Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Laura Fenner. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Laura, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I first learned to quilt from my mother. I grew up watching her sew. She made clothes for my siblings and me when we were younger. She created our Halloween costumes, clothes for our dolls, and all sorts of fabric crafts. It was not until I was almost out of the house that she completed her first quilt, but I watched quilting become her favorite thing to create as she had more and more grandchildren for whom to make quilts. I accompanied her to fabric stores and helped her select fabrics for her projects. Even though I did not start sewing for myself then, I learned so many of the basics from watching her.
It was not until after I graduated college, got married, and essentially started my life as an adult that I ventured into quilting. I had no job yet, only a few friends living nearby, and very little disposable income. I desperately needed a hobby to fill the surplus time, so I asked my mother to help me make a baby quilt for a friend. I had enjoyed the times I helped her choose fabrics for sewing projects and liked the idea of having a reason to do that again. Quilting felt more approachable than garment sewing, so I decided to give it a try. I completed that first quilt over a decade ago. It was a small, crib-sized quilt, pieced by machine, and quilted by hand because that was all Mom knew to teach me. Not only was she a free resource for learning to quilt, but she also supplied me with some of the required basic tools.

For context, a quilt, traditionally, is a blanket consisting of three layers; the quilt top (often made from different fabrics, cut up into smaller pieces and sewn back together in specific ways to create a design, commonly made by following a quilt pattern), batting in the middle for loft/fluff, and finally, the backing. All three layers are held together with stitching, and it is this stitching that is the quilting. Quilting can be done in a variety of ways. By hand, on a home sewing machine, or a computerized quilting machine called a longarm, are just a few examples of ways to quilt a quilt. A quilter can be anyone who enjoys any part of the quilting process. [Fun fact, many quilters don’t enjoy the actual quilting and only piece quilt tops for someone else to quilt for them.]

With every quilt I made, I tried a new technique or skill. My first quilt was five strips of fabric and a border. My second quilt was squares sewn into strips, and then into borders. Eventually, I graduated to half-square triangles. I learned raw-edge applique, then I advanced to turned-edge applique. I kept trying new and different things. The new things may not have been that much more challenging than the time before, but it was one more skill to add to my repertoire. I was eager to learn as much as I could, but in retrospect, I now realize two primary obstacles impeded my advancement for longer than they should have.
I knew I wanted to learn how to quilt on my sewing machine, instead of just by hand. I wanted to make bigger quilts than just baby- and crib-size. I was running out of babies to make quilts for, but not the desire to keep making the quilts. I knew I needed to branch out to bigger projects. I also knew it would take much longer to hand-quilt a larger quilt. I do enjoy the quilting aspect of quilt making, but I also love the cutting, piecing, and planning. The idea of having to wait until I was finished hand-quilting an entire full-size quilt before I could move on to my next project was not incredibly appealing. However, I was learning from a single individual who only knew how to hand quilt, and I was hesitant to seek out another source that had the information I wanted. Honestly, looking back I cannot understand how it took me so long to discover the answer to my question: “How do I quilt on my domestic sewing machine?”. It certainly seemed too daunting to experiment or figure out on my own, especially at that point in my quilting experience. Eventually, I found a machine-quilting class on Craftsy, “Creative Quilting with Your Walking Foot” taught by Jacquie Gering. It was the launching pad for my quilting practice. Finally being able to see someone run a “quilt sandwich” through a sewing machine made the concept so much more tangible for me, and it made all the difference. It did not answer all of the questions I had, but it gave me a firm foundation and the confidence to start “doing”. It was as though machine quilting was a missing puzzle piece that I needed in order to see a whole picture. Now that I had perspective, I had what I needed to experiment. I had the confidence to just try instead of asking how. I stopped wondering if an idea was possible, I just went for it. I’m sure it’s different for every quilter, but for me, machine quilting was the skill I needed for my artistic practice to click into place.

The second thing that inhibited my growth earlier on, is that at that time, I had a very narrow idea of what a quilt was. I was operating with the false idea that every quilt had to serve the function of a blanket. The idea of making an art quilt, wall hanging, or anything other than the traditional quilt meant to be put on a bed was non-existent to me. While I chose to dive into machine quilting, I see now that there was another equally rewarding option at my disposal. If there was not a baby in need of a crib quilt, I could have made a wall hanging. I could have made whatever I wanted to make in fabric form and then hand-quilted it. A quilt for art’s sake is just as valuable as a quilt for warmth.

Just like any craft, the more you make quilts the more you grow as a quilter. The biggest obstacles to learning my craft were the ones keeping me from performing my craft.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Laura Buller Fenner and I am a modern quilter and quilt pattern writer. I first learned to quilt in 2013 with the help of my mother, who taught me the very basics of quilting. Since then I branched out well beyond the hand-quilting she taught me, and through the online community learned the art of modern quilting. Though I have been quilting for over a decade, I only recently created Bullerbee Quilt Co., where I design quilts and then write the patterns, or instructions, for sale to other quilters who want to create my designs. I have released a whopping total of two digital quilt patterns, so I am still in the very early stages of starting this business and narrowing down where I fit in the industry. I aspire to write quilt patterns with a modern aesthetic that allow the quilter to use what they already have. Quilting can be both expensive and wasteful but does not need to be either. To make this art more accessible, and to respect the planet we inhabit, I want my patterns to be the solution to the problem of “How do I use the fabric I already have?” It is my goal for each of my patterns to have instructions conducive to utilizing fabric scraps or pre-cut sizes that may already be in a quilter’s possession. I believe beautiful, modern quilts can still be made without having to spend a lot of money, invest in single-use notions, or create excessive waste. I want my patterns to be an excellent use for what one already has, and an efficient use of the fabric required.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is knowing that I literally created something in this world that did not previously exist. Every quilt that I make, whether it is gifted for someone to use on their bed, or an art piece meant to be appreciated for what it represents, would not be there except that I chose to put my hands on the fabric and thread. Each stitch I made, and every piece of fabric I use is a deliberate choice. The finished product is a unique combination of individual choices that cannot have been made by another person. It’s as close as I’ll get to having a superpower. One day it’s a pile of cotton and the next, it’s a piece of practical artwork that provides warmth, or comfort, or even inspiration. And I did that. In the same manner, any quilt pattern that I produce is something I’ve created. And with patterns, there is the added benefit of knowing I’ve made a road map for another artist to achieve the same rewarding experience of creating.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I think I have less of a goal in my quilting and more of a compulsion. What drives my journey is having ideas for quilts in my head and needing to make them into reality. Should my quilts inspire others to learn more quilting techniques, or follow my patterns to make their own creations, then even better. The truth is that I am going to make quilts regardless of whether or not anyone knows about them. So if I am able to create a business out of it, then it is a happy bi-product.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bullerbeequiltco.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bullerbeequiltco/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090439287250&sk
• Other: https://bullerbeequiltco.ck.page