Maude of The Retro Quilter

Maude of The Retro Quilter shares her creative journey from discovering quilting to becoming a pattern designer. For those who are turning their craft into a career, Maudes fun personality, inspirational story and helpful advice will capture your attention and help you gain courage to reach for your dreams. 

Maude of The Retro Quilter

In this episode, Maude shares:

•  How she started quilting. In December 2018, she decided to make a t-shirt quilt for her dad and just never stopped. She was hooked!
• Maude shares how she discovered quilt patterns. Her mom asked her to sew a Trip Around the World pattern. She shares what it was like reading a pattern for the first time and how one of her favorite first’s is the Fresh As a Daisy quilt pattern! 
• How it happened that she realized that she could design patterns too! We talk about her style and the nook she found. When she wrote her first pattern and how that experience was crushing. After taking The Quilt Pattern Writing Course, she released Boogie Nights.
• We talk about quilt pattern writing She shares her process of coming up with pattern designs. Her Retro Daisy pattern propelled her business and her growth. She also shares about her first quilt a long with this pattern and why it was so fun!
• She shares what her kids think about her business… it’s adorable!
• Maude loves thrifting and anything retro. This is where she gets her inspiration. She also shares a little about her home decor style and the fun things she has in her home!
• She shares about what the hardest parts for her are about coming up with a pattern design. Maude also shares the most rewarding part about being a pattern designer.
• Maude has an eye for color! She talks a bit about color theory and how she loves to play with color!
• How does she know when she is done designing a pattern?
• We talk about comparing ourselves against others, their ideas and their success. It is important that we don’t create while we are in that headspace…why?
• When people ask her what she does for a living, what she says!
• She is a Brand Ambassador- how she did this. 
• Maude shares one piece of advice to those wanting to start a quilty career. Don’t strive for perfection. 
• What is on the horizon for The Retro Quilter?

SHow Notes

Where can you go to find The Retro Quilter and what she has to offer?

Maudes websiteThe Retro Quilter

Instagram @theretroquilter

Her Podcast- Threads and Therapy 

WINNERS for the 100th Episode are:

1 hour Coaching Call – Radha of Sewing Through the Fog as well as Stacey Lee Creative 

1 Month Coaching Membership- Amy Mogren of Ritual Quilting Co.  

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

 

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PAST EPISODES

 

Check out these past episodes:

• Saying No- Why You Need To and How to Do It 
• TO THE NAY SAYERS
• When You’re in a Rut

Transcription

0:00

welcome to the craft to Career podcast with Elizabeth Chappell or every week we

0:06

dive into how you can turn your craft into a successful career get ready to have the career you’ve always dreamed of

0:15

[Music] hello and welcome to episode 101 of the

0:20

craft to Career podcast it’s still fun and exciting that I’m in the 100s which

0:26

brings me to the fun winners so for the 100th episode

0:32

last week I announced that I was going to be doing a free one hour coaching

0:38

session with one person and then a free month-long coaching session with

0:44

somebody else there were so many amazing reviews from

0:49

people who wanted to apply which just the fact that people wanted to apply was

0:55

very humbling but then the fact that they left these amazing reviews it was I

1:01

just want to thank you all and I wish that I could choose each one of you that

1:07

I had enough time to help and Mentor or coach each one of you I did decide to do

1:12

three so I’m going to do two people for the one hour coaching call

1:18

and then one person for the month-long coaching mentorship so let me go ahead

1:23

and announce the winners for the two two people who won the one

1:30

hour coaching call I first have Rada of sewing through fog and Stacy Lee

1:38

creative so I’m assuming that Stacy Lee Stacy Lee creative so no one knows this

1:45

this on the podcast is my first time announcing this sharing this so congratulations I’ll be reaching out to

1:52

you you can reach out to me via DM or I will reach out to you Tuesday of next

1:57

week and then for the month-long mentorship where we will have a coaching session

2:04

each week for four weeks it is Amy mogren of ritual Quilt Company so I am

2:11

so excited to be able to work with the three of you and again thank you everybody who participated who left a

2:18

review this is definitely something that I will consider offering more of in the future

2:24

because I love it and I just am really thankful for each of you leaving a

2:29

review and being a part of the podcast and learning and enjoying from the podcast so thank you thank you

2:35

this week I have a really fun guest someone who is a friend an alumni and

2:41

you’ll hear more about how we met and her story but it is mod of the Retro quilter

2:47

so I cannot wait for you to hear more about her story and in fact I was a

2:52

guest on her podcast as well which will come out soon so you’ll have to check that out as well but let’s jump in and

2:58

let me introduce you to mod

3:04

well mod I’m so excited to have you here on the podcast thank you for being here thank you so much for having me

3:11

Elizabeth oh it is my pleasure so our history goes

3:16

back a couple of years but I was thinking I don’t know and I’d love to hear how well I guess okay a little bit

3:23

on your podcast I’ve heard but for this audience can you share how you got into quilting how did you start quilting

3:31

um it was actually kind of by accident um let’s see it was Christmas of 2018

3:38

and I needed a gift for my dad and I was broke and so I decided to make him a

3:46

t-shirt quilt and I thought it can’t be that hard right [Laughter]

3:53

um but you know they’re they’re their own beast that’s for sure and that like that’s what got me in and I haven’t

3:59

stopped I just haven’t stopped basically yeah okay I’m intrigued about that I’ve never done a t-shirt quilt but I’ve

4:06

heard through the grapevine that they’re very difficult and did you use like the interfacing thing no I I didn’t I I did

4:15

not know anything I used uh whatever I had which was scissors about five pens and my wigs like I had

4:24

no clue um but yeah it’s like because they’re stretched with uh most t-shirts it it’s

4:32

something I didn’t consider when I started well right you would and it’s funny

4:37

because most people when they not most but a lot of people are like oh quilting yeah the T-shirt quilt I’m like oh I

4:43

won’t touch that you know like that’s pretty so now my question is how on

4:48

Earth after making that first quilt t-shirt quilt were you like I love this I want to do more

4:54

well okay so it was a little bit because you you know you’re building it out and

5:00

you’re you’re seeing it come together and then of course after I did that for

5:05

for dear old dad I was like well my my stepmother she’s gonna need one too and

5:12

then I made the the very smart move into I’m gonna go to the quilt shop and I’m

5:18

going to buy actual quilting fabric yes and that made a world of difference

5:24

right there and so um yeah just like playing around and

5:29

seeing it sort of come together and build it was just it got me hooked okay

5:34

yeah so more of the the puzzle of cutting apart these t-shirts and putting

5:40

them together and seeing it take form is that what you like yeah yeah it was it was really interesting because like I I

5:47

wasn’t even using a pattern for those so I actually remember this is so funny I

5:53

made like a little nine patch and I thought I was very clever

5:59

how did you bind your first quilt how did that look

6:04

um oh my goodness I think I rolled it over and hoped for the best

6:10

yeah I had binding problems for quite some time like it took me a while

6:16

to to get the binding down so like if you look at these these first quilts

6:22

they are warps like totally important for sure I mean I remember the first

6:29

quilt I made also it was just squares a pattern you know and I was like I’m

6:34

amazing but then the binding I just looked at photos and I was like huh I wish I hadn’t gifted that quilt Just for

6:41

kicks like so I could look at it because I showed it to my friend who did quilt and she was like you know there there is a method to this like she’s trying so

6:48

nice about it there is a way to do this

6:54

so I had to ask all the binding one for you um so then okay how did it go your first

7:00

trip to the quilt shop your local quilt shop oh my goodness so I say it’s it was

7:07

almost like opening the doors to Narnia you know right like it just was

7:13

it was just magical you know all these all these Fabrics that are gorgeous and

7:19

you could find them in so many different things like if you want Christmas here it is if you want unicorns there they

7:26

are like it was just A Whole New World literally opened up

7:33

you know and it just made me want to play and and continue to play I mean

7:39

like I just who doesn’t get excited about fabric right exactly not anyone in

7:45

our community I mean my kids might beg to differ but

7:51

if you’re in this audience you’re in the right place exactly you started with just the nine patch how

7:59

did you discover quilt patterns um actually that was my mom so

8:05

I did those first two quilts and my mom basically was like okay let’s bring it

8:11

in here um and she handed me a trip around the world

8:16

pattern and basically was like I’d like it in Cranberry go

8:23

so that was it and like that whole process of being like Oh I can actually make

8:31

something cohesive was really amazing too so yeah and then

8:39

um hooked hooked again you know so how was it reading your first pattern

8:45

were there certain things that you’re like what is this what does this mean oh yeah

8:51

um I was like what’s quarter inch um seam allowance and things and just

8:57

just little things that I didn’t even know until later it was like oh you can buy a quarter inch foot with like a

9:05

partition that will help you keep that if I had only known you know like all

9:11

these things that I was learning on my own um mostly through trial and error and

9:17

then from you know Instagram and YouTube and library books and all the things well okay how did you discover the

9:23

quarter inch uh press or foot for her sewing machine

9:29

I got I think I got a new um sewing machine that came with it and

9:36

I was like what like so before that I had finally just put down some tape and

9:41

and kind of macgyvered it um but even that that took a while to even realize like oh I should probably

9:48

put some tape down to help me out you know like you just you don’t know until you know yeah I will say for me like I

9:56

started quilting in what 2016. Instagram was alive and thriving and I

10:03

learned a ton from people’s Instagrams I was like oh and they would show I still remember Pat Sloan had a baby lock

10:10

sewing machine with the laser guide and I was like what is that oh I need that

10:18

um yeah the tape the presser foot all those things so when did you go out and find your

10:24

first pattern of your own accord obviously your mom introduced you to like oh there’s actually quilt patterns then when did you go find your own and

10:31

I’m curious what your first pattern is that you like purchased of your own accord oh my goodness

10:37

I don’t know exactly what that was because it was like I I basically

10:45

discovered the quiltiverse on Instagram and I I think I bought so many patterns

10:51

all at once it was just you know a kid in a candy store and I remember uh Libs Elliott then came

11:00

June Penelope handmade I was just like I want to make all the things

11:06

um but I think it really wasn’t until I found

11:12

um the fresh as a daisy quilt by pen and paper patterns that I was like oh the this speaks to me

11:20

you know I yeah I made that quilted a number of times so we’ll have to have a

11:26

picture of that oh yeah I made it a few times I love that pattern that’s very

11:32

fitting for you yeah I can see I can see that resonating with you I’m out of

11:37

curiosity what other patterns out there have you seen that you’re like oh that’s that is me

11:44

like lately uh just in the history of your quilting experience are there any that come to mind that you’re like oh

11:50

this one oh my goodness so um Miss make she did the Looper I love and

11:59

recently she did her own makeup that I am just dying uh over

12:05

um even lo and behold she just she’s coming out with this granny patch thing

12:10

which kind of made me a little bit sad because I was kind of working on something similar to that but hers is

12:16

just so darn good that like I can’t help but I I want to make it so bad

12:23

um and love so modern Erin she just came

12:28

out with radical cassettes and oh my goodness it’s just perfection truly you

12:34

know yes it is I’m so happy with yeah well and lo and behold she did like an

12:39

80s with the black background in these bright colors I was like oh I can see that also resonating with him so okay

12:47

then how did you when like what did it look like in your

12:52

mind when you were like wait a minute I could write patterns too like how did that happen

12:58

okay so well obviously my style is retro

13:04

um and so when I decided to look for for specifically kind of retro patterns out

13:11

there I discovered that one there wasn’t too many and the ones that I did find

13:17

were at a much higher skill level than I was at um

13:22

so I thought oh well that’s a little Nook to be filled and

13:28

um so that’s that’s the direction I went in yeah so when did you write your first

13:36

pattern uh so I well I took your court oh no

13:41

actually sorry let me back up um my first pattern I wrote it was kind

13:49

of a not a great experience actually um I had seen a fabric company I won’t

13:56

say who and they were looking for quilt pattern designers um they had were reaching out on

14:02

Instagram and I had just gone eq8 and I reached out saying like I would love to

14:10

check this out maybe help you out but I don’t know how to write a pattern I can put the the blocks in the little squares

14:17

and and all the things but they said okay we’ll help you okay great and so I had to really learn

14:26

on the Fly and it was really disheartening because I was trying my

14:31

best to write a pattern and it was almost like handing in your homework and then

14:37

you’re getting it back with like all red marker all over it so I felt

14:42

really incompetent and it was just really crushing um so I took that experience and one I

14:50

knew I wanted to do it more but I also knew I needed to learn how to do it

14:55

properly so that was actually very very soon after that experience

15:02

um kind of serendipitously I discovered your pattern writing course and I was

15:09

like okay well my answers and so I took your course and then I

15:16

wrote my ver my first pattern as the Retro quilter and that is me and I and

15:23

and that came out in February of just last year really it feels like so much longer yeah

15:31

I know I’m like you’ve been doing this for years wow okay it’s like a year yeah

15:37

okay well that’s crazy you’ve had a lot of success in a very short amount of time good job I did not put that all

15:43

together thank you so but okay let’s chat about this first experience you had again no names but

15:51

it’s not unusual because I experienced that as well I know I work with people

15:57

who are learning like first of all there there needs to be room for people to to learn and to make mistakes right

16:05

like everyone starts somewhere and so and I felt that when I first started even with people saying like you can’t

16:11

write patterns that’s kind of a big thing to do you don’t just jump in and do it which I find very insulting I’m

16:17

like all of these people have figured it out I I know I’m a capable person like you can’t say I can’t

16:24

um but also no one really shares how to you know it’s like but and

16:30

I was searching for you I don’t know I was searching all the blog posts and everything like how to do this and it

16:37

was all very surfacy I was like no but I really gotta know like like the meat how do you do this you know oh yeah

16:43

even when I would see other uh designers ask me anything I’d be like okay I will

16:49

and I would I think all the questions but

16:55

um it wasn’t enough because there there ultimately is a lot to learn a lot there

17:00

is right well even like with my students you go through the Course once and it’s not like you’re this proficient quilt

17:07

pattern writer like you’ve got to jump in and do it a couple of times I mean it’s like learning a new language or

17:12

learning anything you know um so your very first pattern that you

17:17

released is called that was Boogie Nights and I developed that in your pattern writing course yeah

17:25

and that came out kind of February of last year so just over a year ago and it

17:31

had curves for your very first pet I still remember I remember you like how do I make this image did you take a

17:38

photo and put it in your pattern or did you create the image in Adobe Illustrator uh I did it in eq8 first because I was

17:46

learning Adobe in your course so um yeah there might have been a few

17:53

tears learning oh yeah um but it was through

18:00

um eq8 that I did it initially and I didn’t I was not confident with curves

18:07

that like it and which is crazy because that’s all I do right

18:15

but yeah that was sort of like the the start of doing all the curves for me too

18:21

which I love that kind of what’s the word attitude like bootstraps

18:30

you’re like I’m not super confident but I know I want my pattern to have this so I’m going to become confident and like

18:35

you do it over and over again and here you are now you do curves all the time like it warms my heart to see that kind

18:41

of like I’m gonna do this you know yeah what is that Gusto I know I was like

18:48

gumption but that seems like a negative connotation so I don’t know about the right word when we’re gone and done

18:56

um so can you share a your process of coming up with a new pattern design so

19:02

you had Boogie Nights and then you released retro Daisy no

19:09

um March last year I did Stellar that is my free pattern

19:15

um it’s the only one I have without curves oh that’s right okay

19:21

um yeah that one I love and I’m really proud that there is an inclusive version

19:28

for free with that one and then and then it was retro Daisy was after

19:34

that so that was spring going into summer of last year yeah and would you say from my

19:41

perspective outside looking in I would say that like really was popular and

19:46

like that one I think that’s the one that really propelled

19:52

my business and my growth for sure um I I don’t know it just took off like

19:59

people were liking it and saving it um that weren’t even Quilters you know

20:06

cool yeah and from that success I was actually able to do my first quilt along

20:12

which was so fun it was it okay tell us why was that so fun

20:18

so with my first quilts long okay first off I got some amazing sponsors so the

20:23

prizes were great and who doesn’t look great prices right but um but also I really love I mean with

20:31

all the things that I tried to do my podcast like all the stuff I try to have a community element to it so within the

20:38

quilt along I actually had weekly um meetings I guess and we would just

20:45

talk about that week’s um task at hand what problems you had

20:50

let’s do a little show and tell kind of thing um how can we help this is what worked

20:56

for me blah blah blah and it was great and so and like all those people that participated we still chat

21:03

um I just saw one of the girls at quilt con recently and so yeah like we made

21:10

friends just by doing that even and that was great that I mean

21:15

as a business owner especially where you know our line of business we’re at home

21:20

we’re behind the computer screen or the sewing machine that connection is huge it’s very rewarding as a business owner

21:27

but it’s it’s also fun I feel like that’s why I do that’s why we do you know we create these patterns but to

21:34

have that connection and it’s very valuable for for our customers to connect with you did you host that on

21:40

Zoom or where was that held yeah just on zoom and then because my availability is

21:46

basically when my kids are in school so I mean that’s not everybody’s availability so it was recorded and then

21:53

I would send it out to the folks that had signed up and so even if you weren’t there participating people still felt

22:00

like they were included which was really fun that’s really cool yeah that adds a lot of value I like that so okay this is

22:07

like Elizabeth’s ADHD brain at my kids now I want to ask about your kids what do your kids think about your business

22:13

oh my goodness they are the sweetest little supporters so um

22:19

my youngest is six my oldest is eight and actually

22:25

um not too long ago my eight-year-old discovered that one of the teachers at his school was going to become a

22:30

grandmother and so he was like well my mom has to make a quilt for you she’s

22:36

the Retro quilter you know so adorable Mr Wolf she ended up like

22:42

buying a clothes um but they they have sewn with me they

22:49

love coloring and my color sheets they want to play on eq8 like they’re constantly say Mom can I design a quilt

22:57

um the two of them just designed this quilt together it’s very impressive and

23:04

then they went so Mom can you make this and I’m looking at it it’s the most intricate thing I’ve

23:10

ever seen in my life I’m like that would take me 20 years

23:17

oh yeah yeah oh they’re just they’re so sweet and it’s really wonderful to see

23:23

like they’re proud of me you know and it’s it’s really heartwarming that’s

23:28

adorable I am curious we’ll Circle back when they’re teenagers because uh

23:35

they’ll just leave it at that okay so okay I know we chatted well okay

23:45

last what January we did the mentorship and I remember you were going to tell me

23:54

if I am remembering this right but you would like go to Vintage shops and find dishes and like retro things to try and

24:02

inspire you for patterns is this an accurate memory um okay so pretty much if I’m Not sewing

24:11

or you know doing my groceries whatever that kind of stuff I I want to be at a thrift store

24:17

um I love thrifting I love retro my house is retro I’ve worked in a vintage shop before

24:25

um so yeah that is where I get my inspiration I get my inspiration from

24:30

like patterns Furniture um even just like Styles mid-century

24:36

modern is definitely huge for me but even like um a brutalist style like there’s just

24:42

so much so much into it I just think it’s all just so cool but yeah I love

24:48

thrifting I love it you know how legit you sound by throwing out those terms

24:53

mid-century I don’t even know this other one brutalist what’s that yeah it’s like really I don’t know chunky and boxy and

25:02

brutal yeah I know it like sounds good you know what if you created an opt-in a

25:08

free opt-in would they just talked about different genres I would want that like

25:14

I’m intrigued by that especially as a designer because I’ve seen people like anyways I’m just gonna throw that out

25:21

there yeah oh that’s funny

25:26

um so one sec let me look here okay so what would you say is the

25:33

hardest part for you about coming up with a quilt pattern design

25:39

um I think I put a lot of pressure on it being unique enough

25:47

um I think that’s just something I have within me in general I like to be different I like to be unique

25:53

um and then the other thing is trying to not only use curves now

25:59

um like I’ve been trying to come up with something with hsts forever that is retro and it

26:06

um that that is a mission I will accomplish one of these days but yeah

26:12

okay I’ll be watching it’s funny because I only I feel like all I use is half

26:17

Square triangles and I like I had to Branch out but the one pattern that does have curves is my rainbow one which I

26:23

feel is kind of retro so yeah exactly right the curves I don’t know retro has

26:29

the connotation of curves so it’s hard to incorporate the other way around so

26:34

but that’ll happen yeah if we don’t see you in a thrift shop

26:40

looking for that inspiration which I do have to say I was so pleasantly

26:46

surprised when we had the mentorship and we were on Zoom calls and I I can’t remember if I saw your kitchen or you

26:53

shared a poster but like Elvis you have an Elvis something in your house oh an Elvis yeah an Elvis what it’s a bus like

27:02

oh like a bust yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah so it’s like I don’t know that

27:08

was oh that’s one that’s one of my prized possessions I have to keep it away from my children

27:15

and Elvis quilt could you would you I don’t know I have I have some other

27:22

ideas that are like deliberate like that that I’m toying around with right now I don’t know I

27:29

don’t know if I’m that much of an Elvis fan that I would do okay because it is a statement thing to like you know

27:36

but that could be really fun that could be really fun though well you could do you could bedazzled that and it would be

27:43

so annoying [Laughter]

27:50

but I mean point is like you are retro through and through I want to even say

27:56

in your kitchen don’t you have like a vintage dining Booth yeah my my house is

28:01

is retro so my kitchen um when we first moved in so I live in

28:06

like a 50 60s type Bungalow and when we moved in the kitchen

28:12

was carpeted oh my yeah growth right gross so we got the black and white

28:19

checkered floor put in and there’s a little Nook and I just I happen to find

28:26

um orange because I love orange uh a little booth and it’s from like an old

28:31

hotel because Niagara Falls there’s like a bunch of old hotels so yeah it’s like

28:36

I’ve got my own like little booth and and Pyrex display and things like that

28:42

yeah I love it like it’s just so genuine and part of who you are plus I love like

28:48

you exude this cool Aura like you’ve got these tattoos and you’ve got this nose ring

28:56

and like you’re just you did roller derby and you did hair and your husband is your tattoo artist like all these

29:03

things I’m like you’re the coolest person I’ve ever met well thank you because honestly like

29:12

I don’t know I don’t I don’t feel like that I don’t feel like I’m like the cool

29:18

person I was never like the cool person I just always sort of did what I wanted anyway though you know you know what

29:24

blossoming now it’s like Mindy Kaling do you know who she is from the office yeah she talks about that like it’s better to

29:30

Blossom when you’re older than when you’re you don’t want to Peak in junior high or high school so yeah but

29:37

um I’m pretty fortunate enough that like I I like tattoos and my husband happens

29:42

to be a tattoo artist I wish I mean I’ve toyed with the idea even even my

29:48

hairdresser now I was like I’m thinking of getting I have this like skin discoloration I was like What if I got a tattoo there just to cover it up she’s

29:54

like that’s just not you you’re very elegant and I was like it’s true like I wish so maybe I kind of envy you in this

30:02

weird way of like alter Elizabeth would be you you know I just yeah right like I

30:08

get that but I don’t know I even feel like I I would love to be way more covered and and

30:15

just even head to toe but I just don’t have that in me so it’s kind of funny because to you I’m probably covered but

30:21

to me I’m like oh I can be way more covered and I totally Envy the women that could do that but I just don’t have

30:27

that in me you know really how come do you feel like yeah well one I’m older

30:32

and I just don’t have the pain tolerance and supported anymore um and you know if I

30:40

if I don’t employ my husband to do it all then they they can be expensive and

30:45

stuff too but it’s it’s a look it’s a look I love it on other women it’s just

30:52

I don’t know I kind of want some of my skin yeah you know yeah yeah

30:59

it’s cool I like it so okay we talked about the hardest part of Designing a

31:05

pattern for you um what is the most rewarding fun part for you for designing a pattern

31:15

um I mean seeing it come together like playing

31:20

playing is always fun playing with color playing with shapes discovering how

31:26

color plays off of each other or how like shapes can make repeating patterns

31:32

and things like this so it’s sort of like the discovery of it is always like

31:39

I don’t know it keeps me always coming back for more you know yeah I love that feeling which where do you mostly do the

31:48

playing is it an eq8 is it in Adobe Illustrator

31:53

um I think it depends I I go back and forth so it depends on what my intention

31:59

is if I have an idea already um I might go to Adobe

32:05

um if I’m just like I’m just gonna sort of mess around and I don’t really know

32:11

what I’m after just yet I might go to eq8 because there’s more built-ins to it

32:18

um yeah and then like sometimes I get out the good old graph paper and you I need

32:25

to do that yeah and just see what I can do because sometimes I’m just like this is gonna take me forever if I try to

32:33

Adobe or something first right oh yeah so it still serves a purpose for sure

32:39

and you are very good with color I know you’ve toyed with offering like color

32:45

theory stuff are you still thinking about doing that I don’t know so I mean

32:51

eventually I would really love to do some sort of course I really haven’t

32:56

decided on what that looks like um but I do want to eventually do something

33:03

like that because I love helping I’m I’m a helper um but my background is with colors so I

33:11

used to be a makeup artist I used to do hair so obviously within those things

33:17

um and then prior to that was more art background so it’s color theory

33:23

through and through um but also like as much as it excites me

33:28

when you’re like hearing analogous colors and secondary and tertiary and

33:33

things like this you’re just like boring I know I was like so that excites you

33:39

okay yeah you know so um I mean like there’s fun ways to play with it but learning the actual Theory

33:46

apart is never too exciting to me and I like I even get bored of it it’s the actual playing with

33:54

color that excites me so I don’t know yeah yeah that’s it well you have an eye there so it serves

34:01

you well so I’m curious when you are designing playing around how do you know

34:07

when you are done like okay this is the pattern and I’m gonna move forward with

34:13

this it seems so hokey but it’s a feeling I

34:19

get a feeling right like you just kind of intuitively know like you got it and

34:25

you intuitively know the opposite too when it’s not quite there yet and you’re like there’s something in you that says

34:31

no it’s not done you gotta keep tweaking you gotta keep playing whatever it is but it’s it’s a good feeling for me

34:39

yeah I feel like for me when I love it you know when I’m like oh my

34:47

gosh this is amazing and I want to share it with everybody you know and then there’s other times where I’m like

34:53

um do I I think I love it if there’s that doubt there then it’s like nope it’s not done yet you know yeah yeah

34:59

that’s a good way to put it too for sure yeah because yeah yeah I’ve just

35:04

recently designed one that I love but do you know okay this is well neither here nor there but it kind of it is so I

35:12

generally feel very confident with like my business but recently I’ve like

35:17

started looking at other people’s patterns I’m like oh I should try that again they’re having success this is like the number one thing I tell people

35:23

not to do so I’m like okay you’re in weird head space let’s step back a little bit do you ever go through that too oh my God absolutely I mean

35:32

every I think everybody if you have social media you do that at some point

35:38

um but the important part is doing what you just did and that’s catching yourself and having the release

35:44

realization of oh I don’t need to participate in this I

35:49

need to step back catch myself do what I need to do focus on me and not

35:55

compare myself to others like I even just mentioned Brittany of lo and behold

36:01

she she’s coming out with this new pattern I was I was a little bit sad not

36:07

gonna lie that that came out but at the same hand it’s beautiful and I love it

36:12

and I’m so happy that that is out in the world and so like it was meant to be and

36:18

she was meant to have it out that’s awesome you know so like I’m just gonna put mine on the back burner and leave it

36:26

where it lies and you know that just happens it happens sometimes right or if

36:31

you’re just like comparing yourself of well so-and-so has got this many followers or this and that that doesn’t

36:37

mean anything you might be comparing your beginning to their middle you might

36:43

be totally having different Avenues you know like you and I we have different

36:49

styles you you like to do things a certain way I like to do things another way you can’t compare apples to oranges

36:56

just because they’re you know the same food group exactly well and

37:01

for me I know when I’m in the headspace of any of that kind of weirdness it’s

37:09

really not a time to be creating anything because it’s not coming from the right place you know when I’m

37:14

feeling safe and secure and abundance that’s when to create and so just to

37:19

kind of sit with it and let it ride out do the things you can to get in a better place but it’s not the time to be creating because yeah that’s so smart

37:26

because I’ve done that and you just dig yourself further oh yeah it comes from

37:32

this scarcity and like almost Panic like well I’ve got to come up with something amazing and you know and it’s not it’s

37:40

almost like you can see that in the design like oh yeah so okay I’m very curious when people ask

37:48

you so what do you do for work how do you answer that uh I just tell them I’m a cool pattern

37:54

designer and I love doing it because 9 out of 10 times their reaction

38:01

is like wait what no yeah right is that’s a thing and you’re and I yeah

38:06

quilting’s the thing that the patterns don’t just appear so uh that’s what I do

38:13

right and it’s just it’s fun I kind of like playing with people’s reactions

38:18

with that so what’s the best reaction you’ve gotten oh my goodness I think I was at the bank

38:24

and somebody was like wait what there’s like quilting there’s like patterns and things like yeah I’m even going to cook

38:31

on wait what like just blew this guy’s mind you know and show it in pictures

38:37

and he’s like this is incredible I love it I have especially coming from

38:44

like this really cool hip you know like oh I usually get oh my grandma does that

38:49

you know I’m like uh-huh yeah which is great I love the there’s a place for

38:54

everyone in every age but the stereotypes that come with oh yeah you know yeah for sure certain thing

39:00

uh so can you share with us touch briefly on you do some brand

39:05

ambassadorship for some companies how did that happen

39:11

yes so I am a brand ambassador for two

39:16

different companies um one is Arrow sewing furniture they

39:21

are absolutely fantastic they make um well sewing furniture they make like cutting tables

39:28

um sewing chairs cabinets things of the sort and um they actually reached out to me they

39:36

were starting a new program like a creators program and they were reaching out to some individuals that they

39:43

thought were a good fit so I got very very lucky there um the other one I I’m an ambassador for

39:50

is for Aliso irons which I just think are the best um and I reached out to them I just

39:58

started a conversation and I asked and thank you so yeah that’s cool so you

40:04

have both experiences where somebody reached out to you and where you were like I love this I’m just gonna reach

40:09

out and see how it goes and it worked but have you reached out to some people and had them say no just for our listeners who might be feeling oh yeah I

40:16

mean um even with Distributors right now I’m like that is my number one goal for this

40:22

year is to get picked up by a few Distributors and I’ve been told no but

40:28

that does not mean that I’m going to stop yes good good for you so what’s on

40:35

the horizon for the Retro quilter what can we expect and look forward to

40:40

oh my goodness Okay so there’s there’s a lot in general that I

40:47

want to do um I eventually want to design fabric

40:52

write a book one day as I mentioned I would like to have some sort of course and Mentor others

40:59

um I would like to continue with my podcast and helping others in that direction

41:06

um but this is this is like my career choice so I mean obviously like I want

41:13

to make money with that as well um so the goals financially there would

41:20

be things like making a reliable solid wage

41:26

um I would like to hire someone preferably within the industry

41:32

um that can you know like someone who who’s been in my position before like a part-time parent or whatever it is

41:39

um something of that sort and then like eventually I would really love to be able to like

41:46

um give back to some uh Charities and things are even starting my own

41:53

um down the line but that’ll all that stuff takes money so but you know I love it you have to first think it to make it

42:00

happen and then you put that into the the world and you are a go-getter like I

42:06

you will it will happen because you you do it like you get it done so I’m

42:12

excited to see this unfold and take shape So yeah thank you well you’ve been a

42:18

very big inspiration for me within that because I mean when I first

42:24

started quilting I didn’t know that you could make money with it right like I

42:30

just thought it was a hobby um and that’s what it started off for me and there’s absolutely nothing wrong

42:35

with that um but for me I had to figure out a way to make money

42:42

to support myself quilting because it is very expensive to do this

42:49

um so um and now it’s just like I can’t imagine doing anything else so you’ve

42:56

you’ve definitely given me the inspiration of what’s possible so thank you well thank you and I am on a mission

43:04

for that like I want people like you anyone who is a creative who wants to earn money like you can you don’t have

43:11

to be a starving artist and you don’t just have to cover your costs you know like you can have a thriving career so

43:17

I am excited for you so for our listeners who want to find you where

43:23

should they go to find you so you can find me at www.theretroquilter.com

43:30

and on Instagram at the retroquilter I am also on my podcast which is called

43:38

thread in therapy and you can find me on Instagram at the at threat and therapy

43:45

podcast and that is also on my website as well it is on Spotify and apple

43:51

podcast and other streaming platforms awesome which is a very fun podcast we

43:56

did an episode together that I had a lot of fun doing so you should all go and check that out so just to end things if

44:03

you were to give one piece of advice to someone who’s starting a creative career what would you suggest or share

44:11

okay so um a quilt con I had the pleasure of

44:18

listening to Melody Miller of um Ruby Starr she did a lecture and it was

44:25

amazing like I literally laughed cried got goosebumps the whole the whole bit

44:32

um the topic was your your work isn’t perfect and that’s what makes it good

44:39

so and I I just really think this is so true so my advice would be to embrace

44:45

not being perfect and just going for it anyway um because when you give yourself

44:52

permission and allow yourself to have Grace there is just so much freedom

44:58

in that and because otherwise you’re just living up to an illusion of perfection right so if

45:06

you let that go you’re really propelling yourself forward and things can start happening

45:13

so I just say make like Melody Miller and

45:18

um don’t don’t strive for perfection that is beautiful oh man I wish I would

45:24

have been at that uh lecture of hers that sounds amazing it was amazing yeah it was it was so good so great I know

45:32

even just hearing it I mean I thank you for sharing that I feel like if I wasn’t there at least I got to hear this little

45:37

tip it so thank you well thank you so much for being here this was a pleasure thank you so much Elizabeth I appreciate

45:44

it thank you mad thank you so much for being here on

45:52

the podcast I love hearing your creative journey and how you know woven thrust

45:57

your life you’ve done these things that are just creative and beautiful and now

46:03

here you are in the quilting Community sharing your talent and love and passion with us and just thank you for sharing

46:10

your story your inspiration you are an inspiration for many people who are

46:16

thinking of turning their craft into a career so thank you for being here on the podcast next week I will have a

46:22

brand new episode of The Craft to Career podcast until then have a lovely week and I will see you back here next Friday

46:30

thank you

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