I grew up in India and received a Bachelors degree in Architecture. I came to the US in 2003 as a student. I studied Planning at Florida State University, and have been working as Transportation Planner since 2005. I met (on eHarmony) and married my American husband in 2007. He appears in my quilting discussions and photoshoots.
My mom is an accomplished sewist. She made our clothes when we were young. I remember wearing dresses with laces and buttons and appliqué motifs.
About 11 years ago, my friend, Vera invited me to a quilt guild meeting. When we went to the meeting, they were showing a movie about quilting history in America. I was immediately hooked. I said – I want to do this. Vera showed me how to thread my very basic sewing machine and we made a grocery bag out of an old t-shirt. It was September 2012. In February 2013, I was invited to a baby shower and decided to make my first quilt.
I was amazed at the wealth of free information available on quilting blogs and on youtube. I joined a local quilt guild and the rest is history. In 2013 I started documenting my quilts (and my life) on my blog – Sew Preeti Quilts. In 2021, I became an ambassador of Island Batik. I also set up my Etsy Shop. Getting published (and paid) is really exciting.
I like the freedom of improvisational piecing. It is so liberating and the discovery of what it will become is very exciting. I have made many scrap vortex quilts (term coined by Amanda Jean Nyberg of Crazy Mom Quilts). I am fond of “My Checkered Past” using all Island Batik fabric scraps (https://sewpreetiquilts.blogspot.com/2023/03/my-checkered-past.html) made earlier this year. I carried it with me to Atlanta for on-location photoshoot.
I had never tried appliqué before becoming an Island Batik ambassador. I amparticularly proud of my Iberian Lynx project (made for Island Batik and sponsoredby Aurifil Thread) that combines improv piecing and appliqué. It tells the story ofstrengthening populations of the endangered Iberian Lynx due to preservationefforts.(https://sewpreetiquilts.blogspot.com/2021/10/iberian-lynx-back-from-brink.html).
I like warm and bright colors – red, yellow, gold, orange and pink. I am happy working with blues and aqua too. I can manage the browns as well, since they pair well with reds and golds. But I do not care for Hunter Green. I wrote a whole blogpost about it and I was surprised that many of my readers agreed with me.Kaffe Fassett is an all time favorite of mine – love the bright colors and bold designs. One of my current favorites is Ruby Star Society. And Island Batiks, of course and not just because I am an ambassador.
I believe that I am a passionate person and quilting helps me rein it in and express it in fabric rather than scream my head off or punch a hole in the wall. There is just so much angst and grief in the world, that we all need to some creative pursuit to process it and find some measure of calm. When I make a quilt to process difficult feelings, it is really cathartic. I have cried many a tear as I sew and quilt.
Pretti has designed the Rainbow Parade quilt just for the membership. You can download the patter now until January 31, 2023.
Download the pattern HERE
