Meet the Members

Meet members of your guild here. I will be sending out  interview forms or handing them out to members so we can get to know each other. 


Below is our first member to answer the questions Thanks Carole



Carole DiGiacomo
How long have you been quilting? How did you learn?
I started quilting in the 1970’s.  I had two aunts that quilted and they taught me how to hand quilt.  At that time I did no patchwork.  We used bed sheets  for bed quilts and solid pieces of  fabric for smaller quilts.  We marked them with pencil and quilted our penciled designs.
What is the quilt you want to share with us? Does it have a name?
At our April meeting I brought a few baby onesies that were decorated at my daughter’s baby shower in March.  I took some fabric, wonder under, ribbon, buttons, cookie cutters, and markers.  Each person designed their own onesie and they came out awesome.  Then we voted for the best ones to win prizes.  This  
took the place of playing games.

Is it a commercial a pattern or an original? If commercial, what is the name and designer?
No patterns, just everyone’s own design

Was this a new technique? did you like it? Did you learn anything from making this quilt?
We had a blast and I have to admit I will use some of the designs for quilt blocks in the future.
How long did it take you to make?
The whole process took about two hours.
Does it have any special meaning for you?
This definitely had special meaning for me because this was the baby shower for my first granddaughter. By the way Penelope Lane Pieper was born at 1:00 pm on May 12th which was the day of our May Quilt Guild meeting.

Did your purchase the fabrics just for this quilt, or is it from your stash?
The fabrics were from my stash of Tutti Frutti fabrics.  I chose these because they launder well and I can sew matching pants and jackets.
Did you quilt it  yourself or send it to someone? If you sent it out, to whom?
Nothing was quilted and I only made one onsie, but I did zigzag stitch around all of the appliqués.

How extensive is your stash? If you had to use only your stash fabric, how many quilts do you think you could make?
My basement is full of plastic bins full of fabric.  I must have 20 bins altogether.  I could probably make about 25 or more quilts.  I just wish I had more time to sew and quilt.
What is your strongest area of quilting?
My strongest area of quilting is appliqué.  I used to do all satin stitch applique, but I got brave a few months ago and made a Christmas quilt with blanket stitch appliqué.  Now I’m hooked.  I must give credit to Carol Green.  Last year she made a Halloween quilt with pumpkins that was blanket stitch appliquéd.  I fell in love with it, so I tried it and I now I’m hooked.
What is your favorite part of quilting?
My favorite part of quilting is going into my basement and locking out the rest of the world.
What is your least favorite part of quilting?
There is no least favorite part.
What tip would you share about quilting that you wish you'd known when you started?
I wish I knew about machine quilting.  I had a Bernina machine since 1988 and never knew it could machine quilt.  I found out about this wonderful technique when I took one of Jeannie Brooks’ classes.  I was in heaven.  I now had a way to finish quilts faster.
What advice would you give to a new quilter?
The best advice I could give is to keep quilting.  Don’t be afraid to make a mistake.  As a teacher I can say the more you do something the better you get at it.  
Anything else you'd like to add?
I would like to say look for inspiration in everything.  I find inspiration in odd places and sometimes it turns out to be my best project.  I love quilt patterns, but I always change something in the pattern.  That‘s what makes it my specialty.