1.22.2010

{Creative Guest} Meet Mary!


~Meet Mary! I've enjoyed reading her blog for quite some time now. She has beautiful work and it has been so much fun getting to know her through her blog!

Me, a guest blogger??  You’ve got to be kidding!!

 Hey, thanks Natalia for the invitation to share a little of my story with your readers.  You know I admire your blog, your designs and your store.

Now for my meager story…I was raised on a small dairy/crop farm in Minnesota and am one of nine children.  My grandmother on my mother’s side was an incredible seamstress.  I have many memories of her making matching dresses for at least five of us girls.

Me – second from right with my kitten
Since my grandmother sewed everything for us and we all wore uniforms to school, Mom didn’t need to learn how to sew. But Grandma passed away shortly after this photo was taken and I started wanting my own wardrobe by the time I was ten.  I found fabric Grandma had left and saved my allowance for new fabric (that still hasn’t changed). 
By high school (no more uniforms) I was sewing most of my clothes and my younger sister’s clothes.  This continued after I married into maternity clothes, then baby clothes, costumes, snowsuits etc. Then one day I got together with two of my sisters and we had a quilting bee and as they say…the rest is history. 
Bitten by the quilting bug was difficult when I was working full time and commuting 90 miles round trip to work.  I still managed to put this quilt together over a year or so:


I plugged along and made this quilt too over nearly a year while I was working:

And then three years ago, the most wonderful thing happened….my husband and I retired!!  I love having the time to work on quilts, table runners or handbags every day with no deadline! 
Here is what I’m working on right now:

I want to add what great pleasure I have found in quilting bloggers around the world.  I don’t know where I would find my inspiration and encouragement without all of you!!

Thank you and thanks to Natalia for the honor of being her guest.

Thanks again Mary! Don't forget to stop by Marys blog to see more of her beautiful work!

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~Natalia

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13 comments:

  1. It was wonderful getting to know Mary better. What a wonderful story!
    Micki

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  2. Fantastic picture of the five girls, Mary. I didn't realized that you had such a long clothes sewing background. Always great to see your work.
    Kindest regards,
    Dana

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  3. I just love to hear the stories of how quilters came to learn sewing. It was nice to read Mary's background here and I have, too, have been enjoying her blog for awhile...and she won my one-year-blogging-anniversary giveaway, too!

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  4. What a wonderful story and quilts, really love the first one and the fabrics.

    Debbie

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  5. Thanks for introducing me to Mary! I relate to the quilting bug and full time job and long commute dilemma :( I love how the orange peel quilt is looking! so pretty!

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  6. Natalia, thank you for interviewing Mary. She is a friend and in a swap I hosted and you have picked a wonderful person to showcase.

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  7. Mary, thanks for sharing! Your quilts are beautiful!

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  8. Mary your work is AWESOME! And that photo of the start quilt on the bed - stunning!

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  9. I have been following Mary's blog for almost a year now and have found her to be a great source of encouragement in my creative journey!

    Thanks for featuring such a wonderful lady!

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  10. Great to meet Mary - her quilts are beautiful.

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  11. Mary is a doll! Being a MN gal myself, I feel a connection! And will be meeting her in person in june! She lives quite near my cabin! how cool is that!

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  12. I la,la,love your 1930's quilt that you showed that you made over a year while working! ;) It's awesome!

    Love from Texas! ~bonnie

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  13. Mary - I think it's incredible that you've been sewing that long! What a history! Your work is amazing!

    Natalia - thank you for exposing me to so many amazing quilting bloggers. What an inspiration they all are!

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