Member Spotlight, Cheryl McIntyre!

 While AOC live workshops are a great way to get to know other members, some of our members are working full time, are full-time Moms, and can’t spend the time during the day watching a live workshop.  So how do you get to know other applique enthusiasts?  Monthly member spotlights help you make connections!

It was a pleasure to interview Cheryl from Charlottesville VA for our monthly Member Spotlight! 

Cheryl is a retired engineer and has been sewing since she was eight years old! Her first sewing project was a seersucker tailored blazer..an ambitious project for a young lady in 4H.  Her mother and grandmother didn’t sew, but she had a great aunt who mentored her and got her through that first difficult project. Her great aunt was a quilter and Cheryl still has the doll quilt her aunt gifted to her as a child. 

Cheryl borrowed back her first quilt just for the interview as she had given it to her niece. Cheryl loves to give her quilts away and has made hundreds of quilts for family and friends.   

As a self-taught quilter, Cheryl made her first quilt with 5/8″ seams and no binding. Boy, has she learned a bunch over her years of making quilts!    

It was no surprise that Cheryl is an engineer. Her meticulous attention to detail added to her amazing color sense is a magical combination that makes her a wonderful quilter!   

Cheryl had some tips and words of wisdom for you too!  

Cheryl’s Tip #1: Create a dedicated space in your home for sewing.  You’ll be hesitant to pull everything out to start a new project unless you can leave it out!  Cheryl has transformed her formal dining room into a sewing room that is right next to her kitchen.  When cooking or cleaning, she can step into her sewing room and sew a seam or two while waiting for water to boil, or a cake to bake. 

Cheryl’s Tip #2: Learn from others by asking questions! Find yourself a sewing mentor, join a guild, or a membership!  Her great aunt provided the guidance and encouragement she needed as a child and now she asks loads of questions when she meets with other quilters!  She is a Founding Member of AOC which has brought her applique confidence “from 20% to 90”!  

If you missed the newsletter article about Cheryl, and more photos of her fabulous quilts, make sure you are on my mailing list HERE!

Click here to watch the Facebook Interview! https://www.facebook.com/sepelland/videos/593779398882243?idorvanity=928582257516860