My First Quilt – Flowers & Stars 1999

My actual first attempt at quilting took place way back in 1986 when I was barely out of high school. It did not take long to realize I was not a great hand quilter and for some reason I thought all quilts were only made by hand back then, so I moved on to something else. Then thirteen years later, I stumbled across SIMPLY QUILTS on HGTV and begin watching Alex Anderson and her quilting guests religiously. I rekindled my passion for quilting, but with new understanding and obsession. I knew I had to make a quilt and I got myself some fabric and did just that. No pattern – all I had was an image in my head and I used that to cut out some template plastic.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t seasoned enough to realize that I created lots of Y-Seams for myself and several other piecing nightmares for a novice to tackle. However – I plugged on and completed it; tucks and all! This is how it looked when I first made it. Today it lives in front of doors leading out to a small balcony and is one of my dogs favorite things to lay on – albeit spotted with stains and signs of wear and tear.

Many Quilts Later

Many quilts later, I am back in my home state of Texas. I am the designer of acrylic rulers for longarm and machine quilting and quilt patterns under the name Quarter Squared Quilt Co. I am also a custom longarm quilter for hire, YouTube instructor, and owner of an online fabric shop. I love teaching and I still love making things.

My tastes range from very classic and traditional to subtly modern and fresh. I appreciate timeless design and honor our masterful crafters and makers of the past. I am active in my local guild and have reached out across the world to other quilters on my YouTube channel: Michael Quilts. I also teach workshops and classes at dealers, shops, shows, and conventions.