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Meet
Gwen Hurlburt

My creative work took a turn when by bear "Bertha" spoke to me.

My husband Harry and I love to travel with our two dogs in our camper. Forgetting about freeways and urban areas, we go on extended trips exploring our country's back roads. It's no big deal if I forget to pack toothbrushes and underwear, but I'm in big trouble if I don't pack my husband's nature books about geology, flowers, trees, birds, cacti, and even weeds. When I pack for myself, you can be sure I always remember to prepare and take along several plastic bags filled with pre-cut pieces for my traditional quilts. Each bag is equipped with its own scissors, thread, and needle case so I can grab one to work on at  a moment's notice and go sit in a lounge chair  at some spot during our trip.

I made a few quilts during the 1970s but was so fascinated by teddy bears that I created more than a hundred of them during the 1980s. Each was one-of-a-kind, composed of all kinds of materials and in different sizes and designs. I say "were" because I've given most of them away. Some were only a couple of inches tall; others sat in chairs. My creative work took a turn when by bear "Bertha" spoke to me. Well, you know what I mean. It was as if she said, "I'm cold. Would you make me a Bear's Paw quilt?" So of course I did. But then the other bears got jealous. To keep the growling down, I made many, many more quilts. I designed them to match the size of the particular bear and used the pattern that each bear had "requested."

In the 1990s, I made nearly 40 Raggedy Ann and Andy cloth dolls in all kinds of designs and sizes. As you might have guessed, each doll also needed a matching quilt. This sure kept me busy. What I soon discovered was that making miniature quilts allowed me to have the pleasure of trying many different patterns and to design accompanying sashing and borders. Miniatures are also more practical for me because there's no more room on my walls or beds to display full-size quilts. I have many miniature quilts at various stages of production so I'm never at a loss for something that fits my mood or circumstances. Besides the ones that actually are in progress, I have 20 or more that are "in the hopper."

I love the colors and the small motifs of the 1930s reproduction fabrics, which I now use exclusively. I've increasingly enjoyed working with traditional patterns; each one has a story to tell. Grandmother's Flower Garden, Dresden Plate, Tumbling Blocks, and Apple Core are some of my favorites. I've found that when I talk to men about quilts, they don't know one quilt pattern from another so they are more interested in the patterns they can easily recognize such as Baskets, Fans, and Sailboats. But once they learn about the history or meaning of an abstract pattern such as the Log Cabin, Bear's Paw, or Delectable Mountains, their interest perks up. That's also when they begin to regard my project as more than a hobby that involves sewing pieces of fabric together.

My home state is Montana, but today my husband and I live in Oregon. Harry is not only the "spark of my life," but also the best critic of my work. For every project I work on, he comes up with a "choice comment," one that's sometimes humorous but always encouraging.

Gwen's new pattern book Those Fabulous '30s: Sweet Little Quilts to Brighten Your Day is now available. You can view the above quilts and the rest of the quilts from this book in full-size by visiting Gwen's Those Fabulous '30s Gallery.

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