Ask Joi: Who's That Pink Chick?

Here is a question from Carol. She writes:

Who the heck is Tula Pink? At my last guild meeting there was a group of girls there and that's all they kept talking about. They were naming I guess fabric lines from her or something, but they were talking about her like she's some big celebrity or something. 


Well Carol, to many quilters, especially those who like to follow and collect designer quilting fabrics, Tula Pink is sort of a big deal. There are quilters out there as we speak petting and drooling over their most recent purchase of Tula Pink fabrics.

The Pink Mistress Herself

An illustrator, quilter, fabric designer and author, Tula has built a wonderful brand with a devout following. Her designs are original, colorful and very distinct.

With her success I wouldn't be surprised if she makes a deal with Target for a line of throw pillows or bed sheets. She definitely has that sort of brand appeal.

Tula Pink is one of many fabric designers and quilters who have gained 'rock star' status in the quilting world. Can't fault quilters for that, though. Every craft has their own celebrities

You can learn more about Tula Pink, her fabrics, books and other products at TulaPink.com.

Ask Joi: Quilted Green

Celtic Quilt (Image from Quilt Chat)

Here is a question I just got from a woman named Bev-

So, I was at a quilting workshop last week put on by my local guild. As I pulled out my fabrics that would be using in class, one of the ladies sitting next to me made a comment. She said, 'why do you always quilt with greens. Every time I see you working on something its always green. Looks to me like you are in a rut. You need to learn to use other colors and give that green a rest'. Well the thing is, I really like green. It's my favorite color. It is true that most of my quilting projects have green in them, but is that so wrong? Do I really need to put my green to rest?


Well Hello Bev,

Let's just make this clear from the start, there are no quilting police. That is just one woman and her one opinion, nothing more. 

I say, if green is your favorite color and it makes you happy to quilt with it, then by all means, use it! Make as many green quilts as your heart desires. Google search the words, 'green quilts', and you will find that you are not alone in your love for green. Limiting your color does not mean a limit on creativity. There are many quilts out there that explore tonal range, saturation and movement all while using variations of just one color. 

Some would argue that with so many awesome colors out there, why would you limit yourself to just one?  To them I would simply say hey, if Picasso can have his "Blue Period", then you can have your "Green Period". Green may become that signature color that shows up in all your quilts. I've heard Victoria Findlay Wolfe has a thing for orange and it pops up in many of her quilts. 

Yes, playing with all the colors of the rainbow is nice, but sometimes its good to take just one color and see how far you can go with it. So Bev, live long, quilt hard, and keep it green honey!


So dear readers, what's your favorite color to quilt with? Do you have a collection of quilts in your favorite color?


Have a question? Feel free to drop me a line. Leave your question in the comment section or email me at michellecalimattingly at gmail dot com.

Ask Joi- Quilting For the Unappreciative

Okay, so now that more people outside my immediate circle are learning that I quilt, I'm starting to  get asked a lot of quilting questions and just crafting questions in general.

 I decided that it would be a good idea to answer some of these questions on my blog. So I've dedicated every Monday to being "Ask Joi". Every week I will address a quilting question/dilemma. You can leave a question in the comments or send one to me via Twitter.

Recently a friend came to me with this dilemma:

I love making handmade items for friends and family. But I usually only make items for people that I know will appreciate them. One of my friends I was talking to pointed out the fact that I have never made a quilt for her, like I have for some of my other friends. She has now requested a quilt for Christmas. I know for a fact she is not the type of person who would take care of a quilt. I've seen what she's done with handmade and even expensive gifts in the past. She just places very little value on items. I really don't want to make her a quilt because I know all my time and energy will go to waste. So, I don't know what to do.


Well, this is one can be hard. I myself have a niece who places very little value on gifts given to her. The leather bound bible I bought her for her high school graduation? It's now holding up the wobbly leg of her coffee table. The quilt I made her as a child? It is permanently stained with hair color because once when she was dying her hair she realized all her towels were dirty so she used the only clean thing she had in her linen closet. So, I know exactly where you're coming from on this one. It can be devastating to put all your thought, time, money and effort into something only to see the recipient treat your gift like an unloved step-child.

 There is a reason why we have gift cards- for those people who we know won't appreciate a handmade gift. But when someone specifically asks for something handmade this can make you feel trapped with no choice but to make them something.

You could move out of the country which would make the cost of shipping a quilt complete unreasonable. Or you could just keep brushing off your friend's request until both of you grow so old and get dementia that you can't remember being friends. But if those two options won't work here are two other ideas:

Make her a quilt using her stuff. Yup, ask her for her old shirts, blankets,  sheets, even her kid's old clothes. Use these items to create a wonderfully personal quilt. If she has a wool or flannel blanket you can use those for either the backing or the batting for the quilt. This way the only thing you are really investing in the quilt is some thread and a little bit of your time. The fabric is all hers, so who cares what she does with it. And she will think it is the most thoughtful gift ever.

My second idea would be to shop your local thrift store for a quilt. There are some nice looking quilts that end up in the Goodwill. Sometimes it's just a quilt top, other times it's a finished quilt. Either way, look for one that would fit your friend's style. Finish the quilt (if its a quilt top only), and give it to her, claiming it as handmade from you. You'll feel less bad for a quilt you only paid $5 for when you come to her house a month later and discover her cat had kitten on it.

So my dear readers, have you ever been in this situation? What did you do? Do you have any other suggestions on how you would handle this? Feel free to chime in on the comment section below.

Also, don't forget to send in your own question. Peace out!