Saturday 21 January 2012

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

17 comments:

  1. Congratulation as a new blogger. I am getting the feeling I will be stalking you:)

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  2. Congratulations as a blogger:-)))

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  3. I LOVE Stalkers... they are always there for you, everywhere, all the time, when ever, where ever, if you need them you just look over your shoulder and thier they are lol

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  4. Congratulations on your blog! (Someday I might have one of my own....) I will gladly stalk along with Hanne-Grete and look forward to learning more from you!

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  5. Great to hear how you got started. Not your average Quilter's Story. Beautiful Thread work. So how many machines do you currently own and what brand did you buy!?

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  6. welcome, so glad that you joined in on the blogging fun, I understand that you will be coming to France or is it just a rumor?
    If so tell us what you will be doing and seeing, I am sure that the quilters here would love to meet you.........

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  7. Well, I was previously a fan, but now I'm Pattented! I love your work and would love to see more pictures up close. Glad to see your new blog and I've subscribed and waiting for updates. More up close pics would be wonderful? Do you have to stabilize the heck out of the heavy thread work pieces where they are surrounded by lighter quilting? Eagerly awaiting the next posts.

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  8. Lovely! It is so great to come to a place to see your wonderful work, thanks :)

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  9. Count me in as a stalker too! Took one of your classes in Houston and loved it!! Let me know if you ever plan to do a retreat ~ That would be wonderful!! I am happy that you are blogging. I am curious: How long did it take you to complete "Another Sleepless Night"? That quilt speaks to me. :-)

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  10. So glad to see you in Blogland! Adding you to my favorites.

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  11. Another Sleepless Night is a cut-away quilt. It is fully reversible and is made up of two top fabrics a batting and two back fabrics. The design is first stitched out to enclose every design space and then the top layer of the design sections are carefully cut-away on both the front and back of the quilt... needless to say it took me a thousand times longer to cut-away the extra fabric to reveal the design then it did to quilt it on my longarm. I use to teach it as a class but the prep work of drawing out sample designs even on a small workable sample became more then I could handle with my crazy teaching and traveling. I may include this class on one of my new videos though. We go to start taping in two weeks, I'll let you know if we include this one in the first series.

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  12. Hi Liz, I do not use any stabilizers on any of my thread work. I draw the design onto the fabric and then out line everything, then slowly fill in the sections a little at a time so the fabric doesn't bunch up or ripple. I will include a thread art how to article later this year with step by step tips and tricks and photos of each step of the way.

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  13. Welcome to blogland....took a class from you in Houston, 2009 ...and have used your book as inspiration several times. Thank you for sharing!!

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  14. I'm scheduled to take a class from you. Although I am very excited I am also way out of my league. I just got my longarm and well beginner doesn't really describe where I'm at.

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  15. Such Awesome work!! Can't wait to take classes from you in Denver. Have scheduled Fri afternoon and all day Saturday classes with you!!! I am sooooooo excited for the thread art class!!!!
    Patsy in CO

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  16. I'm thinking a feature of you on my blog will send folks streaming over. Are you game?
    Bev A.................friend of robinquilts

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  17. Congrats, I love all of your ideas and work. Thank you for all you have given to my quilting knowledge. You are an amazing women with way too much energy (maybe the Tim Hortons) but it is worth it because you create beautiful things. Keep up all of the hard work we will use it well I am sure.
    Anell ;)

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