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Kimmy Brunner – Handi Quilter Ambassador, Part 2

October 27, 2017

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by Mary Beth Krapil

 

The interview continues with more words of wisdom from our own Kimmy Brunner.

HQ: Do you still have your first quilt?

KB:

I still have it, embarrassing though it is. If you come to my house, I will pretend not to know where I put it. It’s a real beauty. My favorite part about it is how the extremely lovely cheap poly batting beards out all over the place. That thing’s got more bearding than Santa Claus, I tell you! Yikes.

 

HQ: Who is your inspiration/muse?

KB: My Grandma. Her work was meticulous, and she was completely devoted to doing things the best she could no matter what. She’d work her fingers to the bone doing farm work all day, but she’d still sit down in the evening and create something beautiful with fabric, or thread, or yarn. I can still see her sitting in her chair with the lamp light shining on her hair, making something pretty. When I grow up, I want to be just like her and I hope that my quilts will be as loved as her quilts are.

detail of one of Grandma’s quilts

 

HQ: Of all the “tasks” in creating a quilt, which is your favorite and least favorite?

KB: My favorite part is planning the design work. I get a big adrenaline rush when it’s time to lay out the completed quilt top, grab a pile of templates and all different colors of thread, a bunch of paper and some pencils, and start figuring out what’s going to go where. I turn up the music and draw design plan after design plan, waiting for the right one to appear. I LOVE it! The worst part is binding. Ugh. Binding. Why does there always have to be binding?

MBK Sidebar: I kind of like doing the binding. I find it relaxing and the quilt is SO close to being finished! Anyone out there with me? Let’s take a poll: please leave a comment, binding yes! or binding no #@$%*?

HQ: How can our readers learn about your classes and contact you?

KB:  I have a Craftsy class entitled ‘Machine Quilting with Templates’ for those interested in learning about how to use templates to create perfect designs on their quilts, a website that contains lots of free learning tools at Kimmyquilt.com, and I am the longarm classroom coordinator for Quilts Inc, the folks behind International Quilt Festival in Houston and Spring Festival in Chicago.

Quilting is my life 🙂

       

HQ: Thanks so much, Kimmy! It is Handi Quilter’s honor to have you as an esteemed ambassador. Any last words of wisdom?

KB: Quilting is the Happy Place. There’s room for everybody here! Please pull up a chair and tell us about your stash.

 

 

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October 27th, 2017

by Mary Beth Krapil   The interview continues with more words of wisdom from our own Kimmy Brunner. HQ: Do you still have your first quilt? KB: I still have it, […]

14 responses to “Kimmy Brunner – Handi Quilter Ambassador, Part 2”

  1. I have followed your work and your such an inspiration. Qusetion; do you really have your table set that high? I wonder if mine is set too low.

  2. I dont mind the binding – it’s the grand finale for me too. The worse part of it is joining the strips together although that isnt much work. I machine stitch it to the quilt and finish it off by hand. It can be relaxing.

  3. I don’t mind binding at all. Now I mostly donate all my quilts so I do bind by machine, stitching in the ditch from the front side. I can get more of them done that way.

  4. over the years (sorry!) you’ve provided ALL sorts of tutorials, hint, tips etc and great articles in the Q. magazines. Good to hear from you again.
    Jo

  5. Totally binding a quilt on my sweet sixteen takes away all those issues of hand sewing the back etc.
    I use the small template for the front , cut off the wadding excess back to 1/4 inche then free motion the back . I use two and 1/2 inches for the binding width and it is all totally completed within 1/2 hour. Comes out perfect, including all the corners.

  6. After all the work of making the quilt top and then all the intense thinking to get it quilted I really enjoy the mindless job of putting the binding on. Just me.

    Kathy

  7. Kimmy, I’m still waiting for your next class and hoping it will be on curved crosshatching! Loved the template class and have used your ideas over and over. Thank you!

    Sue in Bridgeport, Mi.

  8. I love to do the binding. Always sew it by hand on the back. I can sit down and watch a good movie and not fall asleep.
    The last quilt I did was for my granddaughters wedding gift. We had to travel quite a ways for the wedding and then back home for the reception. Both ways through Yellowstone park. I did the binding as I traveled. Used mini clips instead of pins. Worked wonderful!
    I have your craftsy class and have watched the HQ classes. I have learned a lot. You are a great example for me. Always interested in what you teach.

  9. I have learned to like binding a quilt. It has become a competition with myself to see how square I can get my corners.

  10. Every masterpiece requires a frame–that’s what binding is to your beautiful quilt. The binding shouldn’t be considered a necessary chore because it finishes your masterpiece. Take a look at all the possibilities!

  11. Since I finally reached the point where I can join my binding without twisting it, I really like doing the binding. I do my bindings totally by machine because it’s easier. Nobody I’ve given one to has complained!

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