Where do you live? Tallahassee, FL
How long have you been quilting?I have been quilting for 4 years now
How did you get started quilting?
My mom was a sewist, crafter, and church banner maker, and my paternal grandmother and great grandmother contributed quilts to our family line, so quilting and other fiber arts were always around. I gained a deeper interest in quilting while I was in my history graduate program and I kept checking out books on quilting and African American quilters in particular to distract myself from my research lol. In late 2018, all the unofficial research I had been doing came to a head, and I wanted to make a quilt for my friends who had just gotten married. It took me a year to complete the throw quilt but I loved the process even though there were so many frustrating moments. I also fell in love with hand sewing.
What is your favorite part of quilting?Designing the quilt, imagining what the next project is going to be and the the soothing repetitiveness of sewing on the binding by hand
What is your least favorite part of quilting?Everything in the middle!
Do you have a day job? If so, what do you do?I work at a local bookstore and at an environmental justice nonprofit
Do you design your own quilt patterns?I mostly work improvisationally because I get bored with following instructions. I haven’t followed a quilt pattern yet, but I am in love with the Hum A Few Bars quilt pattern so it is on my to do list for either 2023 or 2024
If you could eat only one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?Wow, this is hard, but I’ll give it a go:
Oxtails; mashed golden and sweet potatoes; green peas; a kale salad dressed with grapes, honey goat cheese, and balsamic vinegar; water and gnamankoudji–a West African ginger drink; and molasses cookies for dessert
What three words best describe you?principled; artistic; communal
Which do you prefer: fat quarters or yardage?Yardage all day
Favorite season?Summer-into-Fall
Instagram name:@jmelkw
Website name: ivariequiltco.etsy.com
Anything else you would like to promote?I also sell quilted journal covers, check out my Etsy if you’re interested!
Thank you!!
