Emolyn Wilson...my favorite sister!

Oh, my goodness! I have LOVED reading all about everyone! Thanks for sharing.

I am introducing my sister, Emolyn Wilson. Actually, I will let her introduce herself in an email she sent to me:

Dear Mardie,

     As I think back I can hardly remember a time when I wasn't surrounded by fabrics, either my Mothers or my own.  My Mother used to sew almost all my clothes for school and church as well as for herself and my sister Mardie.  I know she sewed stuff for our 3 brothers, but not as much as for us girls.  She used to have a great stash of fabric and my Father put up a sign that said, "She who dies with the most fabric wins!"  I've seen that sign in the homes of other seamstresses as well.  

     I used to sew for my children (3 girls, two boys) until I realized that it was often less expensive to buy off the rack as prices of patterns and fabric climbed . . . .and climbed!  Then I sewed for special events like lots of Prom dresses, vests and cumberbuns and bow-ties for the boys, 3 beaded and pearled wedding dresses, grand-baby blessing outfits, costumes, etc.  (I even made a baby quilt for Mardie's first baby Jacob and darn if someone in her University apartment didn't steal it right off the laundry room line!  You'll have to ask her the story.😢)

     All along the years my stash grew as well and I started thinking about quilts as a way to use the fabric.  I also started ordering quilt books.  I love the feel and look of all sorts of fabrics.  Fabric stores and books stores were my greatest shopping temptations.  Lately I seem to find some nice quilting fabric at garage sales of all places.     

     I look forward to getting to know all of you.  I feel like I already know you a little as I've been stalking your blog for a few years now just to keep an eye on Mardie.  Hers and your quilts have been amazing!  

     This will be "sew" much fun!

Emolyn Wilson

Emolyn, and her husband Gordon, have 5 children and (Oh, this will tax my brain...) 15 grandchildren? (Oh, oh... I hope I am right!) They have served several LDS missions. Bolivia as mission president and Argentina as president of the MTC. She collects Teddy Bears and Nativity sets.

I love her dearly. She is amazing.
Welcome, Emolyn!

(I forgot to ask her for a recent picture... I was going to find an old one to embarrass her, but my photo library is failing me.)

Hello there!

So I thought I would add my own introduction to the others that have been made.  My name is Amy C. and I currently live in a small village just south of Zurich, Switzerland.  We have lived here for over 15 years and it just keeps getting better and better. I am the mother to 5 kids, ranging in age from 17 to 8. 

This is us in Utah this fall making a quick visit to see family. I am lucky to be a full-time stay at home mom, although for the past few years I have been working one morning a quarter up at the school checking the kids for lice. :)

My first sewing class was in Mrs. Allen's Home Economics class in 7th grade.  Half the year we sewed, the other half we cooked.  I made a skirt and got an A+ on it, then went on to sew a couple more skirts through my high school years, but then completely stopped.  When my oldest daughter was about to turn 8 I sewed her a baptism dress as we were living in a country that didn't have that sort of thing available anywhere and ordering one online was too expensive and risky.

My friend helped me cut out the pattern pieces, and then I sewed the thing together on my $100 sewing machine I bought to sew on cards. (I am a huge paper crafter as well.)  Here it is being worn by the third girl. Pretty soon I was sewing lots of clothes for my daughters as all the "cute" clothes available in the stores didn't come in their sizes anymore.

I learned lots of things by watching vidoes on Youtube made by talented ladies who didn't mind sharing their skills with the rest of us.  That morphed into watching quilting videos and I decided to just make each of my kids a quilt for their beds, which I did and quilted them on my home machine because no way was I paying someone to quilt them for me.  Then I made a quilt for my husband, then one for me, and then I was buying fabric like a crazy person and sewing quilts just for the fun of it.  I will occasionally give a baby quilt away, and have even sold a couple, but there are more just sitting there waiting for who knows what.  I also still sew lots of clothing for my kids.

I was super excited when I was invited to join this quilting group as I had been following the blog for a while, admiring all the beautiful creations and the skill that was involved.  It has been so fun to receive those fat little envelopes in the mail filled with fabric-y goodness and know that I "have" to go spend some time in my sewing room. haha!

When I am not sewing, I am usually reading a book,  or making cards.  In between housework, taxi duty, and other responsibilities of course. Oh, and I do cross-stitch, but that seems to come and go in stages.  Sometimes I feel like it, sometimes I don't.  But I never get rid of crafting supplies, I might use it someday! :)

Je m'appelle Emily

Bonjour!



I've been in 12squared since 2011. I have been sewing since 1981. Wow... I'm getting old. 

I have four kids and I live in Logan, UT. I have also lived in Alabama, Nebraska, Tennessee, Missouri, & Arkansas. I served an LDS mission in Belgium. My degree is in Family & Consumer Sciences. I have worked in a couple costume shops, which is fun. I love making gifts for people (my kids and each of my 10 nieces and nephews have a quilt I made them). I love sewing. I prefer modern fabrics and designs. I also do stained glass. Laughing is my favorite. And eating popcorn. I hope to go on a cruise to Alaska with my husband soon.

I just became a coordinator for Ryan's Case for Smiles, which is a non-profit that gives pillowcases to children in the hospital with life-changing illnesses. I am excited to be a part of it! I'm also the designer for a company called LDS Greats.

Looking forward to sewing with you ladies this year!

Hi. I'm Mardie... I am addicted to fabric.

My story goes back a long time. I think I can blame my mother... you know the kind. She had a wall in the basement that had shelves full of fabric. I think her motto was, "The one with the most fabric, WINS!" She sewed our clothes. She braided rugs. She used a large loom to weave strips of wool into long rag-rugs that we sewed into an entire carpet.

Now, I have a room full of fabric... and machines.  I have fallen in love with quilting. Especially now that I am able to machine quilt to finish them. I started with my speciality, "Stitch-in-the-vicinity-of-the-ditch." Then my daughter encouraged me to try freestyle quilting. I loved it. Then, my husband gave me a "mid-arm" quilting machine! I think he loves me!

I am wife to 1, mother to 5, mother-in-law to 4, grandmother to 13 (on earth). We live in Little Rock, Arkansas. Three of our married children and 11 of our grandchildren live within 15 minutes of us. Are we blessed or what! Our youngest is a student at BYU-I and a daughter lives in Nampa, Idaho with her 2 boys and husband.

I also love gardening. I just took a tour around the yard today. There are daffodils up and some of our azaleas are blooming! The trees are budding. The grass is still brown.

I love music. I am the choir director at church.

I love traveling. We get the "itch" to travel often.

Being an active member of the Mormon church takes up the rest of my time.
   Now, let's hear from the rest of the group. Welcome to 12squared!

Mardie