Meet
Sherry Bonnice
the author of
Spring Serenade
by Jack Braunstein
"Don't take the time to make anything unless you
absolutely love it," Sherry Bonnice's friend once told her. Although this
advice was only casually stated, it left a deep impression upon Sherry. Over
time, it would steer her creative path in a new direction.
"I used to arbitrarily pick a project to make in
whatever craft I was working on at the time, but soon everything I
considered making went through a critical filtering system that included the
'BIG' question: Do I absolutely love it?" While working on Spring Serenade:
A Harmony of Wool & Cotton Appliqué Projects-the answer was an even bigger,
resounding "YES!" It's no wonder that Sherry's second choice for the title
of her book was These Are a Few of My Favorite Things.
Sherry feels indebted to her mother for teaching her
to sew at the age of 10. Today, she acknowledges that her mom's own creative
work inspired her to explore sewing all kinds of projects, including stuffed
animals, Teddy bears, and heirloom clothing for miniature and full-size
porcelain dolls. It wasn't until she was an adult that she made her first
quilt, a four-block sampler which she stitched by hand. As happens with so
many stitchers soon after they are introduced to quiltmaking, Sherry was
hooked.
In 1978,
Sherry started applying her friend's advice to her career by making a slight
modification: "Don't take the time to work at a job unless you absolutely
love it." That was when she started a business selling porcelain dolls and,
years later, designing and selling her original quilt patterns. The
experience she achieved prepared her for the next job she loved-working as a
writer of patterns and feature articles on the editorial team here at Chitra
Publications. Being surrounded by and thinking about beautiful quilts all
day was all the inspiration she needed to produce the quilted projects you
will find in Spring Serenade: A Harmony of Wool & Cotton Appliqué Projects.
It's a delightful book inspired by and filled with
the animals and flowers she tends in real life. That's because Sherry, her
husband and their children live in a log cabin on a dirt road outside the
quiet town of Montrose, Pennsylvania with their menagerie of animals,
including five dogs, 14 (when she last counted) rabbits, a sheep, and a
goat. The friendly appliqué bear in her book was her rendition of the real
one who makes occasional visits to her property, but you can treat yourself
to an extended stay simply by immersing yourself in the dreamy projects of
Spring Serenade. You'll absolutely love it!
Sherry's book
Spring Serenade is available in our online Quilt Shop. Click on the
book title above or call us toll-free at (800)628-8244 to place your order.
To view the quilts found in this book, visit Sherry's
Spring Serenade Gallery.
Back to Current Meeting
Place.
|
The Meeting
Place
