Member Spotlight: Lisa Mason

This is a new Q & A series to get to know our members.  Today, Lisa Mason talks to us about her experience as a quilter.

Tell us about yourself.  Where are you from and how long have you been in our guild?

 I live in Connecticut, in the burbs, but close enough to the city to hop a train whenever I want.  I am looking at my third year as a member of the guild.  Can’t believe that much time has gone by already.  Last year I downsized and moved to an apartment which has been wonderful except that I miss my garden, so now I spend a lot of time at the park or the beach.  I have one fabulous daughter who is an art therapist and lives close by.   She likes to quilt too, but not as obsessively at her mother.

Have you always been crafty?  What other things do you make?

  I have dabbled in many crafty things.  I was not athletic as a child, so my mother was always trying to find things to keep me busy.  I learned how to needlepoint when I was about ten.  My mother was an artist so there were always projects to be had.  Beading, papier-mâché, painting rocks, macramé, knitting, sand casting, I had a very creative upbringing.  Then at the age of thirteen I asked to take a quilting class.  The class was at a local sewing shop and it was me, and a room full of mothers.  This was right around 1976 when quilting was making a resurgence.  I had quite an education being the quiet girl in the corner listening to all those moms chatter! Back in those days, the tools we had were scissors, cardboard and rulers.  You traced your template on the back of the fabric and cut out the pieces one at a time.  Dark ages I know!

 Where do you sew?

 I currently sew in the corner of my living room.  It’s just me now, so I can leave everything out strewn all over the place, and no one cares.  It is nice to have the sewing machine always at the ready.  The other day a friend stopped by and needed her bag fixed and viola, done in minutes. Haha.

What is your favorite type of project?

Gosh, I love all types of projects.  I love to work on something intricate and complicated; it gives me a great sense of accomplishment.  But then there are other times you just need to do something quick and simple.  I love it when I can make a quilt in a weekend, binding and everything.

What’s your favorite quilting tool?

I would have to say, and my daughter is cringing, the famous seam ripper.  I love it.  I don’t mind when I have to use it, it helps me slow down and be careful.  My daughter hates the seam ripper so much that I kind of smile and laugh when I need to use it.  Does that make me a bad person?

What type of fabrics do you use most often?

100% cotton quilting fabric is ma favorite.  I can be led astray by silks and other yummy fabric goodness.

Who or what inspires you most in quilting?

I love color, the brighter the better.  I love Kaffee Fassett fabrics, he just knows how to rock that color!  I also look to nature to inspire me.  I have a whole file of photos that are just for that purpose.  I love to take pictures of unexpected scenes and think how would I make that a quilt.

What are you working on now?

 I just finished layering my NYC Metro Mod Bee Block top.  I plan on quilting that baby next.  I love the way the top came out, everyone did such a great job on their blocks.  Now I hope I can do it justice with the quilting.              

What kind of projects would you like to tackle in the coming year?

Well, I have everything for a Single Girl quilt for my daughter, but she has a boyfriend now, so does that mean I am off the hook? J I would really like to finish off some tops that I have, I think that I have about seven, but I guess we can all say that.

 Do you have a blog, flickr, pinterest, or other place on the web you’d like to share?

  I blog at theredheadedmermaid.blogspot.com and my flickr link is on that page. 

Thanks Lisa!  You look great, can't wait to see you next month!
If you'd like to be featured in our Member Spotlight, please send your completed survey and some photos to Jessica at jessunderquilts (at) yahoo (dot) com.