Sunday, May 6, 2012

Member of the Month: Bryanna O'Mara

Here is our first 2012-2013 member of the month: Bryanna O'Mara. Thanks for sharing with us, Bryanna. As always, it's great to learn more about our members.


Name: Bryanna but everyone calls me Bry

#Completed quilts: Um...somewhere in the 20's??

Favorite online fabric store:
Oooo that has to be Pink Chalk Fabrics.  Kathy has always given me the absolute best customer service and everything always arrives perfectly packaged and in safe condition.

Favorite fabric shop:
This is definitely Stitch Lab in Austin, TX.  I always know when I go there I am going to spend 3 times what I have budgeted but walk out with all the things that I have been drooling over online!

Favorite pattern: 
Definitely zig zags! Like the Heather Ross Mendocino quilt I made for my sister.  I adore this pattern so much, but quilting it nearly killed me and made me want to set my sewing machine on fire.

Favorite fabric designer: Tula Pink.  Period.  I am a die hard Tula Troop.

Favorite color: PINK.  Always pink.

Favorite sewing-related thing to shop for: 
Is fabric too obvious an answer??  Hmmm...maybe so.  Second best would have to be scissors.  I love dressmakers scissors, embroidery scissors, pinking shears, etc etc etc.

What machine do you use: 
A Bernina 1080 that I bought used on ebay.  I wanted a machine with all metal parts for durability, and that was not computerized as I didn't want my sewing machine to be smarter than me!

Why you love to quilt: 
Because I love the look on people's faces when you gift them with something handmade and they realize how much thought, time, energy (and sometimes blood, sweat, and tears) went into a completely personalized quilt that was created specifically for them.

Favorite sized quilt you like to make: 
I always make throw sized quilts.  Even when I make baby quilts, they somehow end up being throw size!  I can do calculus but simple addition (and inch calculation) seem to elude me.

Solids or prints? : 
I love both but I am leaning more and more towards solids as I think they sometimes allow the over all pattern to shine more when the eye isn't distracted by the smaller print patterns.

Quilting or sewing skill you'd like to acquire: 
PAPER PIECING.  I am just too terrified to try, which is stupid considering how many amazing tutorials are out there.

Handquilting or machine quilting?: 
BOTH!  Machine quilting allows me to finish quicker but hand quilting is so cathartic and fun.

Other sewing or crafts: 
I love embroidery, always want to learn cross stitch, and anything that involves sequins or other shiny things!

How did you get into quilting? :
My great grandmother taught me to quilt when I was younger, all by hand as she thinks machines are cheating!  But I made her the half square triangle quilt with Moda's Dream on line and she did totally love it, so maybe I can tempt her over to the machine quilting dark side.  Although at 92 she might be a bit set in her ways.  Picture

Feel free to share a quilting story with us!!!
My biggest oops moment during sewing was when I was trying to make Film in the Fridges starburst block for the group do good stitches on Flickr and in trying to force wrestle politely push the seams through the machine I managed to sew right through the pointer finger on my left hand.  The needle broke and I was left with the broken end sticking out of the top of my finger, and the pointy end coming from the underside of my finger.  It looked that I had tried to pierce my own finger.  I sat there totally stunned just staring at my finger, then though, well I guess I should just pull it out, so I did.  And I mili-second after I did I thought I should have taken a picture for my blog! DAMN!  I wonder if I could get it back in without it hurting too much.... Picture1Picture 2

Blog, website: ablondquilts.blogspot.com

Etsy shop: none

Here's some of Bryanna's work:

Beth's Gaggle of Mermaids

Jane

A Cacophony of Color

1 comment:

  1. We miss Bry at the Houston Modern Quilt Guild -- you are lucky to have her!

    ReplyDelete