48 Quiltmaker • May/June ’20
The Quilting Cowboy
Bold quilt designs, a new fabric line
with Windham Fabrics, and rugged
good looks—you'd be living under
a rock these days not to have heard
of the "Quilting Cowboy". Behind his
confi dent exterior, is a quilter who has
a strong aesthetic and a longing to
teach others the craft. Join us as we
learn more about Dale Allen-Rowse.
From Mice to Man
I grew up in Vancouver, BC, Canada,
and from a very early age was
attracted to hand sewing. From the
time I was 8 years old I was creating
crafts in my basement. I made my
sister a doll and began making an
entire village of felt mice. They each
had diff erent outfi ts, which of course
corresponded to their various careers.
Ha ha. I still make them today just for
fun and recently posted a tutorial on
my YouTube channel on how to make
them. It’s a fun project that can be
done with kids.
Currently my husband and I live in
Palm Springs, CA. We’ve been here
about a year now and really love it.
We were in Los Angeles but the traffi c
and hectic life there was becoming a
bit much. We have four rescue dogs
and they are our ‘kids’. We do what
we can to rescue and feel compelled
to help dogs who need a good home.
For the past 16 years I’ve been a real
estate agent and still am, however my
Quilting Cowboy brand does require a
lot of time and attention. It’s a fl edg-
ling pursuit and while I love it, like any
new business, it is not paying the bills
just yet. Hopefully one day.
At that moment, I felt lost and yet
somehow found. The weight of that
relationship falling off my shoulders
and nothing but opportunity ahead—I
felt a mix of emotions I had not previ-
ously known. When I fi nally stopped
driving, I got out to assess where I
was, and in front of me was a feed,
bait and tackle shop where I saw this
incredible pair of cowboy boots. I tried
them on, and they felt like home.
Ever since then, I have worn these
same boots almost every day. They
are an expression and a reminder to
always remain true to who I am. This
sentiment is also refl ected in my logo,
the sewing needles and pins represent
my North Star, which is creativity and
joy.When Did You Start Quilting?
I started quilting in 1999 with the birth
of my niece. To me, it felt like the right
expression of how I felt about this
newest family member. I wanted to
welcome her with something I could
wrap her up in and make her feel safe.
From there, I started a few new tech-
niques and taking classes...it just grew
from there.Why “Quilting Cowboy”?
I guess it’s because I feel the most
comfortable in my cowboy boots,
a baseball cap and a fl annel shirt...
But, if I’m completely honest, it really
began like this:
The day my fi rst marriage ended I had
really nowhere to go so I got in the
car and drove and drove. Eventually,
I found myself dreary-eyed and
exhausted on every level from all that
had passed, not just that day, but for
years.Designer Spotlight
Dale Allen-Rowse