- Laura Lea Bailey

November 4, 2008

While at the Grand Rapids “Quilts on the Grand” show in October I had the pleasure of signing a copy of my book for Laura Lea Bailey. Laura is well-known in the Grand Rapids area for her award-winning long-arm quilting. Since I hadn’t interviewed a long-arm quilter for Open Your Heart with Quilting, I asked Laura if she would answer a few questions for me and she graciously agreed.

I present my conversation with her in her own words. If you’d like to hire Laura to quilt one of your quilts, her contact information is at the bottom of this column and I can vouch for the fact that her work is breathtakingly beautiful!

How did you get started with quilting?

I am not from a quilting family. Growing up and into adulthood I did every “craft” that I came into contact with including knitting, tole painting, cross-stitch, macramé, photography, watercolor painting, clay/kiln objects, drawing, etc. I did not do sewing after my initial 4-H projects! My mother was an excellent seamstress and made all of our clothes growing up and she was precise! I was intimidated to say the least!

After moving to Nebraska and being far from family I wanted to branch out and take a “craft class” to get to meet people. The local craft store (LeeWard’s) had a class of an Eleanor Burn’s Roman Stripe wall hanging and I signed up! I didn’t know it was a quilt, I just liked it! I fell in LOVE while making it! I had found what I could call MY OWN talent! (No one else in my family made quilts — no comparisons could be made — it was “mine”)

I was soon pregnant and was busy with getting ready for my first child (this was 1990) — I never even thought of making a baby quilt! I made my first quilt when Matthew was 3 months old. At this time I was teaching myself with Eleanor Burn’s log cabin book (LeeWard’s went out of business and I didn’t know there were quilt shops!) I flew home and my Mom took care of her first grandchild while I sewed at her machine! I finished the queen size quilt top over Thanksgiving weekend. My first teacher told me to take the quilt to a long arm quilter to finish (again, not from a quilting family so I didn’t know that I was supposed to do it all myself!) I gave my first quilt to my husband for Christmas!

The rest is history! I have made over 350 quilts… all quilted on a machine, I still have not hand quilted!

When did you start long-arm quilting?

I LOVED piecing quilt tops! It is my joy and my fulfillment I had three long arm quilters that I kept busy for 10 years! The first only did pantographs and my first 100 quilts had pantos on them. Then the more artistic quilting started to take root. I paid the other 2 quilters for more custom quilting. What I wanted was extreme custom but I couldn’t afford it!

I bought my first long-arm [machine] used from the third quilter without even touching it!

We were moving back to Michigan and we bought a house that it would fit into. She dismantled the machine and the movers picked it up in pieces! This was June 2000.

My plan was to try to teach myself how to quilt on it! I didn’t know that there were classes out there! I was only going to quilt my own quilts, I didn’t want the stress of other people’s quilts to do! The first year I just practiced a little, I wasn’t very comfortable and I cried a LOT! I was thinking that I didn’t like this part of the process and that maybe I should sell the machine and find a new quilter!

My husband lost his job. We worked through plan A, B, C, D, E, and plan F was me working on customer quilts (not the best news for my stomach!) I had the right skills at the right time and I have been working full-time since three months after I started my business. I started my business in September 2002 when my youngest child entered first grade. I have quilted over 800 customer quilts to date.

Do you like long-arm quilting better than piecing? Why or why not?

I will always find the piecing process the most joyful and stress-relieving for me! I LOVE to piece! I rarely get to piece anymore. My goal for 2009 is to piece some quilts and my motto is “2009 will be divine!”

It is amazing to me that I now NEED to quilt on the long-arm machine! It has always been stressful for me to do the quilting until the quilt is done (and I like the results!)  The quilting part does not come easy for me. During the recent WMQG Show, Quilts on the Grand 2008, I was away from the machine for six days and I missed it! I wanted to get back to the basement and quilt something! I usually quilt seven days a week, working around my family’s schedule.

What keeps you interested in quilting after all this time?

I love quilts! I have quilts everywhere in my house, beds/walls/racks/furniture/table runners/closets full/etc. They make me feel good inside, I made them! Every person that I love has a quilt and they USE them. I love to see the people that I love using something that I made especially for them, and they appreciate all the love that went into it!

I love the whole process of quilting. It has helped me through the most difficult times in my life. I love to be alone in my sewing room and just piece quilts, it is my sanity.

Have the skills and temperament needed to be a quilter made other parts of your life easier to cope with?

I think my temperament was searching for something that would fit “it” and quilting was it. I have used my quilting to get through very stressful times and am vocal about if I don’t get into my sewing room I will go “over the edge!”

When my daughter died it was all I could do, just be in my sewing room… I didn’t accomplish much, but I needed to be in that room. When my youngest child was born he was HIGH MAINTENANCE and would have no part of me sewing. For Christmas that year my best friend gave me one day a week that I would go to her house and she would hold Lucas (screaming) while I made tiny log cabin blocks on her machine (it took her 2 days to recuperate every week! He weighed 30 lbs at a year old and was LOUD.) For months I did this. That small quilt is one of my most prized quilts! It is called “Cabins from Insanity” as I surely would have gone over the edge if it weren’t for Joyce!

Lucas is now 12 years old and has more of my quilts than anyone! My biggest supporter! He has at least 10 quilts in/on his bed every night!

Laura sent me some great pictures of some of her quilts which I’ll share with you here.

The first one, Jessica’s Path, shows some of her exquisite machine quilting. This quilt won second place in the Bed Quilt – Pieced Machine Quilted category at the West Michigan Quilter’s Guild Quilts on the Grand show in October 2008.

Do you think artistic endeavors have a spiritual side? And if so, how does your quilting help you get in touch with that?

It is spiritual for me in the sense that I become “at one” with myself. I am calm when I am quilting. I think that it is just the repetition of motion and the feel of the fabrics for me. I never get bored when piecing, I could piece 165 log cabin blocks and then start another log cabin quilt!

Do you feel that quilting helps you be more in tune with nature or God? How so?

I don’t necessarily think I am in tune with nature although I love to look out my window in my sewing room and enjoy my beautiful view! I am in tune with God more in my sewing room because I believe that quilting was a gift from Him to me. It comes naturally for me and I feel best when I am in my room piecing a quilt.

Is quilting a meditative activity for you?

Yes! I definitely calm down when I am in my sewing room. It is my quiet time just for me!

How does it feel when you are quilting and you know you are “in the
zone” or flow? Can you describe that feeling? Do you do anything in
particular to get to that state?

I only get the “in the zone” feeling when I am piecing a quilt top. I just am so calm and at one with myself. I do not do anything to get to that state, just the act of sewing the pieces together makes all the stress melt away! I love to see the quilt take shape as I go. I do not make practice blocks to see if I will like the quilt. Every step of the process I go all out, I choose fabrics that I love and commit to them. I then cut the whole quilt out before I start sewing. I sew all the blocks together at the same rate (even if there are 150 blocks!)

Flying Around Denim won the blue ribbon in the Bed Quilt  – Pieced Machine Quilted category at the West Michigan Quilter’s Guild Quilts on the Grand show in October 2008. The Flying Geese are 3-dimensional.

Does teaching quilt classes and retreats give you a similar feeling?  Is that as satisfying as quilting, or is it a totally different experience?

I have been teaching quilting at shops for the last 6 1/2 years. It is definitely a different feeling for me. I enjoy teaching, especially new quilters. I am an extremely organized teacher and have samples upon samples to help my students “see” what they can create with different fabrics. I am a visual learner, so that is how I teach. I am also very laid back in my approach and have no “rules” that you have to follow. I am a self-taught quilter and I try to get my students to follow their inner voice and trust themselves. The looks of satisfaction when they finish their quilts is priceless! With all that said, piecing by myself is still my JOY and my passion!
Speaking of Teaching…

Laura often teaches at Smith Owen Sewing and Quilting Center. For more information and to register for classes, contact Smith Owen.

4051 Plainfield NE
Grand Rapids, MI  49525
616 361-5484
www.smithowensew.com

Have you ever lost your motivation to quilt? If so, how did you get it back?

I have never lost my motivation, just my time! If I don’t have time to
piece I dream of what I will piece when I get the chance!

No matter what life throws at me I always want to get into my sewing room and make quilts!

How would you help a new quilter tap their own creative potential?

I have taught many people quilting that have never seen or made a quilt before. I love new quilters! As I said earlier, I am very non-threatening in my approach, I take them at the comfort level that they are at and help them get to the next level. I do not have any rules! I help them find their own confidence in themselves and their decisions for their quilt. THEY will live with the quilt, not me, and they should enjoy every step of the process and believe in themselves. I will guide them if they want, some people just want to be told what to do. Each student is different and I try to see what each needs and give it to them.

Have you ever created a quilt while healing from an illness or injury?  Did the process of making the quilt help you heal?

I have never had my own illness or injury that I had to heal from. As I mentioned earlier, I did make quilts after my daughter died and that helped me heal. Also, the “Cabins from Insanity” quilt was a healing process also. I was dealing with feelings that life would never be the same (and it hasn’t!) I am still working on my quilt 14 years after Katie’s death and it isn’t finished… I am ready to finish it now and it will bring me much joy and further healing during the process.

About the Quilts

Stripping off Your Pockets won the blue ribbon at the Douglas County and the Nebraska State Fair in 1998. This quilt and Flying by the Seat of your Pants are both made from patterns Laura designed. The patterns are available at Smith Owen.

TSS101 Flying Around Denim is $8.25.
TSS102 Flying by the Seat of your Pants is $8.25.
TSS103 Stripping off your pockets is $9.25.

The Red Glue quilt is made of 2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ templates.

About the Quilts

Laura’s gold T-shirt quilt won a third place ribbon at the West Michigan Quilt Guild‘s 2006 show. Laura says,

It is the only T-shirt quilt that I have ever heard of winning! The NQA-certified judges both said it was the best t-shirt quilt they had ever seen.

Have you ever made a quilt for a loved one who was sick or dying?  Did it help you cope with the feelings of grief and loss?

I have never been in the position to make a quilt for a loved one who was sick or dying. I did see the healing process in action though! My sister was diagnosed with cancer last year. Our bee made a quilt (a member made my block and my Mom’s block for us – we just had to put our words on it) and also the WMQG made a quilt for her. I was living in her home and taking care of her full-time and didn’t have the time to make a quilt… but we slept with her quilt from WMQG and all the prayers and thoughts wrapped up in it! Both quilts were on display at the WMQG Show in October.

Do you meditate while you quilt?  Do you pray, sing, think positive thoughts and try to imbue the stitches with love and good energy?

I don’t think that I do it consciously. I am in a very calm and positive state when I am piecing and making a quilt, I think that that is my reward! I also believe that the person who receives the quilt gets the same calm/positive feeling/energy because it was made with love for them!

Have you ever just gotten completely lost in the fun and joy of playing with your fabric and produced something totally unexpected?  Describe the experience.

I have not had the joy of this yet! My piecing time is very limited and I always have a project that I want to finish, so I don’t have time to “play.”  I will go in that direction when I have more time on my hands! I still have two kids at home that I take an active role with, a more than full-time long arm quilting business, a husband who would love more time with me and a father who has heart issues and I help my Mom with hospital visits etc and a sister that still needs me sometimes. I also work at the quilt shop part time and teach also. I am joyfully busy!

Where to get the pattern

Laura’s T-Shirt quilt pattern is for sale at Smith Owen Sewing and Quilting. Just ask for TSS100 Bee Unique T-Shirt Quilt. It sells for $10.25.

I hope you have enjoyed this interview. If you know of any interesting quilters I should interview (or if you are an interesting quilter), drop me a line at the address below! Happy stitching!

You can contact Laura at:

Laura Lea Bailey
The Surrogate Stitcher
Comstock Park, MI
quilterllb@aol.com