Quilter’s Name: Stephanie Leuthesser from Anthem, AZ (6 months each year) and 6 months cruising British Columbia on our boat
Type of Quilt: Wallhanging
Name of Pattern: A combination of Friendly Neighbor by Corey Yoder and Farmhouse by Edyta Sitar
Featured Date: 04-27-23
Home: 6 months in Anthem AZ and 6 months cruising British Columbia on our boat
I am a serious quilter. Since I retired I usually spend 6-8 hours a day in my quilting room. Here is an example of one of my quilts. I loved the fabric (fabric line called Apricot & Ash) but I also love applique so needed to find a pattern that made use of both. So I combined a pattern by Corey Yoder (Friendly Neighbor) with Farmhouse, a pattern by Edyta Sitar. It won second place in the mixed category at the Arizona Quilt Guild show.
I grew up in a family of sewers. My grandmother made clothes, quilts and especially doll clothes for me. She used her old treadle Singer machine. My mother was also a sewer. She never made quilts but she made her own clothes and mine. So I started sewing clothes in high school in a home economics class. I continued sewing my own clothes until I got married. A little background… I was raised with the saying “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything!” My husband was apparently raised with the saying “and the truth shall set you free!” I was wearing a dress I had made and in his usual truthfulness said “that is the ugliest dress!” I quit making my own clothes after that. PS – He isn’t the ogre he sounds like because he never once complains about my fabric stash – what could be better than that?
I have so many cute quilt stories about my husband. Background: he’s an engineer (need I say more?). Anyway, as I was hanging my first quilt on the wall he said “I don’t like quilts on the wall!” My response (I am no wallflower) was “this is my hobby and I am going to hang them on the wall. Why don’t you like them?” His engineering response was “they don’t hang straight. They ruffle at the bottom.” So we reached our usual compromise (we’re going on 49 years so we obviously have a wonderful relationship) and now I put a sleeve on the bottom and we put a thin metal bar in the sleeve and they hang straight – both are happy campers.
Another story about our quilting relationship… he was helping me store my many quilts in our closet when he said “you need to quit quilting. We’re running out of room in the closet.” Although I agreed I have so many quilts I can’t hang them all, I responded with “but that’s my hobby. So if I quit quilting I will need a new hobby and that new hobby is nagging you!” We then agreed I would continue quilting but will give more away. I still sneak in a few for myself but I give many away.
When we are cruising I bring applique projects. My hubby (I’m really picking on him) said if I brought my sewing machine, he was bringing his miter saw! Works out great because my hand applique projects sit on the back burner when I’ve got my machine (sooooo much faster finishing a quilt).
Thanks!
Stephanie
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