Meet
Sharyn Craig
 Walking up Main Street, I felt slightly apprehensive about my
upcoming interview with author and avid quilter, Sharyn Craig. After all, it is always an
honor to be visited by an artist of Sharyn's caliber. Her open smile and confident
demeanor, however, put me immediately at ease.
We began to discuss Sharyn's many successes, ranging from the popular
"What If…Design Challenge" to her eight books published by Chitra
Publications. As the interview progressed, I was impressed by Sharyn's many talents and
enthusiasm. I'm sure that you will find her answers to the following questions just as
informative and inspiring as I did.
QuiltTownUSA: What was your experience with needlework prior to quilting?
Sharyn: I began sewing doll clothes at the age of four
and went on to make my own clothes in the 9th grade. Although I majored in home economics
in college, I didn't plan to use my sewing skills professionally. I married when I was in
college and gave birth to my daughter Amy two months after graduations.
I did all sorts of crafts, from macramé and cross-stitch to needlepoint and basket
making. It wasn't until my youngest child Tommy began kindergarten that I enrolled in my
first quilting class. He started school on Monday and I started the adult education class
on Wednesday. The rest is history.
QuiltTownUSA:
Did you immediately realize that quilting was your medium?
Sharyn: Definitely! I felt this was what sewing had been
preparing me for. I didn't walk out that door after class, I floated out! At that time,
however, our instructor wasn't experienced and she learned the content on class ahead of
us. The advantage was that we mastered basics like drafting and template making because
she did not have class handouts and there weren't five billion patterns available on the
market as there are today!
QuiltTownUSA:
What was the first quilt you worked on?
 Sharyn: The instructor showed her Ohio Star quilt
and offered us the choice of making that pattern, a Churn Dash or a Shoo Fly. Everyone in
the class planned to make an Ohio Star just like hers. Of course I wasn't going to make
what everyone else did, so I chose the Shoo Fly pattern. We were to make nine blocks and
set them with sashing, cornerstones and borders. After hand piecing just three blocks, I
started looking for a quicker way and found it. I made a set of templates with seam
allowances and began cutting the pieces from two layers of fabric at a time. Since my
sewing machine was like a best friend, I machine pieced the blocks. Rather than making the
nine blocks assigned, I went ahead and made a huge 54-block quilt.
QuiltTownUSA:
When did you start to teach?
Sharyn: The very next semester I became the instructor's
assistant. I loved being able to communicate something I was really excited about. Then,
after three semesters, I knew I was ready to teach on my own. In February of 1981, I
started teaching an adult education class along with classes in quilt shops. In 1984 I
began teaching outside my local area, including at the International Quilt Festival in
Houston.
QuiltTownUSA:
How did you develop the "What If…Design Challenge" feature in Traditional
Quiltworks?
Sharyn: That's a story in itself! I subscribed to Quilting
Today, from the very first issue and liked the magazine a great deal. When I
received an envelope from the magazine's publisher after receiving the second issue, I
assumed it was a renewal notice. Being a bit annoyed that a notice would arrive so soon, I
didn't open the envelope immediately. When I finally did, I was embarrassed to find it
contained a person letter from Christiane Meunier extending my subscription for another
year absolutely free because I was a charter subscriber. My embarrassment prompted me to
send Christiane one of my patterns. I told her that I didn't want any payment for it and
if she waited a little while I would have my quilt completed for photography. I also told
her that if she waited a bit longer, there would be lots of my students' quilts as well.
Showing how my pattern served as a springboard for my students to do their own thing, it
became the first Design Challenge.
QuiltTownUSA:
Your Design Challenge inspire quilters to make something that's uniquely their own. How do
you encourage quilters to gain the confidence to create an original?
 Sharyn: It stems back to the fact that I can't
be like anybody else. For years I assumed that's the way the whole world was. Being
confident, I also assumed that's how everybody else felt about themselves. But as I
taught, I realized that this was not true. So often I heard my students say they were not
creative. I also began to realize there were some very simple steps I could share to help
develop their confidence.
I begin by showing students at least six quilts made with the same block. The quilts are
usually very different in color, setting, border and scale. Then I show them how to piece
the blocks, often sharing a special technique that makes assembling them easier and
faster. Then we use the blocks to create a unique design. Together we discover that their
quilts can look a lot different from mine just by the way they use their fabrics. Or
perhaps they'll add sashing or place the blocks on point. Once they start with these small
steps and see how little changes create a personal look for their quilts, they're ready to
take off on their own. Then I ask the important question, "What if…?"
That's when we explore different combinations of blocks and settings.
Most of all, I give students permission to be different. So many women grew up being told
they had to color inside the lines that they may not trust their instincts. So I emphasize
that there are no rules they have to follow. It's really wonderful to watch them play with
their blocks and come up with a design that satisfies them. I believe that it is a gift
that's incredibly important to share!
Sharyn is featured regularly in Traditional
Quiltworks. You can get to know her better there, and you will pick up many
helpful quilting hints along the way.
Click here to view
Books
by Sharyn.
Click here to View Sharyn's
Quilts.
Back to Current Profile.
|
The Meeting
Place
