MEET THE QUILTER: FELIE HEMPFLING
We talk to Felie of London and Granger about her quilting journey, advice for quilting beginners and more…
How H did you first get g into quilting?
Would W you believe it was w a combination of zipper z pouches and being b pregnant with my second child? I had been making andd selling one-of-a-kind patchwork style zipper pouches – they’re fun, small projects that are relatively quick to make. A friend planted a seed and randomly asked if I’d ever considered making quilts. A year or two later, when I was pregnant with my second daughter, I really wanted her to have her own quilt. Store-bought ones weren’t special enough and commissioning one was not in the budget, so I decided to try my hand at making one myself! It was a super simple rainbow-inspired baby quilt that she still uses to this day and I’ve been in love with the process of quilting ever since.
What’s your favourite thing about quilting?
I really enjoy the puzzle aspect of quilting. How you take a stack of beautifully curated fabric, cut it all up, sew it all back together and after countless hours of sewing it becomes a quilt top.
What advice would you give to a beginner quilter?
Sew what you love, and don’t be afraid to cut into that fabric. It may look great on a shelf but it looks even better sewn!
What are your tips for taking great quilt pics?
Most of my photos are taken with my phone: wipe the lens before you start shooting, natural light is always the best, remove any stray threads and give your quilt a good press. Take lots of photos from lots of different angles. Plus, take some zoomed in and some zoomed out so you have plenty of options!
Have you ever encountered a quilt block or quilting technique you didn’t like?
I was really excited for this one particular quilt pattern which I thought was going to be a relatively quick sew and then I realised fabric direction was going to be important. It took twice as long to finish a block, and I ended up with a much smaller quilt than I had originally planned to make. But will I make it again, just with prints that are non-directional!
What fun things can we expect from you in the future?
That’s a great question. I have so many ideas in my head so maybe one of those will come to fruition, but whatever it is I’m hoping it includes lots of colour and scraps!