her longarm! I had no idea what a longarm was at the time, but I knew I had to have one. Later that day I ordered my first longarm sight unseen, over the phone! I, of course, do not suggest that this is how you choose your first longarm, but looking back on my last 11 years it was the right call for me. The machine arrived at my house on Dec 22nd 2001 and after punching holes in the wall of my dinning room, to make it fit, I had a wonderful 14 foot table in my 14 foot room. Although I had no idea how to turn it on I knew that with hard work I could have a nice little stay at home job... it was a 5 year plan to start with. I would learn how to turn it on, take in a few client quilts and earn a little money while staying at home with my three children. I had no limits to what I thought this magical machine could do and no one to tell me the do's and don't so I just started doing what ever I wanted and that magical longarm became my design tool. Before I knew it I had a 6 month waiting list and more quilts on my shelf then I knew what to do with, so I bought 2 more longarms to help get the work done quicker and I was in business.

In 2002 this quilt hung in a both at Houston. It was my first Thread Art Quilt and was adapted from Rosemary Mekhan's applique design,from her Woodlands Garden Patterns. The quilt was noticed by some big wiggs in the longarm industry and before I knew what was happening... I was teaching that year at MQS one of the largest longarm shows in the States. My 5 year, stay at home little business idea took on a whole new dirrection. It has been a world wind from there. Trips to Germany, France, England, all across the US and Canada teaching, lecturing, designing for all things quilting. I've have 2 books published, appeared on Quilting shows, in magazines and turned my weekend hobby into a thriving business, that takes me around the globe about 9 months out of the year. I have made new friends, met thousands of wonderful people, won some ribbons, had countless opportunities, all because of my passion for creating and a simple phone call, I thought it might be nice to include some of my work before fast forwarding to today... Kalidescope Of Threads

Birds Of A Feather

Another Sleepless Night

Alexis Winter Garden

Artistic Threads

Thread Art Tapestry

Bitter Sweet Revenge- Front

Bitter Sweet Revenge- Back

All Dressed Up With No Place To Go

Dare To Be Different

This year we hope to launch our new web site www.pattenthatquilt.com , distribute our new fabric line, share our new line of thread by YLI, offer my new training videos (we start filming in two weeks, right after a trip to Denver) and share our travels and experiences along the way... So I hope you enjoyed my intro to my blog... Tell a friend... share the link... and I'll catch you on the flip side of somewhere else... I Remain Crazy For All Things Inspiring...Or Maybe Just Plain Crazy... Sue Patten