In my first “Learning from the Master” post, the quilter from whom I’ve learned a great deal is Gwen Marston. First, I admire her attitude, which is perfectionism in quilting is overrated, and you don’t have to suffer to make a beautiful quilt. Gwen learned by copying the masters, Mennonite quilters and Mary Schafer, and she is passing on those lessons in her books and teaching.
Gwen also makes a variety of different quilts, from string quilts, to traditional four-block quilts, to star quilts. She refuses to be “branded” by publishers or anyone else. She makes the eclectic grouping of quilts she enjoys.
From Gwen I’ve learned:
- How to hand quilt
- I can make my own quilt my way
- How to think independently about the quilts I make, to please myself and no one else
- How to look at antique quilts to get inspiration for current quilts, whether traditional or contemporary
- How to make easy machine-appliqued bias stems
- How to make stuffed yo-yos
This is just a sampling of the lessons I’ve learned from Gwen. Check out her website, or even better, her books or classes to see for yourself.
Upcoming master quilters I’ll be posting about:
Wednesday: Ruth McDowell
Thursday: Deidre Scherer
Friday: Faith Ringgold
I’ll be posting photos from my most recent Easy Art Quilt class tomorrow. My little one is sick today so computer time is limited.
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