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This year we have two new hosts joining us for the Great Jelly Roll Bash. Pinch me!! Today I am introducing you to one of them. I can't believe she said yes... Brandy Maslowski from the Quilter on Fire podcast is joining in on the fun. I first met Brandy a few years back at QuiltCon in Phoenix. We both attended an after hour-mixers. I distinctly remember her jean jacket that had flames stitched on the back. Last year I advertised on her podcast. Since I had a host spot opening, I decided to put on my big girl pants and ask her if she would be a host, and guess what? She said yes!! I love her podcast. I love her story. She is and sweet so down-to-earth, even though she teaches, host quilting vacations, works on magazines, judges shows... The question is really, what doesn't she do? I feel so very excited to be working with her. So, grab your favourite drink and let's get to know the lady behind the Quilter on Fire.  TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF? I am a quiltmaker, textile artist, teacher, speaker, author and NACQJ certified quilt judge. I have curated a portfolio of workshops from modern improv to textile art which aim to nudge the quilter into their own personal creative zone. I am the founder and host of the Quilter on Fire Podcast and can be found everywhere online as the Quilter on Fire. E: Wow!! I am so impressed. I don't think you sleep. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST QUILTING PROJECT? A friend said to me, “You are kind of crafty, can you make a quilt for my great-grandmother?” She wanted photos, lace, and floral fabrics in the quilt. I said yes. It was the perfect disaster, but she loved it, and the rest is history. E: What a story for your first quilt! That is amazing and sounds sew fun!! HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN QUILTING? OVER 30 YEARS. Since I was about 21. I’d say over 3 decades, but I don’t want everyone to jump on their calculators to start doing the math. Just the fact that I said calculators instead of Siri might have you guessing I’m Gen X. E: LOL!! I grew up on calculators but love using Excel because my fingers don't always work the way I want them to. I can also double-check I typed the right numbers. WHY QUILTS? It the tactile nature of cloth for me but also the giving nature of quilters. We wear fabric in our clothing, we wrap ourselves in it to sleep, it brings us comfort in many areas of our lives and there is just another level of comfort having a textile art piece on the wall that has beauty and a purposeful meaning. WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR YOU? The biggest business challenge for me in quilting has been saying yes to too much, especially volunteer work and not taking the time I need to build the foundation and systems of my biz. I’m getting there now with the help of mentors but it can be hard to avoid the last minute crunch of deadlines. (as I answer these questions at the very last minute) E: It can be hard to say no and there are only so many hours in a day. I definitely feel that.  WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUILTING TECHNIQUE? I love free-form, layered, raw edge quilting to build layers of colour, texture, stitch and embellishments. This is what I teach in my Colourways Workshop. E: Oh my gosh this sounds fantastic. How do I sign up?  WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PATTERN? Although I love many patterns and designers, I don’t buy patterns. I’ll mention my own Glorious & Free Pattern here because I designed it for Quilts of Valour and it gives me joy to bring benefit to sick and injured soldiers. E: Same. I can't follow a pattern to save my life. I always end up doing it my way. WHAT IS THE THING YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT QUILTING? It provides a thoughtful, engaging, creative outlet and calms my mind. HAND OR MACHINE BINDING? Hand for sure. I love to get cozy with my dog, watch a good movie and hand stitch the binding. E: Sounds like the perfect rainy-day adventure. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO QUILT A QUILT? For modern quilts I love geometric walking foot quilting and for my art quilts I do all over free motion original designs as I go. ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD? If you are ever wondering if you should try to do something new that appeals to you, or you feel scared to try something because you love it, but it looks hard, that is probably the exact thing you should do. You have that feeling for a reason. Surround yourself with people who are experts at it and go for It! Thank you so much for letting me interview you. The Self-Care Checklist you gave us is so useful. I am going to start using it. I really need to make moving a part of my routine again. I feel so inspired!! I am going to go into my sewing room and work in my Fields of Flowers Quilt.
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Welcome everyone to The Great Jelly Roll Bash's Blog. Today I have a special treat for you. I am so happy to introduce to you Shankari Paradee of Sewl Sister. She is such a kind and beautiful human! I feel honored to have hosted the Great Jelly Roll Bash with her for the last three years and I am so excited to have her back for another year. I haven't told her this, but I look up to her and love the way she deals with every situation. She has been featured in Patchwork Love and Quilting Magazine, Modish Magazine and has many patterns published with Villarosa Designs. I am so happy to learn more and dig into the person behind the designs. Grab yourself a cup of coffee and let's get to know Shankari. (E: are my responses)
E: That is beautiful! Just with working with you I can say that I love how you bring your kids into your design world, are inspired by them and nourish their creativity. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST QUILTING PROJECT? I made a quilt for my sister and that was the beginning of my journey. She still has it to this day. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN QUILTING? I’ve been quilting for about 16+ years. E: Whoo-Hoo!! I like referring to decades. You would be more than a decade and a half in my personal dialect. LOL. It makes us more seasoned. WHY QUILTS? There’s something so inspiring about thinking of the design, creating it, and then seeing it come to life as you sew the pieces together. There’s also that feeling of knowing that your piece is not like any other quilt out there, even if someone chooses your pattern. Yours will always be unique and one of a kind. E: YES!! WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR YOU? Being in the quilt biz for 7+ years, yes it’s challenging. My biggest challenge is navigating social media and staying organized with all the projects. Now, I realize, just do what you can and work on something a little each day - that makes a big difference! E: That is great advice!! A little progress each day becomes great progress. WHAT HAS BEEN THE HARDEST LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED? Sometimes, it feels challenging to step outside and put your quilts out there in the world, ie, a show or having them be judged. The lesson is that everything comes out of going to the next step. Just go for it, whether your work gets critiqued or not, you created something special and that’s the main thing to remember. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUILTING TECHNIQUE? Chain piecing, and free motion meander quilting. E: Chain piecing is the best way to save time. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NOTION? Rotary cutter - I have several different kinds! E: There is nothing better than a sharp cutter.  WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PATTERN? My Jelly Snake pattern is one of my favorites. There’s just so many that come to mind! E: That was your first pattern for the Great Jelly Roll Bash. That one was sooooo good. I love it! WHAT IS THE THING YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT QUILTING? Seeing the hard work you put into it as it all comes together while piecing. E: It puts a smile on my face! HAND OR MACHINE BINDING? Machine WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO QUILT A QUILT? I love working on my longarm, whether it’s free-motion or computerized, I love both. ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD? Every quilt has a story. Take time to listen to the story and you will learn to understand a little bit about the quilter.  Thank you so much for being such a delight to work with. I really don't know how you do it all. I think you are secretly wonder women. I struggle with work life balance. I know that has to be hard for you as well. You work nights!! I know we dream of the day when we can turn this into our day job, and I can't wait for that to happen for you.
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