Kaye Wood's Just
Picked
pattern is in the March/April '08 (No. 120) issue of QUILTMAKER magazine.
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Excerpts from the Experts
Interview with Kaye Wood
Simplifying the quilting process is
Kaye Wood’s specialty. She shares her passion for quilting through her
television show, Kaye’s Quilting Friends, her line of tools and her
lectures and classes around the world. Read more about Kaye in this
interview from Quiltmaker
magazine.
What do you see as the most
significant development in quiltmaking over the past 20
years?
The
acceptance of all types of quiltmaking techniques, as long as they are
well done. This has increased the number of quilters. I also like to think
that quilting on TV has opened up the art to many more people. We hear
from people who have never taken a class for many reasons, or are too far
from quilt shops. Because of TV, they gain enough confidence to begin.
They tell me that after seeing my show, they know they can do it!
What is your most
important role in today’s quilting
community?
I see myself as a "quilt
engineer." I try to simplify the entire quiltmaking process, from the
cutting to the sewing. If I hear a quilter say she made a particular quilt
once, but never again, I see this as a challenge to make the cutting and
sewing easier. I frequently break the "quilting rules" in order to
accomplish this.
For
instance, my technique for cutting and sewing hexagons eliminates the
"slow downs." Any size hexagon can be cut, and the sewing includes
anchoring some of the seams so the inside points are always perfect. I
never mark seamlines, and I never start or stop sewing 1/4" from the edge
of the fabric. My perfect matching techniques, many without pins, are
included in my book "Everyone Can Quilt." My technique for perfect Y-seams
makes perfect seams without having to remove one or more stitches, or add
one or more stitches.
I
do lectures and demos internationally on my techniques for sewing and
cutting. My books and patterns only include those designs where I have
been able to make changes to traditional cutting and piecing. If I can't
simplify it, I don't make that quilt.
Also, because of my TV show
and now our online videos, I have been
able to help a lot of new quilt designers, which makes me feel
good.
How has
quilting enriched your life?
The best part
has been the people. The people in the quilting industry have been so
willing to help me; I try to do the same. The more new designers and TV
shows there are, the better for all of us. And there are so many who have
used quilting to get through tough times. The letters I get from cancer
patients really touch my heart, especially since my youngest son died from
melanoma. They tell me that they could not have gotten through chemo
without having a TV quilt show to take their mind off the pain. It gave
them half an hour to not think about cancer. Being able to make a
difference for these people has been wonderful.
Quilting has also allowed me
to take quilters on cruises once or twice a year. Just being waited on for
my every need and being with quilters makes it perfect.
If you could have a perfect
day, what would that look like?
Teaching
quilting and seeing the lights go on for my students as I take them
through the steps to make quilting faster and more fun. I enjoy their
comments: "Why didn't I think of that?" "How can it be so easy?" "I've
been working too hard." Another perfect day would be swimming and
snorkeling in the Caribbean, especially if my whole family is there.
We try to do a cruise together every other year. And they swim like
fishes.
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