We were lucky to catch up with Sherry Zerr recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sherry, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
Oh my! I can’t narrow it down to just one project, but I’d love to share a few that have deeply rooted meaning.
When I was pregnant with Cooper, my dearest friends threw our family the most thoughtful and elegant baby shower. Over the top beautiful in every single detail. Instead of using white linens or disposable tablecloths, they purchased a variety of fabrics in different shades and prints of blue using them as tablecloths. After Cooper was born, I sewed the linens into a beautiful, patriotic quilt in remembrance of his baby shower. Words cannot describe the amount of love I felt that day and how incredibly special my ‘sisters’ made me feel.
Another heartfelt project that comes to mind is a table runner of my Uncle Albert’s ties for my cousin, Bernice. A loved one’s clothing is one of the last tangible items a family sorts through and it can stir many emotions. Some families struggle with the decision to ‘let go’ and others hold on tight to the smells and memories associated with their loved ones’ attire. As for my dear cousin, she wanted to feel her Dad’s presence where her family gathers every night – the kitchen table. So much of life happens at the kitchen table. We celebrate wins, joyous occasions and laughter. But we also endure difficult times at the kitchen table. Hard conversations. Devastating news. And of course, everything in between. So I created a table runner with a dozen or so of his ties. But it was the tie in the middle that held the most special meaning for Bernice. It was the tie my Uncle Albert wore 30 years ago when he walked her down the aisle and gave her away to her husband, Mike at their wedding.
The last project I’d like to share with you are two memory quilts gifted to my cousins in honor of their mother, Deanna. If I’m honest, I struggled initially with this project. I struggled to find the perfect pattern because I knew it had to take a back seat and allow all her colorful clothes to tell her story. So I sat on this project for several months until I found the PERFECT pattern. And boy did I ever! Once I chose the pattern, the quilts came together like masterpieces. Both quilts are composed of 25+ of her tops and blouses in a variety of fabrics ranging from cotton to velvet – her everyday wear to her Sunday best. With custom quilts, not only do I use their loved one’s pieces, I take note of what the client shares with me of their own personal tastes and find ways to incorporate that into the finished product. It could be something as simple as including their favorite color or texture of a fabric into the quilt to selecting the perfect quilting pantograph. It’s crucial that I bring their vision to life. On these quilts, I incorporated blues for my cousin, Craig and pink/purples and flowers into the one for my cousin, Tera. Every step of the process is meticulously thought out to not only pay tribute to their loved one but to also bring peace to a grieving heart.
Sherry, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Hi! I’m Sherry, the Monee half of Coop + Monee Quilt Co. I am a wife, a mother to Cooper, a mother to three fur kids, Frankie Girl, Sonny & Ollie, a full-time hospital pharmacist, runner, CrossFitter and a quilter. If you are anything like me, you are already wondering about our business name. When Cooper was a baby, he had ear infection after ear infection. And because of all the ear infections, his hearing was quite muffled. So when we introduced ‘Mommy’, what he heard was ‘Monee’. And so I became Monee. I wholeheartedly cherish this name as even my closest friends and family refer to me as Monee now.
My former mother-in-law introduced me to the world of quilting! My in-laws lived in a small town in PA and when they visited us in Denver, she loved to make the rounds to our local fabric/quilt stores and quilt shows. At this time I thought quilting was a ‘Mother Hubbard’ hobby and that only old people quilted. Man was I wrong! After spending a weekend visiting quilt stores, we hit a new store and the fabrics SPOKE to me. They were bright. They were bold. They were modern. And they were me. Pandora’s box was opened! I bought enough fabric that day to make a simple quilt, but had no sewing machine, cutting mat, thread or even scissors. But with the help of my MIL, we had a small ‘quilt shop’ set up in our one-bedroom apartment by the end of that evening. And I was off to the races!
My quilting journey has significantly evolved over the years. I look back at the quilts I made in the beginning and giggle. I had no idea what I was doing, but there was a spark and an uncovered gem emerging. Up to this point in my life, my escape was training and running marathons. But this new found passion was an expressive outlet and gave me freedom to be creative. Quilting gave me the ability to meld high standards with a love of detail-oriented work – after all, I am a pharmacist spending my days caring for patients! Quilting allows me to give meaningful gifts to the ones I love the most. Quilting has also allowed me to give back and help others in my community. I have donated countless blankets and quilts to our local NICU/Pediatrics Unit, the Linus Project and the Tammy Walker Cancer Center. I have had the opportunity to give back and hopefully make an impact realizing that for the NICU babies, some of them become wards of the state. All this innocent child has when they leave the hospital is this blanket. And for the patients receiving chemotherapy, I want them to know they are NOT alone. Our family has been in their shoes. Not all impacts have to be big and flashy; they just need to be steady and with intention. Lastly, quilting has offered me a safe space to allow my hands to keep moving while my heart has had to heal. Many times over.
Just as I continue to evolve as a creator, so does my brand. When I first started quilting it was quantity over quality. But as I matured in my craft learning new techniques and gaining experience, so did my commitment to perfection and level of expertise. At Coop + Monee Quilt Co., I create modern heirloom quilts blending tradition with contemporary. Every quilt has a story to tell. The meticulous attention to detail and unwavering commitment to quality is in every stitch. Each stitch represents passion, purpose and intention. My ability to push the ‘normal’ boundaries by putting my own unique spin on the ordinary elevating it to extraordinary sets me apart from others.
I would be remiss to say this journey has been mine alone and I want to take a moment to give credit where credit is overdue. First off, to my former MIL, Diane and her SIL, Mary. You two were the ones who discovered this hidden gem in me that has now turned into an outright passion. To my dearest friends Angie and Jill, thank you for 25+ years of unwavering love and support. To my pharmacy mentors Deb and Beth who took me under their wings and taught me many lessons that have carried over to my quilting business, thank you. To my dear friend Christal, whom I met at a low time in my life. Thank you for your relentless patience rebuilding me mile by mile on our runs. To Lisa, my long arm quilter, who tolerates my wild child, hair brained ideas and encouraged me to enter my pieces into competitions – thank you. To Karla, my friend and neighbor who runs around town holding all these quilts up and helps me with photo shoots – you are a gem. To my friend and boss Amanda, thank you for always seeing my full potential when I saw none. To ALL the clients I have had the privilege of creating and executing commissioned work for, thank you for sharing your story with me. Thank you for allowing me to be part of your story and for entrusting me with some of your most prized possessions. Please believe me when I say that the enormity of your trust in my work is not lost on me. To my biggest and life-long fans, my parents. THANK YOU will never be enough. To my son, Cooper. You don’t realize it yet, but you are my WHY. And lastly, to my husband Rich. Because of your encouragement, belief, trust and faith in me, we are in the process of purchasing a brick-and-mortar fabric/quilt shop and relocating closer to family. My long-held dream of owning a quilt shop is taking shape and is within reach. There’s a undeniable thrill with all the possibilities that lie ahead.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I wished I had joined Instagram earlier! Instagram introduced me to a whole new world of quilters, patterns, fabrics, tips and tricks, techniques, guilds, conventions and inspiration overall. To be able to connect with others around the world who share the same passion has been game changing. It’s invigorating and reinforces my desire to do more to support local businesses, support other artists and to continue to give back to my community.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
One rewarding aspect of being a creative is selling my quilts! It’s rewarding knowing someone else sees value in my hard work, especially when they can purchase a similar item for less at a big-box business.
But the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is watching a client lay eyes on their loved one’s memory quilt for the first time. The raw emotion, the tears, the gratitude, the grief, the years of memories, the smile – that’s what makes it all worth it. Hands down.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: thesherryzerr & coopmoneequiltco
- Other: ETSY – CoopandMoneeQuiltCo.esty.com
Image Credits
Nicola Jane Photography