Wichita MQG

Quilter of the Month

Jo Oliver agreed to be our first "Quilter of the Month" and was interviewed by C.J. Standifer. C.J. wrote this informative piece so that we can all get to know Jo a bit better.

JO OLIVER

WMQG

Quilter of the Month

February 2017

What is your full name?

Jo Oliver

Do you have any nicknames?

My son nicknamed me Moeshae when he was in grade school. It stuck. When I make quilts

for my children I sign them Moeshae and the year.

When did you start quilting?

In 1979 I copied a full size quilt that I saw in a department store. Then a dry spell for 3

decades. I ignited my current passion in the fall of 2011.

What made you start quilting? Inspiration?

I’ve always been a little “artsy.” I feel better when I’m creating

something. Quilting/crafting/sewing has been my therapy long before someone coined

the phrase “quilting is my therapy”.

Did someone teach you to quilt? Are you self-taught?

I took the mandatory sewing class in 9^th grade, sewing mostly garments. Five and a half

years ago I took a basic quilting class. Followed by 2 free motion quilting classes.

How much time do you spend quilting in a week?

On average I’d say 15 to 20 hours

Favorite batting? Favorite Thread? Favorite fabric? Etc.

Quilters Dream Select. Aurifil. Solid cottons.

Favorite quilt shop?

I like the Quilt Cottage in Hays, my home town. They have every color of Kona in the store.

However, most of my fabric is from local shops.

What type of machine do you use?

I sew and quilt on a Pfaff Quilt Expression 4.0. True story, my car was totaled in a hail storm

in spring 2012, right after my dad died. Not emotionally ready to find a new car, I accepted a

check from my insurance company. That check was all I needed to buy my Pfaff, a work

station and a chair. I drove my totaled car for 2 more years.

Describe where you sew.

Our downstairs bedroom has been converted to my studio. The room is approximately
12’x11’. I have a 6’x5’ design wall fixed to the wall. My machine sits in a 40”x60” table, the
top being 35” high. The open closet stores my stash. My small scraps are sorted by color
and stored in plastic, shoe box bins. Larger scraps are in bins on shelves. I’m organized,
yet every now and then I have to stop everything and tidy things up a bit. It’s easy to just
lay something down and plan to take care of it later.

What's your environment like when you sew?

Most of the time I work in quiet. However, there are times I crank up Pandora radio.

Describe your stash.

I don’t have much of a stash. What I have is leftovers from projects.

Do you have a favorite quilt that you've made? Why?

Probably the Pod Quilt (2015) pictured below. It won a blue ribbon at the 2016 PQG Quilt
Show. I love the design, the colors and the quilting. It’s probably the best quilt I have made.

Do you have a favorite quilter? Why?

Not really. Although I must say that while I was developing my FMQ skills I was heavily
influenced my Lori Kennedy and Hillary Florence.

What are your goals in regards to quilting in 2017?

I want to improve my machine binding technique. I also want to create a quilt inspired by
something I see in the world. I’ve got something in mind and have the pattern somewhat
worked out. That’s all I’m going to say. You’ll have to wait for the reveal at a meeting yet
to come. And, this is a big and, if I think it’s worthy I will submit it for Quiltcon.

Do you have any UFO's? If so, how many?

No UFOs. I work on a project until it’s done. And, I seldom have more than one project
going at the same time.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

Quilts online and in magazines. Logos on television, signs, billboards, etc. the world around
me.

What happens to most of your quilts?

Most of my quilts have been gifted.

What advice would you give to a novice quilter?

Get to know and love your machine. Perfect your ¼” seam. Close enough is not close
enough. But most of all, “You are exactly where you need to be to get to where you are
going.”

Is there anything else we should know about you?

I sew barefoot.

Jo’s first quilt (2011)