August Meeting Recap with the Amazing Melissa Averinos

 Is there anything Melissa Averinos can't do?    For our August meeting Melissa shared her creative journey from her early days drawing and painting to her latest adventure, longarm quilting.  Along the way she entertained us with pictures of her first quilt, an exquisite improv log cabin, her forays in to fabric design including a print used by Victoria's Secret, graphic design, cake decorating, writing DIY books, and jewelry making.

Photo Courtesy of YummyGoods

From the beginning Melissa knew that traditional quilting had too much math for her tastes.  She vastly prefers improv quilting and has recently been working on a serious of quilted self-portraits.  Her work is currently on display at a Modern Quilt exhibit she curated for the Cotuit Center for the Arts.  If you're going to be on the Cape before September 7th you should definitely check it out!!!  As an added bonus there are quilts by Boston MQG members Alexis Deise and Caro Sheridan:-)

Photo Courtesy of YummyGoods

Inspired by the lovely Lisa Sipes, Melissa decided that longarm quilting was just like drawing except with thread.  Since purchasing a longarm she has started her own business doing custom quilting.  Several quilts she quilted were on display at Quilt Market this Spring not to mention the amazing quilting she did for Quilts for Boston.

There were so many take-aways from Melissa's talk but here are my favorites:

• Why start just one project?  When you work on several at a time you increase your chances of success that one will be amazing.
• Don't get too thinky about what you are doing.  No piece of work should be too precious.
• It's only fabric...  whatever you're working on isn't done until you're happy with it.  If it isn't working cut it up, add something else, change it up.
• Be kind to yourself.

It's clear to me the true secret to Melissa's success is her ability to connect with creative people.  She is wonderful at expressing her creativity and sharing her passions.  We look forward to having her visit us often:-)

A huge thank you also to fabulous gang at Franklin Mill Store for hosting us in their fabulous space and enabling our fabric habit:-)  It is always a pleasure to visit!!!