Quiltmaker#191• QuiltingCompany.com 43
Speaking to quilt groups and design-
ing quilts for publications have a
roughly equal focus for my business,
but I love traveling to quilt guilds the
most. I do a lot of teaching during
every trunk show so that people leave
with useful information they can apply
to their own quilts. And I enjoy classes
where I can make the light bulbs come
on for people who have struggled with
too much matching!
Infl uences and Inspiration
My strong suit is making scrappy quilts
by using dozens or hundreds of fabrics
together. I've made some bad quilts
alongthewayasI'velearnedhow
tocommandeerfabricstodowhatI
wantthemtodo.I'vebeeninfluenced
byLauraFranchini,RobertaHorton,
BonnieHunter(Quiltmakergrabbed
herbeforeshewasfamous),Evelyn
Sloppy,andPatSpeth.Andsincethe
startofthemodernquiltmovement,
manyofthosenewpioneersinfluence
measwell.Someofthemdoscrappy
withaplomb!
Quilting Pet-Peeve?
One thing I really don't understand
in today's quilt world is the idea of
destashing. I regularly see quilters
selling off their fabrics in order to
destash. But why? Why would you get
rid of fabric that will be useful in some
as-yet-unimagined project? I've rarely
met a fabric I couldn't use somewhere,
and if storage is a problem, there's
always room in the garage! I guess I
love fi guring out how to use the uglies
and the orphans. I relish giving them a
home in a smashing scrap quilt!
I can't imagine making a quilt with a
limited number of fabrics. I want my
quiltstolooklikea circus,ora smor-
gasbord,ora tornado.Theymightnot
allbefabulous,buttheywillneverbe
boring.I can'thandlethethoughtof
makinga boringquilt.Visit Diane's website,
stashbandit.net for more information
about Diane and her quilts.Twinkling Bright* appeared in McCall’s
Quick Quilts December/January 2018All Drezzed Up appeared in Quiltmaker
March/April 2010Scarlet Spin appeared in Quiltmaker
January/February 2014Fowl Play* appeared in Modern Patchwork
July/August 2018*A digital pattern is available for purchase
at QuiltingCompany.com