Welcome to our 2015 Designer of the Month program, I’m Designer/Radio show host PatSloan!
Our June interview mini is by the Sisters and Design Team at Me & My Sister… Barb Groves and Mary Jacobson. Barb and Mary are fellow Moda fabric designers, but I got to know them both years ago when we were vending at an event.At the end of the day I was looking for someone to have some dinner with. Barb grabbed and said let’s find Mary and go have pizza! And so we did, and our friendship has bloomed!
Their fabrics are cheerful and bright, their quilt patterns are clever and fun to do. Plus they are fun to hang out with! Plus they have a wonderful Aurifil Thread Collection… yummy right?
I interviewed them on 11/3/14 and 6/6/11.. you can listen RIGHT at your computer to my podcast HERE
We continue our MONTHLY thread BOX giveaway (seriously folks… you could win a box of my thread which is over $120.00 value.. for making a quilt block… you have to join in!). We will pick one random winner that has made a block from our 2014 designers and that random person receives a FULL BOX of my Aurifil thread as the prize! Winners are all contacted via Flickr email and posted at our FLICK GROUP HERE
Let’s get to know Barb and Mary!
Were do you live in?
I live in Phoenix, Arizona and Mary lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This is a fairly recent situation. We lived right down the street from each other until about 3 years ago when a job change for Mary’s husband moved her away from me. That was a very sad day!
We still work together every day but now we do a lot of talking on the phone and emailing! We travel together often so we get to do lots of face time too.
When was your FIRST quilt sighting?
Believe it or not I still remember my first quilt sighting! It was about 35 years ago. My husband and I were visiting friends back when he was still in engineering school. My friend had just received a gift from her sister, a beautiful quilt! I wanted that quilt! I also knew that no one in my family quilted and that the only way I’d ever get a quilt was to make one myself. I dragged Mary to our first quilt class a few years later and that was all it took for both of us! My very first quilt was an American Flag. I sadly don’t have a picture and it’s since been donated to Walter Reed Veteran’s Hospital. I like to think that some solder is enjoying it!
When you go to a quilt show, what types of quilts are you drawn to?
I’m always drawn to the bright and simple quilts.
I appreciate the fine appliqué and show stoppers but “every day” quilts really push my buttons! I like to use my quilts.
Did you have a career prior to making art, and what was it?
I was an x ray technician for 25 years before we turned quilting into a business. Mary dragged me kicking and screaming all the way! We opened a quilt shop and a few years later sold it when we started designing for Moda.
Mary worked in a bank and did mortgage lending. She is our bookkeeper to this day.
What does your studio look like, and what would you change in it?
I had a recent fire in my home and have been without my sewing room for several months. But I’m moving back in! It’s not very glamorous right now but I’m happy to be home.
Do you have a GREAT storage, organization, or label making tip?
I love making my binding as soon as Ii finish my quilt tops! I put them in little bundles and label them with a small scrap of paper tucked under one of the ties. It saves me from looking for the fabric later on when I’ve probably used it for something else. It also helps me keep track of the tops I’ve given to our quilter.
What are your 3 favorite colors of Aurifil thread?
Can I have more than 3?
I have more than 3 and use them all!
Anything else you’d like to share?
Mary and I are on our 29th fabric group for Moda and will be teaching this July in Australia for 3 weeks. We have a new book coming out with the Fat Quarter Shop next month called the Pre Cut Primer.
There are 12 projects in the book and all are made with Moda pre cuts! We’ve used several different current fabric groups so you’ll be sure to find something fun to create.
We also have three new patterns and two new fabric groups. “Hi De Ho” ships to the shops starting next month.
Dot Dot Dash is our newest fabric group and it ships to the stores this October.
It’s chocked full of basics likes dots and stripes! The new pattern with this group is called “Buttons and Thread”. Both these mini quilts can be made with one “Dot Dot Dash” charm pack!
What about your Month Inspired your Quilt Block?
We wanted to use fabrics that were current and easy to find if people wanted to duplicate our quilt. The quilt uses our “Hi De Ho” fabrics. The name came from a combination of the fabric group and the ring shape … and it rhymes!
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Down Load the Hi-De-Ho Cheerio free pattern
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And a few on the light side…
The Book you are currently reading?
–Barb … John Sanford’s Gathering Prey, I love a good murder mystery and read at least a few pages everyday.
Photo Eleven
–Mary … Peter Clines “14”. She listens to books on tape because she thinks it’s multi tasking!
Favorite TV show.
–Barb … Dancing With The Stars and Ink Masters. I can’t dance but my mother took tap lessons from Gene Kelly before he was famous. I don’t have any tattoos and don’t plan on getting any but the whole thing fascinates me.
–Mary … Orphan Black. Mary and her family watch lots of Sci-Fi. They’re Sci-Fi geeks!
Are you a Dog or Cat Person
–Barb …Dog! Bella is my jack Russell terrorist!
–Mary … Cat! Mary has a special needs cat who is blind and deaf named Mia.
The snack you crave
–Barb … Hershey’s nuggets milk chocolate with toffee and almonds.
–Mary … Haribo gummy bears. They must be Haribo.
The Color you have always LOVED.
–Mary… pink! She used to sew all her girls clothes when they were younger. That’s the only color they wore until they were old enough to protest. They will not wear pink to this day. I think that’s why all our fabric groups have lots of pink too!
–Barb … Green, I love all greens, from lime to that sick acid stuff.
Visit Barb and Mary at
http://www.meandmysisterdesigns.com/
http://www.meandmysisterdesigns.com/blog/
Pre Cut Primer
http://www.fatquartershop.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=pre+cut+primer
Buttons and Thread Pattern http://meandmysisterdesigns.bigcartel.com/product/buttons-thread-pdf-pattern
New Hi De Ho Patterns http://meandmysisterdesigns.bigcartel.com/
Here is my Mini… It’s getting exciting to see them all together, I have Family photos of my minis at my site plus a question for you! See them ALL together!
Are you on Facebook? I have a fantastic quilt group with the most incredible show and tell going on! You should see it! JOIN me HERE … I’d love to meet you!
*************************** JOIN our Aurifil Family ****************************
EACH MONTH we will pick one random winner that has made a block.. that person will receive a special Aurifil thread prize! Winners are all contacted via Flickr email and posted at our FLICKR PAGE HERE
Our RANDOM pick this month grabbed Beatrice! She has WON a BOX of Aurifil thread!
Sign up for the Aurifil Newsletter… scroll to the NEWSLETTER box
Become a member of the AURlfil fan page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aurifil.quilt.thread
Thank you Pat & Aurifil, I am more than happy XXX
Great interview with two of our favorite Moda designers.. Well we really have lots of favorite Moda designers but we love these two too.
love these girls – they are so fun ! I just found some of my favourite fabric from their dilly dally range – the orange bubbles – better than winning the lottery !!!
Pat & Aurifil, keep doing what your doing, love the Aurifil Minis and all the BOM’S.
I’ve done more in the lady 6 months staying in swing room, my family think I’m a recluse.
Love it. And I love Aurifil thread, have been using it longer that I have been with Pat, find on 5 years now. Now I got both….. Double Fun! 🐸