Howdy folks! So this post was supposed to go up on Monday, but I am on vacation and got a little bit behind. These contestants are amazing individuals, and I hope you enjoy getting to know them, and why they sew. Their first sewing projects will be revealed on Monday August 11, when voting opens. The Challenge is “Nautical.” If you follow the #sewvivor hashtag on instagram, there are many sneak peaks already! And don’t forget- if you’d like to sew along with these contestants for fun, share on instagram with #sewvivorsewalong and #sewvivor!
My name is Jade Prosser. I am a mum to three little ones and really, they are my everything. My hubbie and I have been married 12 years and plan to drive each other nuts for several dozen more. My mum was a seamstress and I grew up very aquatinted with sewing but didn’t start to quilt until I was pregnant with my 1st child, about 9 years ago. My first quilt was a ridiculously ambitious lonestar and as a self-taught quilter, I barely knew what I was doing. It’s definitely not the best quality, but I keep it around as a reminder of how far I’ve come on my quilting journey. Baby two came along and I made baby quilts for each, and started many WIPs, and gave away many baby quilts for others over the years. But looking back, I would say that I didn’t truly become a quilter, really, until 2 years ago, when I stopped liking what everyone else around me liked and started to listen to what called to me. And what I learned is that I am a modern quilter, with a good dose of traditional mixed in and I LOVE color. I also learned that my best design work comes from challenging myself, and that is why I am here. Regardless of how far I go, I will definitely be following along, challenging myself each step of the way, and cheering each of you along. And it’s going to be a blast!!!!
instagram: @nyc_christopher
I’m Christopher, Chris, or as my late granny used to call me Chrissy (but let’s keep that between us). I’m from a very small town in Southern Virginia and have lived in several cities over the years from Atlanta to San Francisco and now NYC. I work in the corporate offices for a very famous American clothing brand best known for their jeans, khakis, and t-shirts placing merchandise and styling mannequins for each season.
I grew up in a traditional quilting family and before I could walk and talk, I was playing under a quilt frame. My great granny was my first exposure to a quilt guild and between her, my great aunts, and my granny–I learned to sew and quilt. As the years passed, I continued tinkering with crafts, quilting, and other odd-and-in creative endeavors. I graduated high school, college, and took a break from any sort of hobby to pursue my career in fashion. The years passed and it wasn’t until recently did I realize that my passion for quilting needed to be revisited. I started back small, making a quilt with my mom during Christmas to give as gifts. I then went on to participate in a craft fair and made quite a few flying geese pillows (you may or may not have seen one on my blog). After that, it became my healthy obsession to jump back, head first, into the world of quilting. I realized that I loved the more modern side of our community and honestly, it’s been on my mind non-stop since then!! I purchased my first grown up sewing machine and have been working late at night and on the weekends to create interesting quilts inspired by the world around me–art, music, and fashion. Of course, there’s a nod to my traditional roots thrown in there too!! I love challenging myself to think outside the box and while it’s been hard–not worry about perfection. I’m excited about this journey we’re embarking on and can’t wait to see what we all create!! Here’s to #sewvivor season 3!! Cut, Sew, Repeat…
instagram: @sewinlovequilting
My name is Amy Harward. My husband, Tobby, and I have been married for 11 years and are parents to three spunky kids: Lily (6), Zoey (4), and Reuben (2). I love being able to stay home with the kiddos and play all day! I am a Mormon and love being involved in serving my friends, neighbors, and community. I started sewing in 2010, after my second child was born. I really wanted her to have a blankie that she could drag around the house with her. So, I told my mom I wanted to make a quilt and she laughed at me. I had never used a sewing machine in my life and she found it funny that I would pick a quilt for my first sewing experience. With her help and with the help of the internet I finished a simple block quilt for Zoey (and her sister while I was at it). About a year later, I made a baby quilt for my newborn son. And then life happened and I did not have the time or energy to quilt. Fast forward to last summer, and I had a problem. I had decided to make a quilt for my brother’s wedding gift, and I chose to make a Swoon quilt. I had never actually done the quilting on a quilt, and my favorite long-arm quilter was not able to quilt a baptist fan (I really had my heart set on that particular quilting design). I decided, “Hey, I can do this!” and taught myself how to quilt a beautiful baptist fan design. It started there as an obsession to get my desired results, and it quickly turned into love. I love learning, growing, evolving, and challenging myself to try new things!
blog: www.MarciGirlDesigns.com
instagram: @marci_girl
My name is Marci Debetaz, but online I am known as Marci Girl (a nickname my husband gave me when we first met). I am a very blessed stay at home mom to two little boys (6 and 2.5 years old) both of which are quite the handful, but I love it that way (or what choice do I have!) My husband and I met in college 15 years ago, and just celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary. We live in a 100+ year old Cajun Acadian style home in Lafayette, LA in the heart of Cajun Country!
I have a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design, am an Artist and have been making things for as long as I can remember. I started sewing around the age of 9 or 10 and thanks to my wonderful mother, who is a seamstress and quilter, I was taught so many skills from her at a tender young age, for which I am very thankful for. I never really stopped sewing, but became NUTS about it after the birth of my first son, when I stumbled across fabric designed by Anna Maria Horner, and the rest is history. At first I concentrated on making handbags, baby items and clothing, but in the past 4 years I picked up the quilting bug and have been obsessed ever since. I wouldn’t say that I have a “style” or favorite type of quilting because honestly I love it all, trying new techniques, honing my skills and just learning as much as I can.
I look forward to “meeting” all the other contestants and sewing up a storm during the next few weeks! Bring it on Season 3! I’m a Sewvivor!
instagram: @euphoria_jessica
My name is Jessica Prosper-Bohannon but am know in the social media world as Euphoria. I’m a 30-something San Diego native recently transplanted to Portland, OR with my husband of 11 years, raising our darling 10 year old daughter. I’m a Human Resources Manager by day and have been in the Staffing/HR industry for 14 years. I love love love my job!
I started quilting when I was preggo with my baby girl. I really wanted to make her something special so I took a quilting class at church and it boomed from there. I enjoy seeing my growth as a quilter where I now feel I have developed my own “style”. Bold, funky, fun, scrappy and whimsical is how I describe it. I aim for outside of the box and strive for being “me” within my work. When I’m not sewing I’m with the two loves of my life being silly, watching movies, exploring Portland, and eating out (I hate cooking SO much). Random tidbits: I adore Alice in Wonderland, I collect fabric (duh), favorite color is black, and slapstick comedies all the way!
blog: www.youngtexanmama.com
instagram: @youngtexanmama
My name is Hilary. My fiance, Jeff, and I have been together for 4 years and we are the proud parents to our adorable 3 year old William. We currently live in the big city of Houston, TX and I am a member of the Houston Modern Quilt Guild.
I double majored in English Lit. & History at Texas A&M University and I have been sewing for 10 years. My sewing had always been here and there, not consistent by any means. I would make a Halloween costume, then put the machine in the closet and not see it for months, make a bag, put it away etc… It wasn’t until after I had my munchkin that I started sewing more consistently, and then I went to QuiltCon in 2012 and instantly became hooked on quilting. I am completely self taught, well and internet taught lol, so I love learning new things and techniques.
I double majored in English Lit. & History at Texas A&M University and I have been sewing for 10 years. My sewing had always been here and there, not consistent by any means. I would make a Halloween costume, then put the machine in the closet and not see it for months, make a bag, put it away etc… It wasn’t until after I had my munchkin that I started sewing more consistently, and then I went to QuiltCon in 2012 and instantly became hooked on quilting. I am completely self taught, well and internet taught lol, so I love learning new things and techniques.
blog: http://blog.pennydog.com
instagram: @pennydog
I’m Kerry Wilkinson aka PennyDog Patchwork. I’m in my late 20s and live right in the middle of the UK with my husband-to-be (we get married in Alberta, Canada on September 28th, just after our 11th anniversary) and our two dogs, Gwen the greyhound and Hank our English Pointer puppy. I’ve been blogging for over six years now and seriously quilting for 2 1/2 of them. My blog is named after Penny, my very first greyhound and I have previously been known for making resin jewelery, then I had a stint as Trufflepiglet, a chocolate business and I’ve now settled on the less demanding and more leisurely activity of quilting which is much more relaxing. I am a regular contributor to several UK sewing magazines, most notably Popular Patchwork. I used to edit Popular Crafts magazine a few years ago too and I loved that job. Nowadays I work full time in marketing for an exhibition company. The commute is an hour each way, but Hank ensures I’m up early enough to get some sewing done before I’m out the door.
instagram: @thequiltingmill
Hi everyone! My name is Barbie Mills. I’m so excited to be a part of Sewvivor! I’m from Ohio originally and now live with my husband and three kids in northern Utah. I studied Family and Consumer Science at Brigham Young University after which I taught high school for one year and junior high for six years. I’ve been sewing since I was four years old and made my first quilt when I was 16. I got much more into quilting in 2006, started machine quilting after I quit teaching in 2011 and purchased my longarm machine just over a year ago. I stay home with my kids now and quilt for others in my “spare” time. I’m a member of the Salt Lake Modern Quilt Guild and the Salt Lake/Ogden Longarm Guild. I’ve been known to eat Nutella with a spoon.
blog: www.gnomeangel.com
instagram: @gnomeangel
Just a small town girl… living in a lonely world… Ok, so maybe not lonely, but I am from a beautiful place in Far North Queensland currently living in the Capital of Australia; Canberra. (And now you have Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’’” stuck in your head, right? You’re welcome!) I’ve been sewing and quilting for nearly 3 years and I look at fabric the same way Dean Winchester looks at his Impala – it’s lust baby, pure lust. (I also look at Dean Winchester that way… is that TMI?) I’m still learning and having fun – my quilting style is in constant evolutionary flux (which is code for – I do a lot of unpicking). I have a fabulous support crew on every project; my wonderful husband and our two year old son (their quilting style is to cause havoc and then run from the sewing room with manic laughter). I believe the backs of my patchwork tops are like sausages – you don’t want to see how they’re made you just want to enjoy the end product!
instagram: @2littleausbirds
Hi, My name is Crystal McGann of Two Little Aussie Birds. I have been sewing since Methuselah was a boy and took up quilting about 7 years ago. This year has been amazing, my quilting and blog has really taken off and I released my first pattern in June (the Modern Medallion). And now, I am a contestant on Sew-vivor! Look out world!
I live in Canberra Australia, where there is quilty goodness in the water. I actually live about 15 minutes away from Angie! There is so much talent in this town, my Modern Quilt Guild provides me with endless inspiration. Plus, there is a whole contingent of us invading Quiltcon next year. Yeah baby!
My quilting style is relaxed, fun, modern, fresh and a bit cheeky. Much like myself *cough*. I can’t wait to start on my challenge pieces and see all the amazing quilty projects that you all come up with. I’m already having fun 🙂
May the odds be ever in your favour.
blog: sewlux.blogspot.com
My name is Chrissy Lux. I grew up watching my mom sew, smock, and cross-stitch, so it was only a matter of time before I got in on the action. I made my first quilt for my college dorm room and let’s just say I’ve come a long way since that first quilt about 15 years ago. Since then, I’ve sewn a bagillion totes, sorority letter shirts, quilts and more! My quilting got serious after I quit sewing letter shirts and my mom and I opened a fabric shop in our little corner of the Internet back in 2010.
I’m fortunate to be married to my best friend for 7 years. And I’m lucky enough that he understood I needed his home office for all my sewing stuff after we got married! 🙂 Ten months a year I mold the minds of America’s youth as a high school teacher & DECA Advisor. And in my spare time, I enjoy movies, college football, slinging bolts at the shop, and sewing (obviously!).
I’m thrilled to be part of this awesome group and can’t wait to sew and share the projects I’ve been sketching up for this competition!
blog: acraftyfox.net
instagram: @acraftyfox_amanda
I’m Amanda and I’ve blogged sporadically for several years. I’m much more involved (obsessed?) with Instagram where I know many of you already! The story of how I started quilting, well….
It was a dark and stormy night. Really. The night my little girl was born started me on my quilting journey. I was trapped inside during a frigid Utah winter with nothing but my sewing machine and my computer for company. So I did what any sensible new mom does and spent hours combing the internet in search of connection. When I discovered quilting blogs, I was hooked! There is so much more to quilting than the process, which I love. For me, quilting has always been about the community. This is my tribe, and I’m so thrilled to be included with all of these talented creators! My little girl now has enough quilts to build a 6,754 square foot fort, which I will surely instagram if we ever make it. And I hope to make it to round 4 and add another lap sized quilt to her pile!
instagram: @thefabricstudio
My name is Nancy Conger. I am originally from Chicago, but currently live in Nashville, TN, via some time in Boulder, CO, and Indianapolis, IN. I live in an apartment building specifically for artists, which has got a great creative energy, and I recently opened a modern fabric shop here in town (3 months ago) and also have an Etsy shop, called Nancy Jo Fabrics. I have to say, that my trip last fall to Melbourne with my Australian boyfriend was really what made me stop imagining having a store and really go for it. Everyone I met there was so passionate about going for your dreams and DOING, not just talking or dreaming. It was really life changing!. Opening the store on my own has been super scary, stressful, fun, and has given me the chance to push myself in so many different ways. Im excited to see where it all takes me.
Although I sewed a little but as a kid, I pretty much stopped for all my teen years and didnt start up again until I was in grad school in my mid-twenties. I actually went to grad school to get my MFA in Creative Writing at Naropa (a Buddhist college in Boulder) (and I did complete my degree!) but while I was working on my thesis I got the itch to do some other artist work! For some reason, on a night I couldnt sleep, i remembered a cross stitch project (of a fish!) I had as a kid, and I started searching the web for modern craft. From there I started doing some needlepoint, then got a sewing machine for graduation, and the rest is history!
Ive been making bags, quilts, aprons, and lately the occasional article of clothing, for about 6 years, and the thing I love the most about it is that it is a constantly changing craft. I love that your style can evolve every time you make a quilt and that you can constantly be learning new things. Plus obviously I’m obsessed with fabric, so that is fun too! My eventual goal is to be able to merge my writing background with my passion for sewing but for now I’m ok taking a break from writing (unless you consider text quilts writing….which i do!).
instagram: @snippets101
I’m Nicole Calver. I don’t come from a family of quilters so everything I know about quilting I learned from the internet. Like a lot of others, my desire to start quilting came with the birth of my first son. I had started my blog with the intention of using it as a journal to track my life with my little guy. And then somewhere along the way i started reading quilty blogs and thought, ” i could do that.” And so it began. I scoured forever for the perfect quilt to make my first son. I finally landed on a ticker tape quilt and fell in love. After studying (re: drooling at pictures on Flickr, this was before Pinterest and when Flickr was still good) I came to the conclusion that a ticker tape was the easiest option, you just cut squares of fabrics and Tetris them all together! No prob! I was so very wrong. Pushing a twin size quilt through the throat of my little old Kenmore, not so easy for my first time! But i finished it and love it and it was the quilt that pushed me down the slippery slope of fabric hoarding, i mean quilting!
So my life now is spent at home, quilting with my two little guys Sam (4.5) and Max (2.5), my wonderful hubby, who’s been the love of my life since we were in our teens and our dog Seven. I run a little Etsy shop where i sell quilts and things, but for the most part my day job is as a Lego Master Builder. (and Lego popper for the little guy!) Life with boys is fun!
So my life now is spent at home, quilting with my two little guys Sam (4.5) and Max (2.5), my wonderful hubby, who’s been the love of my life since we were in our teens and our dog Seven. I run a little Etsy shop where i sell quilts and things, but for the most part my day job is as a Lego Master Builder. (and Lego popper for the little guy!) Life with boys is fun!
blog: www.chelisepatterson.com
instagram: @chelisepatterson
I’m Chelise Patterson and am a self-taught sewer who got my first sewing machine just to make quilts! The very first thing I ever sewed was a huge quilt for my husband, but my genius idea was to use a down comforter in the center instead of batting. (I remember calling an aunt and asking, “Can I do that? Is it against the rules?”) That thing was a beast to machine quilt, but somehow the cheap machine and myself and the quilt survived. When my first daughter was born I started sewing clothing for her and I have never looked back. I love fashion sewing and the online fashion sewing community. I do still make quilts, specifically for my babies (I have three of them), but am a brand newbie to the quilting community. I’m looking forward to making new friends from this competition!
instagram: @callingallstitchers
My name is Linh Schilling from Columbus, Ohio. I can’t express how happy I am to be a part of this wonderful group of people. I graduated from OSU in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts and Science. I am currently working as a seamstress at the Alterations Station. I started working as the counter help 7 years ago but only sewing for 5. My first sewing machine came from my mom who got it for Christmas and didn’t know why since she didn’t sew. (Lucky me!) I made a couple of things on it but then it was put away for years and then I got industrial Juki like the ones at work to work on clothes. My quilting journey only started a little over a year ago when I came across a book at the library and found something I fell in love with. I pieced and quilted it on my Juki, it was my first experience with quilting and it taught me that quilts involved a lot of math and it introduced me to the rotary cutter and mat. At that point I didn’t have a machine with a walking foot so there was a lot of puckering and to prevent it as much as possible I would put it in the largest hoop I would find and machine quilted it one section as a time, luckily the quilt wasn’t too big. From there I did a little research online to find something modern and came across Amanda from Crazy Mom Quilts and there was no turning back. I couldn’t believe the online community out there for quilters of all sorts. It’s kind of ironic how quilting has made me so much more tech savvy. I love everything about quilting from fabric buying (who doesn’t) to hand sewing the binding and all the steps in between. Starting is always more fun then finishing but there’s nothing like a finished quilt. A quilt is like a story and there is always something new you didn’t notice before every time you revisit it and quilting is a planned organized chaos if that makes any sense.
