We were lucky to catch up with Amanda Nadig recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful quilts I have made have been the ones of have involved my children in. I started my obsession with quilting in late 2019, so by the time the pandemic hit, I welcomed the unexpected time to create. I was motivated to take on many handwork projects and I spread textiles from any fabrics I could find throughout our home. Naturally, my children were interacting with my work because it was occupying the space we would be quarantined in together for the foreseeable future. I began inviting my children to cut into my quilt tops and I used hand applique to “mend” the holes. My children also drew with pen and marker on my fabric, the dog would walk across my pieces with her dirty paws, and I would take on the challenge of using the marks they left as a guide for my compositions. There were so many unknowns, especially when the pandemic started, and letting go of control over all parts of my work and inviting my children to be collaborators seemed appropriate and helped me cope with what we were all experiencing.

Amanda, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a textile artist in Chicago, Illinois, and I use secondhand fabrics to create quilts by hand. Sometimes I use a sewing machine, but usually prefer to piece fabrics by hand and finish them with hand quilting. When I first began quilting in 2019, I began and Instagram account and started sharing my process and connecting with other textile artists. I sold my first quilt in 2020 on Etsy, then began a website and selling my quilts in an online store on my website. I have worked on several commissions and I enjoy working with clients to make a custom quilt for a wall in their home or for an important person in their life. Quilting is not my full-time job, I have been teaching high school art for the past 23 year. My artistic process is informed by my approach to teaching. Experimentation and play is very important as is prioritizing materials like cardboard and donated materials. In 2021, I began teaching online workshops in quilting. I enjoy using an unexpected combination of fabrics with different substrates and textures, so it has been fun to share my process and guide quilters in this freeing approach I take to produce new work.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I have always been rule follower, and a people pleaser, for as long as I can remember. Once in an elementary art class, I remember being corrected for not creating work that looked like the teacher example. I think that comment held me back creatively because I sought approval from others. In my high school art class, I painted a series of watercolor lighthouses. Did I have any personal connection to lighthouses or enjoy representational watercolor painting? No, but my mom had framed lighthouses throughout our house and I thought this was what I was “supposed” to do to “fit in” as an artist. I remember times in my 20’s and 30’s when I wanted to make art for the purpose of selling it and I restricted myself to making work that “would sell” and limited myself to making art I thought people would want to buy.

When I began quilting in my 40’s, I focused on making artwork for myself, not because I intended to sell my work or show my work in exhibitions, but because I loved the feel of textiles in my hand and piecing fabrics together brought me joy. I’m sure this pressure-free way of making was because I didn’t need to make an income off of my art; I was a high school teacher full time. I grew up around traditional quilts and a mom who was a quilter, so I resisted quilting as a young artist because I wasn’t precise, did not enjoy measuring, and didn’t want to spend money on fabrics, and what if I didn’t know what fabrics would look good together? Luckily in my 40’s I let go of any judgement and fear when revisiting my quilted work. I learned about different fabrics by working with them, experimenting, and play. Working with found fabrics sourced from my old clothes, thrift stores, and estate sales took away any pressure I felt about the cost of materials. It’s the same approach I use with my high school art students, I notice they dive in and make work and experiment when I give them a disposable surface like cardboard to paint on rather than a crisp expensive new canvas. The pressure is gone and the joy of creating is allowed to shine.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

There are two parts of my artistic practice: the slow process of stitching and the documenting and sharing pf my process. My quilted works are a celebration of unconventional fabric combinations and an abundance of hand stitching and I find that sharing the process of making my quilts brings me as much joy as I find in making my work. I love commenting on other quilters’ social media posts and answering questions I’m asked about my process. I love sharing my approach to choosing colors of fabric and working with difficult fabrics with others who are interested. Passing on the love I feel for quilting to others is really rewarding for me because I feel it’s a way to keep this art form alive. I love when my students to surprise themselves and to help them find a way to be proud of their work. Quilting has become an act of self care; working in the medium of textiles enables me to fit stitching into free moments throughout her day. I want others to make quilting a part of their lives, too.

Contact Info:

• Website: amandanadig.com
• Instagram: @amandanadigart
• Facebook: Amanda Nadig