Quilting By Design

QuiltPox.com

     This is the first Web site review that I have done and, in my opinion, it would be very difficult to find another site that equals the quality and potential that Quilt Pox has to offer.
     Quilt Pox is owned and completely maintained by Kimberly Crapsey, a very talented and incredible (not to mention highly intelligent) young woman!
     Grab a cup of coffee, hot tea, or your favorite beverage, then sit back and relax as you enjoy a personal interview into the life of Kimberly!
     
TERRY: Kimberly, how did you get started quilting and when?
KIMBERLY: Well, the honest truth is that I started quilting when I was about 15 years old and bought a package of 6″ squares from the local variety store and sewed them all together. I had always been fascinated with quilts, even though we had none in our family. Well, I had a top and no idea what to do after that. Fast forward about 16 years, in 2000 (that original top was later used by a brother as a oil cloth when I went away to college and left it behind!) I really got the quilting bug. A girl I worked with made some simple quilts for a few colleagues and I begged her to show me how. With basic instructions, and a trip to Joann’s, the quilting bug was born in me. I had no idea what the heck I was doing back then, but I learned quickly and absorbed everything I could. As I tend to not stick with things, I only bought a cheap Brother sewing machine, which I quickly broke and then evolved to my first mechanical Viking. Fast forward 7 years and I now have a Husqvarna Viking Lily 555, a Brother PQ1500, and a Bernina 180e.
TERRY: I have seen your hand-dyed fabrics both online and in person. They are absolutely gorgeous! What caused you to begin hand-dyeing your own fabrics?
KIMBERLY: While a member of a different quilting forum, one member shared some of her hand dyed fabrics. I had already fallen in love with Bali hand dyes and batiks, by now having graduated to mostly quilt shop only fabric. I was so taken with the hand dyes, that I had to learn myself. So, I got a starter kit from Dharma Trading, and that was all it took. My kitchen isn’t set up well for dyeing now so I don’t get in as much as I would like, but I love having the opportunity to dye my own color backings.
ADDITONAL NOTE: Kimberly taught a hand-dyeing class on QPU earlier this year and the results were awesome!
TERRY: Do you have any current projects that you are working on?
KIMBERLY: Wow, too many. I have started several and not gotten far, among them, a folded flower wallhanging from Rebecca Wat’s book. I also have a hexagon vest in the works using the Quilt Patis. Of course, both of these are labor-hand intensive. Then I have 3 different block swaps that I have participated in that need to be sewn together and quilted. That doesn’t include the ideas in my head. They never end.
TERRY: How do you fit quilting and your Web site into your very busy schedule?
KIMBERLY: Well, that is the hard part. I was spoiled, in a way, by working at a help desk, graveyard shift, for many years. I worked 3 - 12 hour shifts so not only did I have time to work on my site from work, but I had lots of days off to work on quilts. Now that I am doing a real 9-5er, I don’t have nearly enough time, and can’t work on my site from work. I still try to add something new at least once a month or so, even if it is only a new tip or quilting term.
TERRY: How did you come up with the name, “Quilt Pox”, and what does it mean?
KIMBERLY: Well, almost as soon as quilting “stuck” with me, I knew being a geekette that I would need a website. Up to this point, I had several playful for me sites. So, when I was coming up with names, many were taken. Then I remembered hearing this term “quiltpox” to describe what happens when quilters get addicted. Surely that name was already taken? But, nope, it was mine for the having. I was so thrilled. What was even more shocking was about 5 months later when I found a LQS (Local Quilt Shop) in my area named “Quilt Pox Shoppe.” They have now changed their name, but it was a funny coincidence because I became friends with the owners and even helped them with their website.
TERRY: I have been to your site numerous times and I know that you definitely have the bragging rights to something unique. Will you share with our readers what that is?
KIMBERLY: My quilter’s dictionary. It is the largest that I have found on the web. Eventually I would like to move this to a database and have the search function work better but it is quite extensive. I spent many months working on that and I am happy to say that I knew about 75% of them just from my own knowledge and education.
TERRY: Your site continues to grow! What else does it offer?
KIMBERLY: Well, I have quite a number of free patterns. My most popular are Hugs & Kisses (for baby quilts) and the Quick ‘N Easy Wallet. Those two patterns alone get as many hits as all of the others combined. I have lost track of how many sites link to them now. I also have some tools and how-to’s, including beginning dyeing session. I also host a challenge twice a year in conjunction with Quilting Passion Forum, so those are on the site as well. I also have a place for readers to leave their favorite tips, and a large quilting dictionary.
TERRY: What are your future plans for Quilt Pox?
KIMBERLY: I would like to add a few more patterns that I have half-written up, and I have one major addition coming as soon as I get the code written. That will be a surprise.

     Well, I can certainly say that I am definitely looking forward to Kimberly’s “surprise”, as you probably are now, too. I believe that if you will take a few minutes to visit her site, you will find a lot of valuable information, as well as eye candy for your quilter’s soul!

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Original article first published on Quilting Passion by Terry Crawford.

quilting, quilts, quilt pox