July Monthly Member Spotlight: Pauline

Posted in ,

No matter how long you’ve been in the quilting community, you know that no two quilters creative spaces are the same.  We all have our own organized chaos, ideas, and systems that we know work best for us. But get us in another quilters sewing space and we WILL go wild with curiosity.

We have all been there, which is why we’re launching this new online series called Monthly Member Spotlight. It is our pleasure to introduce Pauline!


Name: Pauline Stevens

Facebook Name: Pauline Stevens

Instagram Name: paulinejstevens

When did you join VTMQG? I took a dress making class at Nido a few months before VTMQG launched and was encouraged to attend the first meeting. I had a great time and have been to most meetings since then! It’s a great excuse to keep up with projects and spend time with likeminded quilters.

When did you start quilting? I made a t-shirt quilt about 10 years ago then made my first “real” baby quilt a few years after that. I followed a pattern very closely and it’s pretty traditional and not the type of design I’d gravitate toward now, but I still love it- it’s actually one of only two quilts I’ve kept for myself!

Why do you quilt? I love to always have a project in the works and quilting is perfect for this because you can pick up and put down a project at any time. It’s also such a fun creative outlet and great way to keep your hands busy.

What was your most recent fabric purchase? This Nani Iro double gauze which I made a Willow Tank out of it and it’s my new favorite shirt. It’s such beautiful fabric and works perfectly for apparel & quilts. I have a ton of scraps left over, which I’d like to make a pair of City Gym Shorts out of.

What is on your “to make list”? I just started learning how to English Paper Piece after “winning” a kit of templates at our recent VTMQG Spring Retreat. I’d like to make more projects using this technique because I can do it while on-the-go and without making too much noise with my machine. I also want to experiment more with dying fabric and making quilts out of it. I recently did a Nido workshop that focused on bundle dying and indigo dying and I would like to practice more and ultimately quilt with that fabric. I’m also saving up quite the stash of yellow onion skins to dye with!

What is something you struggle with? Quilting. My machine is pretty small, so this is definitely a challenge. I’ve gotten pretty good at quilting straight lines on a twin size quilt, but can’t really go much bigger than that!

What do you do when you aren’t quilting? I live in downtown Burlington, but am lucky enough to have a backyard. When moving in a few years ago, I installed 4 raised beds and am proud to have a tiny urban garden back there. I love to spend time planting, weeding, harvesting and of course, eating from my garden. I also love to preserve and ferment foods while they’re in season- I made 25 half pints of strawberry jam last week and I’m currently enjoying a batch of asparagus kimchi!

What kind of machine do you sew on?  Pfaff Smart 200c. My parents got it for me in high school and it’s nothing fancy, but it’s held up really well and gets the job done. I’ve taught many friends how to sew on it and it’s a good basic machine. They always love playing with the different stitch styles, like honeycomb, stars or vine designs.

Describe your sewing space in three words? My Kitchen Table.

Where do you sew the most? Really…. on my kitchen table. I live in an apartment, so I have to pick up and put away my projects every night when I’m done working on them. Now that I’m getting into English Paper Piecing, I’m able to do that from the couch… I dream of having a design wall, but that will have to wait until I have a bigger space!

What is your most useful (or least useful) notion? I honestly don’t own very many notions. However, a sharp rotary cutter and reliable cutting mat are key. Last summer, I made a huge mistake by leaving my cutting mat in my car over the weekend and it melted and warped… Since then, I’ve learned that a good cutting mat is definitely necessary.

Anything else you’d like to say? I always look forward to our monthly meetings and other events! I learn so much about quilting and make new friends at every meeting. If you’re considering joining, you should!

Show us some photos of your sewing space!

IMG_8339

Check out some of Pauline’s Quilts:

IMG_8476

Pauline’s Paint Chip Challenge

IMG_7873

A Quilt Pauline made for her sister

IMG_6115

Baby Quilt for her cousin

IMG_5884

A wedding quilt for friends

Thanks Pauline for playing along and sharing with us. We look forward to seeing what you create with your dyed fabrics. Sounds like some seriously cool stuff you are working on!

And that’s a wrap for July’s Monthly Member Spotlight. See you next month with a whole new member and a whole new sewing space!