I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love to draw.
My mother said there were always little doodles on the blank pages of my children’s books. My first drawing paper was the cardboard that came with my dad’s shirts from the cleaners.
Hi! I am Amy Childers, the owner of Spoonwood Designs.
Artistic threads wound throughout my family: My mother, a homemaker who never missed an opportunity for continuing education, took an oil painting class and created landscapes and still lifes. She never thought she was any good, but I did; I still have one of her paintings, of an old house, hanging in my den.
My father was a woodworker and an interior designer who built the furniture in our family home. My grandmother taught me to sew and crochet. My family enabled me creatively, and there was always something imaginative going on in our house.I probably tried every craft out there at one time or another -- oil painting, watercolors, macramé. I sewed my own clothes, including my prom and wedding dresses. But I always had a desire for more artistic pursuits.
Then, two decades ago, my sister-in-law got me interested in quilting. I made lots of traditional quilts, but they felt unfulfilling. Then I took a class on landscape quilting, unlocking a means to combine my loves of quilting and drawing. I was hooked, and I took as many classes as I could and tried various techniques. The result? My passion: hand-appliqued landscapes. I stitched each one by hand, matted and framed them, and sold them under Childers Fabric Art.
I taught the technique at various quilt guilds and community colleges, and everyone always asked me where I got my patterns. Well, I drew them.
And now I am pleased to share my patterns with you. The patterns are designed for many types of appliqué, not just hand work. I hope you will try them, let the fabrics speak to you, and put your own personal touch on your landscape. No two landscapes will look the same because of the variety in fabric and technique.
Embellish them, make them your own masterpiece, and enjoy!
Why Spoonwood Designs? I have always been intrigued by the flowers on the Mountain Laurel, a plant native to where I live. Spoonwood is another name for Mountain Laurel, also called Calico Bush which reminded me of quilt fabric.
