New England Quilter

Today's featured etsy artist is Amy from New England Quilter. She makes blankets, baskets, and my personal favorite - cloth toys and games for children. My son's wishlist (that I made for him, of course) includes a couple things from her shop. How did you pick your shop name? I wanted to select a name that describes me. I have always lived in New England and I have been quilting for over 10 years. This may be obvious, but what is your medium? What kinds of materials and tools do you use? I love working with fabric, but I stray on occasion - such as my squashed snow globe tree ornaments. Tell me a little bit about your process, from a new idea for a piece to the finished product. I bought some fun novelty fabric with square panel pictures. I had intended to make a set of blocks with the fabric, but as I was matching up the fabric, I got the idea to make a fabric memory matching game. Each game piece is like a mini quilt with batting sandwiched between fabric. Each game comes in a coordinating drawstring bag. I am a high school math teacher and I was very excited about creating a game that helped build children's reasoning skills. Any advice for aspiring artists/crafters in your medium? Save your scraps - you never know when they will come in handy. Any business advice for artists/crafters just starting to sell their work? If you like to write, start a blog - it is a great way to track the progress of your business as well as sharing your latest creations with the world. Are there other websites where we can find you/your work? Blog: http://newenglandquilter.blogspot.com Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/newenglandquilter/ Artfire: http://newenglandquilter.artfire.com/ Tell me a little bit about an artist you admire. Val of Valeriesgallery is an artist that I admire. I love the artwork she creates by felting. Over the past year, she has challenged herself and has created truly one of a kind pieces. She also has added many products to her shop besides bowls and vases. She has added felted balls for teething toddlers. My son has two and he loves them! She also has ventured into creating pony holders, bangles, and brooches. My favorite vase made by Val in my home is a crimson colored felted vase with a snowman. She is also a very sweet lady who has become a friend.