Designer Showcase: Barb Gaddy

SewCalGal is delighted to share insights today with you about Barb Gaddy, a very creative quilter.  Her designs are are perfect to decorate your home, as well as to make for a gift.    

Her applique' designs are written for machine applique', but you could easily adapt for traditional applique if that is your preference.  She also has many beautiful pieced quilt designs, as well as designs that are AccuQuilt GO! compatible.

While you may know Barb by way of her blog (Bejeweled Quilts), to help get to know her better SewCalGal asked her a few questions to share insights with you today:



How long have you been sewing/quilting/designing?

When I was in high school I made a majority of my clothes and all my clothes for college.  My mother and sisters would hand quilt but I never took it up.  It wasn't until I went to a friend's home and saw all her lovely quilts that I became interested.  At this time, I received a quilt top from my mother that my grandmother had made for me.  I started practicing my hand stitching so I could quilt the top.   

Then one day I decided to make a quilt for my bed, quilts were so expensive and we were right out of college with five babies, so I gathered all my scraps from clothes, drew up my own design and went to work.

I made a few baby quilts but it wasn't until my youngest son turned 12 that I felt lost, he didn't need me anymore.  I had to redefine myself and so I dived into quilting. 

I'm self taught, with help from my family.  It has been fun to be able to share this interest with my mother and sisters.  There are actually five of us that quilt (my mother, three sisters and myself).  My mother hand quilts, Margaret has a longarm, Jeanette owns a store (Inchworm Fabrics) and Beverly has begun to quilt in the last ten years.  

 What else would you like others to know about you?

I don't consider myself a professional, I am just a person that likes to create, the joy of watching something take shape and completing the idea.  My greatest satisfaction in life is making something from nothing and maybe have someone enjoy making it too.

How do your designs come to life (e.g. do you sketch, do you use EQ7 to design, etc)?

Some of you will shake your head when I tell you this but I get out construction paper or poor fabrics and just start arranging them how I think they will look.  I might have a crude draft, I am not very good at drawing but I can draw simple things. 

What are your favorite colors?

My favorite colors are BRIGHT

Do you have a favorite tool  or product to recommend?

I use Steam A Seam like toilet paper and when I run out it is drastic!

Designer Gallery:

Barb's designs can be found at InchWorm Fabrics, Bejeweled Quilts on ETSY (where you'll find more patterns, kits, fabrics, and quilted items for sale), as well as more recently on Craftsy.  Soon, her AccuQuilt GO! compatible designs should also be available at AccuQuilt.com.  Barb is a very creative designer who has only brought a small number of her designs to market so far, but SewCalGal hopes to see many more in the future.  They are all cute and make for wonderful items to decorate your home, as well as give as a gift.

Here are some of Barb's designs that are available on Craftsy.  These designs range in size from mug rugs to full size quilts.  And, they are are all reasonably priced from $1.99 to $8.00 per design.

Turtle Tranquility quilt 42" x 52"	Round Christmas Tree Topper	Court Jester quilt 32 1/2" x 32 1/2" {perfect for a baby quilt}
Tulips and Tumblers Quilt 81" x 61 1/2"	Sunshine Topper	Can't See the Forest for the Trees runner
Wonky Christmas Trees	April Showers Table Topper	Kitchen Corner
Reindeer Games	Enchanted Christmas Tree Runner	All You Need is Love
Bird Splash (bundle of two designs for a wallhanging and a round table topper)	Round Tumbler Topper	Irish Luck (round) table topper
Spoken Hearts table topper	Round Valentines Topper	Toilet Tank and Lid topper pattern
Dancing Flowers table topper	Gobble Gobble Table Topper	***new design coming soon***

FREEBIE:

Barb also has a fun design that is currently available for free on Craftsy.



This yummy project is absolutely perfect to decorate your home, or to make for a gift.   If you do not yet have a free account on Craftsy, simply create your account and you can go thru the steps on Craftsy to purchase this pattern (for free) and download a PDF pattern: Apple Applique' Hot Pad and Kitchen Towel pattern

SewCalGal thinks this design would make for an absolutely wonderful gift for many situations, including:

• special thank you to a teacher
• newlyweds or new homeowners
• hostess gifts, perfect for summer BBQ
• Thinking of you gifts!

SewCalGal really loves Barb's designs and hope you do too!