The Quilter

Since this blog is Tales of a Quilters Husband, it's only fair that you learn something about the quilter.  Judy is more of an arts and crafts person than a quilter.  Making things is in her DNA.  Her father was a Master Machinist in the Aerospace Industry and her grandfather made some of the most beautiful furniture I have ever seen.  Judy has been sewing since she was 6, but that was only one of her crafts.  Macrame, decoupage, stained glass, crochet, knitting, needlepoint, you name it.  In the 1980's her primary focus was stained/leaded glass.  During that time she attended art school and opened a stained glass studio.  Toward the end of her stained glass career she was creating kiln-fired slumped plates and glass buttons.  She also sold stained glass pieces and other craft items at trade shows and conventions.  Our most fun times were selling at a Star Trek convention and Science Fiction "Cons".  In 1994 Judy was invited to a Learn to Quilt class by a friend and the rest, as they say, is history.  Quilting was a perfect match for her sewing skills, her eye for color and her skill in 2 dimensional design.

During our long and happy marriage,  every now and then I get a look from Judy that says "How could you say something so stupid."  The first time I got that look (from something quilting related), was when I asked, "Do you really need all that fabric?  If you're going to make a quilt, why not just buy the fabric for the quilt?"  If you don't understand why I got "the look", just ask any quilter.  The second time I got "the look" was when Judy told me she needed a quilting machine.  She said that she was sending quilts out to be quilted and that was expensive.  I asked "why can't you quilt on your sewing machine?" - the look.  Shortly thereafter a Viking "MegaQuilter" with aluminum frame arrived at our house.   A couple of years later when Judy announced that she needed a better quilting machine I knew to keep my mouth shut.  The type of new machine she wanted - called a "long arm" machine - is an industrial quality sewing machine designed for quilting (the photo is Judy's machine).  Long arm quilting systems, referred to as a head and a frame, sell for $11,000 to $35,000.
In all fairness, Judy's new Gammill Premier with a 14 foot frame took a chunk out of her 401K, so I didn't have to pay for it.  However, I did go with Judy to the maintenance class for the "Gammill".  I learned how and where the machine should be oiled, and how to set the timing.  That was the beginning of my being drawn into the world of quilts and quilting.

How I got here

I do not make quilts.  I do not sew.  I have no creative hobbies whatsoever.  I am Co-Owner of a quilt shop and I love it! How did this happen, you might ask.  Here's the back story.

In 2008 I completed my 29th year as an executive headhunter.  I was managing the Charlotte Office for a 'boutique" search firm when the Great Recession hit with full force.  Business fell through the floor, and in January 2009 the Charlotte Office was closed, I lost my job and my family's health insurance.  No problem, I thought, I'll just find another job - at 60 years old, as a recruiter, during the worst recession since the Great Depression - sure.   My wife Judy is an avid quilter and had established several small businesses selling craft products at shows.   She decided to start a business selling quilting supplies at quilt shows in order to pay for health insurance until I found a new job.

A year later I was still looking, had no prospects and Judy, supportive as ever, said  "Give it up! Nobody is going to hire you at your age. Join me and we'll build a bigger business".  So there it was.  I finally got hired.  It was by my wife, but only after she checked 3 references. (just kidding about that last part).

At this point I should mention that I'm an art lover.  That's one of the main reasons I'm so enamored with the world of quilts.  What quilt artists can do with fabric and thread is truly amazing, and I'll share some of that as we go along.  If you're ever passing through Paducah, Kentucky, I strongly recommend that you visit the National Quilt Museum there.  It's well worth it.

During the past 5 years Judy and I have been vendors at over 70 quilt shows, including the largest in the world in Houston, Texas (61,000 in attendance).  We've dodged tornadoes in Kentucky, floods in Indiana, and made it through snow storms. Most importantly, we've met some wonderful people along the way.

In 2012 we renovated a mill worker's house built in 1927 and opened a brick-and-mortar shop - Judy Lea's Quilt Studio in Concord, NC.  The renovation of that building is a whole separate story which I'll get into in a later post.

My blog will detail our adventures, share a good amount of info about the world of quilts and quilting, and touch on what it's like to be a small business owner in 2014.   I hope you'll enjoy the stories as much as I've enjoyed the journey.