Meet
Diane Albeck-Grick
It's a familiar story: "She was an overnight success...
after many years of hard work." No matter how talented a person is, earning
recognition for one's work is part of the creative struggle. This holds true
in the quilt world though it still manages to be an especially personable
industry. So quilters who market their services and products must be
talented, diligent, and willing to persevere. Diane Albeck-Grick, who has
demonstrated all these traits, feels another reason is absolutely essential.
"You've got to be quilting because you love it," she says. "If you're doing
it for the right reason, you will never be disappointed."
Diane got her start by rescuing several quilt tops
and by making quilts with antique fabrics that she discovered on her
Grandfather Squier's farm. From the time Diane was a child, she spent many
happy days with her Grandpa on his farm nestled in the heart of the Endless
Mountains. The utility quilts under which she slept at his house left a
wonderful impression. "My sister and I spread these quilts--made
by an anonymous family member--out on the hardwood
floor. Then we'd make up stories about what ghost might be living in the
attic."
But it would be vintage fabrics, blocks, and a set
of unfinished quilt tops from Grandpa's farm that would set the direction of
her creative life forever. She finished the quilts and made others from the
vintage fabrics and hand quilted them all. That was when she decided to
write Quilts from Squier Lane (Chitra Publications, 2003), a pattern book of
10 traditional quilts. Picking up on the idea, P&B Textiles went on to
produce a line of reproduction fabric based on the vintage ones Diane found
on the farm. Quilts from Squier Lane Fabrics is also a fabric line that is
now available at your local quilt shop.
"This attention has been hard to take because
I was brought up to be humble," Diane admits. Perhaps her Grandpa's
influence explains why she persists in being a very private quilter who
doesn't even belong to a guild. "I just like to do my own thing," she adds.
Because "her own thing" also happens to be doing what she loves, everything
else has fallen into place.
To order Diane's book, go to
Quilts from Squier Lane
right here at QuiltTownUSA.com.
Lampshade Lucy (49" X 67") Block size (10" X
11")
This charming quilt was one of three unfinished quilt
tops that I found tucked away in Grandpa' Farmhouse. Although I don't know
who made it, I believe the maker was fairly new to applique as Sue's curves
appear to have been simplified.
 Ohio
Star (69" X 82") Block size (9" square)
The last quilt I rescued from Grandpa's farmhouse was
an Ohio Star which was found folded up in the back of the closet. Long
before I knew of its existence, the quilt had been damaged beyond repair.
Water marks are present as well as several holes created by hungry mice. I
was inspired to take it home and stitch "Ohio Star Crib Quilt", a close
replica using reproduction fabrics which I carefully matched to each block
of the original quilt.
 Squier
Scraps a Tumblin' (37 1/2 " X 42 1/2")
Using some of the first vintage fabrics that I
discovered hiding in Grandpa's house, I pieced this quilt. The name is
appropriate as the old scraps seemd to keep "tumbling" out from unexpected
places. Ninety-five different prints ranging from the 1930's-1960's comprise
this charm quilt.
Past Profiles:
- Bonnice,
Sherry
- Boyer, Lisa
- Brooks, Kathleen Rindal
- Caffrey, Debbie
- Campbell, Elsie
- Craig, Sharyn
- Etzel, Wendy
- Feece, Debra
- Feteris-Stam, Els
- Hearn, Deborah
- Hurlburt, Gwen
- Hutson, Glendora
- Jones, Lila Lee
- Koval, Mary
- Libal, Joyce
- Neuringer, Miriam
- Roy, Gerald
- Stapel, Jane Clark
- Tims, Ricky
- Turner, Jayne
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The Meeting
Place
