Aurifil 2015 December Designer of the Month Celine Perkins

Welcome to our last interview and Mini Quilt for 2015 in our Designer of the Month program!  I’m Designer/Radio show host PatSloan, and it’s been wonderful to meet these 12 Designers this year and get to know them.

Our December interview and mini quilt is with Celine Perkins of Perkins Dry Goods.  Celine’s quilts are warm and cozy and you just want to curl up in them! Celine is a master piecer and has great use of fabric in her designs.  This past year we’ve gotten to know each other and I really love seeing a peek into her creative life  at her Instagram account, take a look.
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 Celine!

What City do you live in? 

I live in Bloomington, Minnesota; it’s a suburb of Minneapolis. It’s where the Mall of America is… a claim to fame of sorts. But I will tell you that there is always parking on level 2 outside of Nordstrom…that’s my big secret.

When was your FIRST quilt sighting?

I remember a Sunbonnet Sue quilt on my bed when I was a little girl. My grandmother made it. It was on my bed when I was 4 or 5 years old. I remember matching all of the different feed sack prints from dress to dress. It didn’t inspire me to quilt at the time but my mother made all of my clothes as a child.

I spent many hours playing with all of the fabric scraps, sewing them right to my dolls in makeshift outfits. I learned to sew when I was about 7 and made my clothes for many years. I didn’t start quilting until after college. A friend thought it would be fun to take a class. That was in 1983. I fell in love with the fabrics and the gadgets. The rest is history.

When you go to a quilt show, what types of quilts are you drawn to?

I am drawn to traditional quilts, both appliqué and pieced. I love the complexity and the interplay of color, shape and texture. I have never entered a quilt in a show….I’m a little intimidated by the talent I see in the quilts displayed. They are amazing.

Did you have a career prior to making art, and what was it? 

I worked in the medical field for 17 years as an occupational therapist. I retired about the same time that I started teaching quilting in 2001. Working in a quilt shop was like a dream come true. Before quilting, I sewed garments for many years. I’ve always been a maker of things.

What is your favorite place to visit in your hometown?

We live about a half-mile from a huge park reserve. It’s a great place to walk and see wild life. The dog loves it too.

There are lots of lakes and parks around here. Another favorite is Minnehaha Falls. I’m also lucky to be in an area with an abundance of quilt shops. A few of my favorites are Four Seasons, Millie P’s and Quilted Treasures.

What does your studio look like, and what would you change in it? 

Two years ago, we decided to upgrade our lower level and move my studio out of the dining room and into a bigger space.

I love it. We put an egress window in, zone heat and new lighting. I was able to fill up the space pretty quickly. My inventory and shipping area is in the room next door.

Do you have a GREAT storage, organization, or label making tips?

My stash is sorted by color and sometimes by fabric line. I have most of it in dressers and storage shelves from Ikea. I like to keep it out of the light for the most part and away from the cat. I’ve been accused of being addicted to plastic boxes.

The stash and gadgets have to fit in my sewing space, that’s my rule. Although my husband recently pointed out that he found a roll of batting in the upstairs closet. Oops.

What are your 3 favorite colors of Aurifil thread?

2370 (Sandstone), 2310 (Lt. Beige) and 2605 (Gray Blue). I use the 50 wt. for both piecing and quilting. The Sandstone is the one I use most of all.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I recently released a new Block of the Month program called Seasons in Sedona. And a great scrappy quilt pattern called Uncle Joe’s Ties. I have a block in the most recent Quiltmaker 100 Blocks magazine, and a small quilt in the spring issue of Quilts from 100 Blocks.

What about your Month Inspired your Quilt Block?

Blue and white remind me of winter and is a color combination I love. Stars are another favorite. This one reminds me a little bit of the blue and white pottery that I like to collect.

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DOWNLOAD Winter Stars Instructions – Aurifil Mini

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And a few on the light side… 

• The Book you are currently reading:  Honeymoon by James Patterson.

• Favorite TV show: House Hunters on HGTV, House of Cards, Justified, The Good Wife….

• Are you a Dog or Cat person? Both! Rosie is my 13 year old Siamese and personal assistant and Zola is our 11 year old yellow lab.

• The snack you crave: Popcorn or chocolate!

• The Color you have always LOVED….. If you are familiar with my patterns, you will be surprised that PINK is my favorite color!

Visit Celine At

• Website and Blog: www.perkinsdrygoods.com
• Facebook page: www.facebook.com/perkinsdrygoods
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/celineperkins
• Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/celineperkins

Over at my page where I share a few tips and show you ALL my mini’s together for ONE quilt! CLICK HERE to visit

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 Anorina’s tree quilt!  She has WON a BOX of Aurifil thread!  Also see her single block up close at our Flicker group HERE  All the quilts at Flickr are HERE

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