About 10 years ago, I started experimenting with tie-dyeing. Quickly I fell in love with the thrill of rinsing out the T-shirts and uncovering the beautiful dyed results. I would buy T-shirts and dye chemicals in bulk online and practiced many different techniques. I started practicing more advanced dyeing techniques with cotton bed sheets and fabric yardage. Soon I had a stockpile of beautiful dyed fabrics which led me to my first quilt, a triple rail fence. This quilt used a 2-color 3-step gradation and was quilted totally with a crappy sewing machine with only a straight stitch.
I had no prior quilting experience so I scoured the web for more insight. I joined several yahoo quilt groups including Cyberquilters and Quiltvillechat. These groups were an amazing tool on my quilting journey. Thanks to the friendly group members, I was quickly learning more advanced quilting techniques and whipping out quilts left and right. Now I enjoy free-motion quilting and embroidery, and love thread almost as much as I love dyes and fabrics!!
I still make time for dyeing, but the majority of my time is spent making special occasion quilts. The quilts I enjoy making most are T-shirt quilts, Quilts made of baby clothing, Crown Royal quilts, and Baby quilts. Pricing is available on my facebook page: Facebook.com/KatiesQuiltsandCrafts.
Before I started quilting and dyeing I worked with polymer clay and loved to make sculptures and millefiori canes and beads. Long before the polymer clay I enjoyed macrame with hemp, and I also have a background in counted cross stitch. I have lots of framed finished cross stitch pieces around my home.
I do my work in a little house in Milton, WV; home of "The Pumpkin Festival." There is a row of pear blossom trees that line the main road in my home town. Each season brings a new beauty, in spring there are beautiful white blossoms, and Christmas they are covered with lights. In Autumn there are beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellows, and in the summer they have thick green leaves and tiny red berries. I enjoy walking my dog and my baby in the stroller along the beautiful streets of Milton.
Recently I decided it was time to start documenting my patterns in the hopes to share them with other quilters. I have had many requests to purchase my applique patterns, so I finally took the time to create two of my most popular ones: "My Happy Owl" and "Owl Duet." These two patterns along with my infamous Crown Royal quilt is available for a PDF download on my CRAFTSY site. "Royal Star" (Crown Royal) is an 8-page booklet with detailed instructions, and 7 size options.
Although I do charge a small fee for my patterns, I am happy to help you in any way I can while you are making your quilt - FREE of charge! Please feel free to come to me with any questions or comments. I can be contacted via email at KatiesQuiltsandCrafts@gmail.com. Leave me a comment on my blog, or message me on facebook. I would love to see photos of your quilts, please feel free to share them on my facebook wall. and. .
I love to talk quilts - any time!
~Katie Wiseman,
Quilt Maker, Pattern Designer, Fabric Dyeing Artist, Wife and Mom