February Aurifil Designer of the Month, Sherri Falls

Hi I’m Pat Sloan, the Aurifil Designer of the Month coordinator.

I’d like to introduce you to our February Aurifil Designer, the very talented Sherri Falls of “This and That” pattern company.  You know and love her unique twist on traditional patchwork and applique. Plus she loves bags as much as I do… we bonded over that one!

Listen July 4, 2011 when I interviewed Sherri for my radio show! Shows are here http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/radio/index.html

Remember to post your photo at our Flickr folder of a project given by one of the Aurifil Designers of the month (see tab on right for all the profiles). One quilter EACH MONTH will win a prize of Aurifil thread! Just post a photo of your completed block. Everyone in the Flickr folder is in the running! We have a new folder for the 2012 projects

Flickr folder –www.flickr.com/groups/2012_aurifil_featured_designerofthemonth/

Let’s get to know Sherri…….

1. When did you first start to do embroidery or stitching? Where did you learn

I learned to embroider when I was about 9. My mom taught me and she learned from her mom and grandmother. I must confess that one reason I wanted to learn was because she had the cutest little basket that she got from her grandma that she kept her floss in when she was a little girl and I wanted to use it. I have a thing for baskets. The first thing I stitched was a little bunny that I had drawn and then I made it into a little pillow. Even when I was young I was on the look for things to keep my hands busy. I can’t stand to just sit and I usually have many hobbies going on at one time.

2. Favorite go to stitch?

Backstitch! Love it! I love how it gives the design a crisp clean look.

3. Did you work at another career prior to this … what was it? Do you still do that career while having your design business?

My other job is mom and wife….keeps me very busy and it’s the best job I could ever have!

4. What does your studio look like?

I wouldn’t really call it a studio but I have a room downstairs that I have my long-arm, cutting table and ironing table in that my sweet husband built me. I also took over most of the family room downstairs to sew. I love to listen to TV when I work. It’s nice to have a corner of the house that I can spread out and be creatively messy. I do most of my computer work on my laptop with all my family craziness going on. I love it when the house is active and not much of a fan of quiet time. (Sherri’s quilt is named Love Letters)

5. What is your favorite storage tip or place? 

I have my Grandma Daisy’s old bread pans that I screwed to the wall to hold my scissors, rotary cutters and such. They are in between my ironing and cutting tables so I can reach whatever I need.

6. How do your ideas develop? Do you sketch, doodle, put ideas on a mood board?

I love to draw and must have cute, colorful pencils. I use a kids drawing pad from target that I jazzed up with scrapbooking paper. (Learned that from Roseann Kermes!) I like to keep my supplies simple because I change my mind and designs a lot before I consider the design done.

7. What are your Aurifil ‘go to’ thread colors?

Right now I am working on some designs for the holidays…so traditional holiday colors…..red, green, yellow, blue, orange and brown.

8. What is your favorite stitching tool?

I love the Embroidery Pocket Guide booklet. I love how it shows you step by step how to do stitches…and I have been trying out a lot of new stitches lately.

9. If you could train with, or work with, or follow one person for a day.. who would it be and why?

If I could learn from any person for a day I would choose my Grandma Daisy. She was amazing at embroidery and knitting. I would love to spend a day learning all her tips and tricks for both hobbies. One of my favorite embroidery ideas that I got from Grandma is to have a plain red linen table cloth to use on your Christmas table. (I just bought one this year.) Then on Christmas day, write the year on the cloth and have everyone who is celebrating with you that year sign the table cloth by the date. After the holidays are over, embroidery the signatures and date with white floss. Repeat this each year and it’s a wonderful record of who was there. It ends up being a beautiful red and white memory table cloth. It was always fun to read the signatures each year and think of the good memories of holidays spent together.

10. anything else you’d like to share… new fabrics, books, teaching event?

I am working on two new books that feature embroidery that will be available in May. I’m very excited about them and love how the projects are turning out. They are still in the “hush hush” stages but I will be posting more information about them on my blog in the spring.

And a few on the light side…

• Favorite Expression – When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have one single bit of talent left and could say “I have used everything you gave me”. ~Erma Bombeck

• The Book you are currently reading -“One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp. It’s a great book about how to appreciate the little things in life….I highly recommend it.

• Your Favorite Movie – I love movies! There are so many favorites but I think I have to say that my all time favorite movie is “Holiday Inn” with Fred Astaire. I also love scary, twisted mystery movies…the scarier the better!

• Dream Vacation spot -I love to travel and the list of place I want to see is long! My favorite places I have been are Boston, Ma (And I would move there in a heart beat if my husband would go with me!) and London, England.

• The Color you have always LOVED –  RED! I love RED! And red with yellow is the best.

‘Why did you select the image you did for your block’.. or what is the ‘story’ behind your block.

I was born and raised in Minnesota and I look forward to every winter snowfall. This year, we have had very little snow and no snowmen have been built in the yard….which is something I look forward to every year. We haven’t even had enough snow to make a snow ball. So I thought if I can’t build snowmen from snow, I might just have to stitch some.

12 Wt Aurifil Threads Used in Sherri’s Project are

• 2692
• 5006
• 1318
• 1147
• 5002
• 2372
• 2145

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CLICK HERE to download Sherri Falls “Snow Much Love” project

Visit Sherri Falls at her Blog  http://thisandthatpatterns.typepad.com/

Her Website http://www.thisandthatpatterns.com/

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Looking for Aurifil 12 wt?  There is store list HERE and Roseann is selling kits for all the designer months. Email or call  her from her website HERE

We would also love for you to ask your Local Quilt shop to carry Aurifil thread!

Bari J. is one of our Designers this year, and she has a website called “We Love French Knots” with loads of stitchery inspiration! If you need to freshen up your stitching skills, she has a series of videos http://www.welovefrenchknots.com/stitch-videos.html

EACH MONTH we will pick one random winner that has made one a stitchery block.. that person will receive a special Aurifil thread prize!

You can make ANY of the 2012 blocks to be in the running (and we hope you make them all!). Share your photos at our Flickr Folder… we can’t WAIT to see what you do!

www.flickr.com/groups/2012_aurifil_featured_designerofthemonth/
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