DESIGNER PROFILE
Quilter, blogger and all-round creative Emily Dennis is hard to miss on the quilting scene, with her fresh, modern designs and addictive quiltalongs. We caught up with her to chat traditional influences, being a mentor and sharing secrets
Quilter, blogger and all-round creative Emily Dennis is hard to miss on the quilting scene, with her fresh, modern designs and addictive quiltalongs. We caught up with her to chat traditional influences and being a mentor
You made your first quilt in 2012. Can you explain how those first stitches led to quilting quickly becoming your obsession?
It has pretty much become my whole life! I have quite an obsessive personality and I haven’t determined if that is a good thing or a bad thing yet! The funny thing is I started out pretty slow – I think it took me about two years to make three quilts. It was when I started coming up with my own designs that the obsession started. I found I really liked the process of dreaming up something on my own and making it happen. People started asking for the designs I was making and the added task of creating patterns really fuelled my love of quilting.
Quilting came about in my life at a time I needed a new challenge. It also helped me cope with Michigan's long winters and even enjoy them! Give me a new project I’m excited about and I’ll thrive!
You quit your day job last year to pursue a career of creativity… full-time quilt designing! Have you ever looked back?
Oh my goodness, no! My only regret is that I didn’t do it a lot sooner. It’s been almost a year now and I still pinch myself that I get the chance to be creative every single day. I’m much happier and my business has grown more than I could have ever have imagined just a year ago.
Your quilts all have a very recognisable style, with bold repeat patterns. How would you describe your aesthetic?
Fresh, modern and fun. I do love a good repeating block! It allows the design to breath, giving the eyes plenty of rest. I also love to use fat quarter bundles, so block quilts are a great way to mix and match a fat quarter bundle all in one quilt. I’m actually not the best at mixing my own fabrics and often rely on curated fat quarter bundles, so most of my designs are made with fat quarters in mind.
You describe yourself as a modern quilter. What is it about modern quilting that appeals to you over the style of traditional?
I call myself a modern quilter but always feel like I should preface it a bit. You won’t find a lot of negative space and abstract shapes in my quilting, so I’m not a modern quilter in that way. To me, being a modern quilter means using fresh and
To me, being a modern quilter means using fresh and modern fabrics and designs. I'm actually very inspired by traditional quilting
modern fabrics and designs. I’m actually very inspired by traditional quilting, and I like to find new and fresh spins on classic blocks like Log Cabins and Sawtooth Stars.
What types of fabrics are you drawn to?
Lately, colour! Lots of colour… and solids. I used to find solids boring to sew with but I’ve given them a second chance lately. Fresh, bright solids in just about any design will transform a quilt.
Being a professional quilt pattern designer, do you put pressure on yourself to produce a pattern every certain number of months, or do you release patterns as and
when the ideas for designs come to you?
A little of both happens – I like to have new designs available roughly every 2–3 months. I’m not rigid about how I use my time, and allow myself plenty of flexibility to be creative. The best thing is when those ideas just come to you and you are so excited to sew them up and share them… that probably happens more times than not! I do find that when I sit down and start sketching, the ideas will often evolve into something I’m excited about. Some of my favourite quilts come from sudden light bulb moments and some come from the sketches evolving into something good!
Some of my favourite quilts come from sudden light bulb moments, and some come from sketches evolving into something good!
What’s your favourite part of the quilt-making process?
The cutting and sewing up those first few blocks. I can whip up a quilt top just like that once I’ve made all of the decisions about it. I don’t actually love the quilting part and, I have to admit, I tolerate the finishing part! But starting something new is definitely my favourite.
Now that you make quilts for a living, do you still enjoy making quilts for yourself, or does it now feel like work?
I do! I’m aware of how easily a creative passion can turn into a chore or a “job”. It’s important to me to sew something up just for fun every few projects to avoid burn-out. Sometimes that just means remaking one of my own patterns – no thinking or planning involved, just sewing.
Are there any techniques that you’ve not yet tried, or are a little reluctant to learn?
Quite a few, actually! I think that’s why I’m so drawn to quilting – the learning never stops. I have yet to make a quilt with curves and hope to someday. The funny thing is I find myself reluctant to learn quilting techniques often, and then when I finally do I wonder why I dreaded it! Like burying knots in quilting… I avoided it for so long and then found out just how easy it is.
What is it about quiltalongs that you love hosting?
I feel like I have a confession to make about quiltalongs. I make for a good host but a terrible quiltalong-er! I power through quilts and have a hard time showing the restraint a quiltalong takes, but I do love hosting them because it keeps me busy enough to not power through. I also love providing the community of a quiltalong and I think that’s what the participants enjoy the most. I feel like having an audience is a little bit like having a super power, so finding ways to use it for a good cause like community building is rewarding.
Your Quilty Love Instagram account champions and shares modern quilts from other makers. What initially inspired you to launch this page?
I saw it as a way to help share the love. I know how valuable it is to be mentioned or talked about on Instagram and I see this as a tool to help others get noticed. I don’t have a clear plan for it but just want to grow it and see where it goes.
How do you decide what quilts you share via Quilty Love?
The number one thing I’m looking at is the photo itself. I’m looking for clean, modern aesthetics and pretty pictures. I’m more interested in curating a beautiful, inspiring feed
there than anything else. I’m drawn to indoor lifestyle photos with some close ups mixed in. I’m pretty certain any quilt can be made to look beautiful and inspiring if it’s photographed well!
You’re always posting tips on your blog on how to master techniques and how to run a creative business. Do you ever worry that you’re giving away too many of your professional secrets?!
It certainly crosses my mind! But here’s the thing: teaching someone exactly how I do things doesn’t take away from me. In fact, that person may introduce a whole new audience of people to the craft, expanding the audience for all of us. I choose to live my life with a more abundant mindset rather than one of scarcity. That doesn’t mean I always believe it, but it’s something that I’ve chosen to keep on thinking.
Each one of us also has our own secret sauce and that is our self. I’ve chosen to create a very personable business so I can teach someone everything I know and they still aren’t me. I think the best thing I did for my business is to show up and be authentic… as a recovering people pleaser that’s not always easy! But a weird thing happens when you show up as yourself. You repel and attract all of the right people. So, each of us is out there repelling and attracting our own ideal audiences and bringing our own unique spin to the world of quilting.
How does it feel seeing quilters who you’ve helped along the way, such as Meghan of Then Came June, thriving with their own quilt pattern design businesses?
Oh my gosh, it’s the best! It’s actually pretty rewarding to know the concepts I’ve put in place actually work – like it wasn’t a fluke that they worked for me. That actually gives me a lot of confidence in building my own business. Running a creative business is not easy and it’s not for everyone, it requires a lot of dedication and action-taking. Watching someone like Meghan thrive is a lot of fun because she is an action-taker. You don’t have to convince an action-taker that they can do something, you suggest it and they do it.