Maker Spotlight

Hi there! It’s Betsy F, your friendly customer service representative here for an exciting new blog series. While many of our staff members are active makers (including myself), as C&T Publishing approaches our 40th year in the quilting and crafting industry, we decided to check in with YOU - our loyal fan base to hear what you like to make and do. And so, without further ado, meet Donna Leinberger of Saginaw, Michigan!

As one of our Creative Spark superfans, Donna is a quilter just like you! Always eager for new tips and tricks, we learned about Donna from the excellent questions she asks, especially during The Quilting Hour with Lee Chappell Monroe on our Creative Spark Online Learning Platform. Don’t let that fool you; like many of you, Donna has been at this quilting and crafting for quite some time. She started with a needle, thread, fabric, and cereal box templates at the tender age of 7 and became a lover of all things crafty. While you could probably count her as a fellow serial crafter, Donna found herself firmly planted in the quilt world after her church offered a “Learn to Quilt” class in 2000. She discovered there were now plastic templates, acrylic rulers, and, wait for it - ROTARY CUTTERS!

As Donna reached retirement age, she began to dream big dreams of making a living out of quilting. She started longarming for the public before adding her own long-arm business selling Nolting Long-Arm Quilting Machines. Yes, like many of us who dream of quilting and sewing all day, Donna took the plunge and jumped in with both feet to create a new career for herself right when it was time for her to slow down and retire. If you ever got the chance to talk to Donna, you’d know this was the right choice. Her energy and enthusiasm for life bubble over. It’s clear the only slowing Donna does is when she works diligently to create gorgeous needle-turn appliqué Baltimore-album style quilts. While she makes many kinds of quilts, needle-turn appliqué has always been her favorite go-to technique.

One of my favorite parts of working in customer service here at C&T is when I get to help find resources to empower you - the maker, but it’s even more rewarding when I get to become the student. With that in mind, can I share a secret with you? I’m terrible at needle-turn appliqué. But oh, how I love the way it looks! I’ve tried it numerous times. I practiced appliquéing hearts and leaves until my fingers were raw. I can tell you one thing: of all the brains I have picked about needle-turn appliqué, absolutely every person who does it well has their own “thing” that has helped them. Donna was no exception.

Now, I don’t want to give too much away because things are about to come full circle with Donna. She’s been invited to teach at the Fiber Arts and Quilting Convention in Port Huron, MI, September 28th-Oct 1rst (Congratulations, Donna!), but here are a few highlights.

1. Use what makes you feel relaxed!! You won’t be successful if you’re driving yourself insane with a specific thread, needle, or notion that’s just not working for you. Instead, give yourself permission to play with different needle sizes and thread material/weight.
2. Start with batik fabric. Not only will this give your appliqué dimension and texture, but due to the dying process, Batik’s aren’t prone to fraying and have a crispness that helps when turning under seam allowances.
3. Keep it simple! Baste the shape with a needle and thread - you don’t need special pins, fusible interfacing, or glue. Work design by design and baste each piece on so there's no confusion where pieces go as you begin to appliqué them down.

Have I tempted you to learn needle-turn appliqué yet? We have several classes on Creative Spark specific to needle-turn appliqué, including a new class with Timna Tarr that shows multiple techniques for appliqué using freezer paper, applipops, Perfect Circles, fusibles, and even reverse appliqué! It’s a great place to learn different techniques to figure out what makes you feel relaxed! And if you too would like to be able to ask all the questions during the Quilting Hour, you can catch Seasons 1-3 on Creative Spark now! And if you’d like to jump in with both feet, check out our selection of appliqué-themed books! I prefer eBooks because you can print out the appliqué templates as often as you need, right on your home computer!

If you want to learn more about Donna, check out her website www.KeepSewing.com. Donna will be teaching in Port Huron, MI, if you’re in the Mitten area and would like to check out the festival. You can learn more at the Michigan Fiber Arts and Quilters Convention website. 

We would love to hear from you! If you’d like to be featured in our Maker Spotlight, you can fill out this Google form, and we’ll be in touch soon! If you are chosen to be featured on our blog for our "Maker Spotlight" Series, you will receive a free e-Book for your participation.

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