We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Montika AllenAtkinson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Montika, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

The quilting sect is vast consisting of new, traditional, artistic, social justice. and modern. I enjoy the luxury of creating in all areas. I am constantly trying to find a way to create what I envision. Most of the time it’s the fabric that dictates the outcome of my final quilt. When it comes to longarm quilting I tend to create freely and on occasion I use rulers. I love a variety of thread choices to sandwich the quilts together. Because, I have never taken a formal longarm quilting class but have viewed CD’s, videos, study the longarm quilting on quilts in shows or events, I can say I am self-taught. I am constantly reading and studying what others are doing but all the while trying to find ME in the realm of quilting. I don’t want to mimic other quilter’s but focus on my style of expression.

Montika, 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?

I made my first quilt at the age of 10 (1972) a typical 9 patch block pattern of double-knit polyester. I used an old cotton stuffed blanket for the batting and hand tied the quilt. The quilt was double sided, and the scrapes used were from my mother’s scraps from her sewing. She was a phenomenal seamstress, there was nothing she couldn’t sew or learn to bring to its finality. From that point on I learned crewel embroidery in the 7th grade and later was able to translate this into a small business where I individuals would bring their denim jackets, jeans, vest, tea tiles or whatever they wanted me to embroider symbols, wordings onto their items. Periodically, from the age of 16 -23, I would embroider designs on fabric for baby blankets; from 24 years of age, I would occasionally piece a baby quilt as a gift and around the year of 2010 or 2011 I started dabbling into quilting earnestly as a quilt top maker and after being able to produce multiple quilt tops and paying a longarm quilter I figured I would pay myself for longarm quilting my own quilts. Within 6 or 7 months I generated enough business for myself that I my longarm machine paid for itself. To further enhance my longarm quilting my quilting sister told me to do longarm quilting for The Quilt of Valor Foundation where I could lean as well as help a cause. So, I have consistently offered my services to this organization. I did take a hiatus because a group was created locally, and I gave/giving the group my best of time. I need to submit my fee with the QOV to continue my service on a national level. My quilt are always one of a kind as well as my longarm quilting that is the fun of learning myself to find me in this realm. I love sharing what I learn with others. I don’t want to be a gate keeper of knowledge but one who is very comfortable with sharing so they can learn and create. What sets me apart from others is sharing my knowledge and supporting others to find their own creative process from within themselves. I am proud to say I learn from myself, don’t mind failing because it allows me to learn and take that knowledge and relearn a better way. I did start out as a traditional quilt top maker but by self-studying I was able to venture into many areas of my own abilities and put those skills into quilts I want to create. I dye fabric, incorporate machine embroidery withing my quilts, rust dye, do improv quilts, modern quilts, art quilts, thread art quilts, hand stamp fabric, social justice quilts, mixed media quilts, self designed quilts, and a bit of traditional quilts.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The goal which drives my creative journey is making sure that my quilts become my legacy. Quilts will outlive me and what better way to live on is through my quilts, whether it’s one i made from beginning to the end or one I completed the longarm quilting for a customer I become a legacy of that particular quilt.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Wow, I tell this story often to some . . . I keep a quilt on the wall that I will pass every time I enter or exit my pathway to my studio. It is the Dream Big Panel where I free motion quilted designs as have many longarm quilter’s and I entered it into our local county fair and the judge gave it the lowest ribbon. of course, I was buggy eyed and had neck whiplash from being stunned. I keep this quilt present and up front to remind me of what I thought to myself was fabulous and amazingly beautiful will drive me to keep free motion quilting to my inner voice. I also, like that when potential clients come with their quilts for me to do ME on their quilt(s), it is the first work they are able to view up-close and personally and are in awe and know they will receive longarm quilting as an art to their quilt.

Contact Info:

• Other: I only have a personal FB page, no form of advertising. My work and who I am is all by word of mouth.

Image Credits
The one female surrounded by red fabric is a pattern provided by Bisa Butler. I was her assistant in a workshop class she facilitated in 2017 or 2018 in Lawrence, Kansas. All others are original designs and photographed by me.