You already know that I took an excellent class with Cheryl Brickey at the North Carolina Quilt Symposium recently. She kindly agreed to an interview, as well.
Cheryl and me with the partially completed quilt I designed and made in class
Cheryl has written a book and numerous patterns; all are available on her website. She is an engineer and works 3 days a week writing patent applications for high-tech textiles used in things like tires and military applications. On top of all that, she has two children and a very busy life, so I asked for her top time management tip. Her answer: “Don’t have any [time].” She explained that, because her time is so limited, she knows exactly what she needs to do when she enters her studio and gets right to it.
Cheryl’s book, which she wrote with her friend Paige Alexander
Cheryl started quilting when her children were small. She had always been involved in crafts, but started making quilts because it was something that “stayed done”, unlike the dishes, the laundry, etc. I think we can all understand that! She says she read somewhere that a woman should do something every day that can’t be undone. Both she and I have searched extensively for that quotation without finding it, so I think we’ll just attribute it to Cheryl! Anyway, quilting meets that need for her.
Cheryl identifies “modern traditional” as her style of quilting, and you can see what she means from the pictures below of some of her designs.
Samples for Cheryl’s class on minimalism in design
She blogs at Meadow Mist Designs, where she has just announced her next free mystery quilt.
Click here to be taken to Cheryl’s blog, where you can read about her mystery quilt
This mystery quilt will start in July of this year and run through April of 2020. She will post a new set of directions the first Thursday of each month.
Cheryl says there is a non-mystery option, and about 25% of those who sign up for the mystery quilt elect to get a picture of the finished product from the outset! (This meets her “engineer need”, she says.) The only caveat is that those who elect to see the design from the beginning have to keep the secret so as not to ruin it for others.
Cheryl was a delight to meet and interview. Her workshop and lecture were very well organized and presented.
Here are two of my favorite patterns from Cheryl, because who can resist pretty pictures?
You can check her out here.
Zippy Quilts 
I’ve enjoyed Cheryl’s designs for a while, and it was fun to see an interview with her here on your blog. She’s also so lovely in person.
Thanks. I enjoyed meeting her.
Thanks so much for the wonderful post. It was great meeting you and I look forward to seeing your finished quilt!
You will definitely be seeing the finished quilt. I’ve entered it in the Asheville guild show for starters 🙂
Thank you for this post. I will be checking out these blogs.
Cheryl is another teacher worth taking a class with, and I believe she’s teaching at QuiltCon in Austin 😀
I was just looking at the instructors and was going to ask you for recommendations. 😊
I haven’t looked yet but will do so
I do not know any of these instructors, so I would appreciate your input. I read about Cheryl Brickey and I am interested.
Thanks for the info.
Fabulous designs! Oh and you two look fabulous! Love your hair!
Thanks!
I’ve been experimenting with this ‘floating block’ style of piecing like your first photo. I love the effect but I haven’t quite reconciled my aversion to so many visible seams as a result of that piecing. How do you feel about that – perhaps it is minimized after it is quilted?
I don’t mind the seams, though I expect the straight line quilting will minimize them. I once took a landscape class with Georgia Bonesteel, and she had us make the quilt in small vertical segments so all the fabric would be cut on the straight grain. The multiple seams are not noticeable in that quilt, so maybe it will be OK in this one.
I love that she gives the option to see the finished quilt in a mystery quilt along. Of course it is no longer a mystery, but it would still be fun to quilt along. (Evey mystery I’ve done would have been improved by knowing the end result when making fabric choices.)
And I love the idea of doing something that can’t be undone every day!