Member Spotlight: Terri Thayer

Terri will be doing a reading at the meeting on Saturday. Read on to learn more about her. Thanks to Terri for whipping this questionaire up so quickly. ~editor

1. Name: Terri Thayer                         
2. In what city do you live? San Jose   
3. Do you want people to look at your blog? website? http://www.territhayer.com
4. How long have you been making quilts? 24 yrs.      
5. How and where did you learn to quilt? I took a hand quilting class at a local dept. store. Once I learned about the rotary cutter, I was hooked.
6. Who inspired you to get started? Reading 1982-83 Quilters Newsletter Magazine. Also, the need for a quilt for my son’s bed.
7. Please describe your first quilt (Include a picture if you have it). Ugly, ugly rail fence (I will bring it to the meeting)
8. Where do you find inspiration? Nature, books, fabric
9. What do you generally do with the quilts you make?  Give away? Keep? Sell? Show? Give away. I love the feeling of thinking about a friend or family member as I pick out fabrics, design a quilt and sew. That’s the best!        
10. What is your favorite block pattern? I am partial to Monkey Wrench, not just because it is the name of my latest book. Another name for it is Hole in the Barn Door. My grandmother’s barn had a hole in it, so it holds a special meaning for me.
11. In what room of the house do you sew? Tell us about your sewing/quilting/crafting space. For many years, I sewed in the dining room. My family ate with the machine next to them. Now I have a spare bedroom. It’s not huge but has a closet with shelving and built in drawers. I have two design walls, which are always in use. My favorite piece of furniture in it is my cutting table. I love being at the correct height when I cut. Also love my Bernina.
12. Do you create in any other areas of craft? Is quilting your main creative outlet? Mostly quilting
13. What is your favorite fabric (line, designer, pattern are all ok) and why? I couldn’t chose. Each year fabric gets prettier and prettier.
14. What is your favorite quilt book? Are there any quilt books you recommend?  I really love books by Joen Wolfrom. One of my favorites is Color Play. And to feed my landscape addiction, Luminous Landscapes by Gloria Loughman.
15. Are there any must have quilting tools?  I’ve really been utilizing my 4 in 1 Essential Sewing Tool. http://www.ctpub.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=1390

It’s seam ripper, stiletto, presser and poking tool. I never lose it and use it every day.  Which may say more about me than the tool.

16. What are your favorite shops either online or in the neighborhood? The Granary in Sunnyvale
17. Is there an area of quilting you feel you would like to learn more about and why? I’m always drawn to landscape quilts at the quilt shows. Someday I’ll make a beautiful landscape of the Monterey coast.
18. Is there an area of quilting at which you feel you excel? Being really good at quilting is great, but not required to have a wonderful experience. I don’t excel at anything. I’m a so-so technician, I don’t have a great artist’s eye and my color choices sometimes baffle my friends. So I keep studying and sewing with my friends. That’s where I excel.