Barbara Blanton
I have always sewn, but it was an antique quilt that I received as a teenager that inspired me to learn to quilt. I checked out a book from the library and made my first quilt, a log cabin, using templates cut out of newspaper in 1973 (this was long before rotary cutters). I finished the top with excitement, then read the next step – “Layer, quilt as desired, and bind.” I layered it with “puffy” batting (after all it WAS for a child), but could not find a book in the library called “Quilt As Desired.” My Grandmother came to the rescue and “machine” quilted it in the ditch.
Hundreds of quilts, and some thirty years later, I became obsessed with appliqué. I took classes from every appliqué teacher I could find, and practiced – practiced – practiced. I appliqué an average of (3) queen size tops a year; augmented with pieced quilts.
Through the years I have participated in, and led guilds, in St. Louis, MO; San Antonio, TX and Palmdale, CA. I organized and ran a charity group in Riverside, CA for (7) years that produced “Snuggle Quilts” for at-risk children. We donated up to 200 quilts a year to the local Police Department.
Eleven years ago I formed the ACADEMY OF APPLIQUE – a week long appliqué retreat/school held annually at the Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, VA. I LOVE IT! It is a lot of work, but definitely my favorite week of the year. Additionally I am in the process of re-launching HUZZAH QUILT SHOPPE, an online quilt store. I also love to travel to guilds – teaching and lecturing.
Barbara@academyofapplique.com
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