Laurie is an award-winning quilter residing in South Dakota. Although she doesn’t have a favorite style of quilts, she has a definite affinity for whole-cloth quilts and painting religious icons (some on fabric and then quilted).

Laurie first discovered stitchery while in second or third grade when she completed an embroidered pillowcase. Laurie continued to do handwork and started sewing most of her clothes in fifth grade. That may sound early to people now, but she says it was the norm among her friends at that time. With six children in the family, it just made sense to learn early.

Laurie’s first college degree was in art education. She then taught school for two years. Laurie quickly decided that 30 teenagers in a classroom with paint and clay was not how she wanted to spend her career years. Laurie worked her way through four more years of college and became a registered nurse, preparing her to teach many things in that field as well as to work with patients. She spent twenty-eight happy years nursing during work hours and filling her off hours with painting, sewing, stained glass, pottery, and every other new craft that crossed her path.

In the summer of 2007, Laurie attended her first quilt show at the suggestion of a friend. It was an amazing experience. She went home and talked to her husband about retiring from nursing. They immediately ordered a longarm quilting machine and Laurie learned longarm quilting skills while struggling a bit more with the intricacies of piecing. Laurie learned early on that it was easier for her to design a quilt than to follow someone else’s pattern.

At the suggestion of another quilter friend, Laurie entered her first design into an AQS show and got an honorable mention. Laurie has won many awards since, and never fails to get excited that someone likes her work. Laurie sees each competition as an excuse to try to outdo herself. Her highest award was Best of Show at one of the last NQA shows. That ribbon is HUGE

Laurie quilts on an HQ Fusion and admits to being addicted to quilting. There are so many more quilts to be designed and quilted. Laurie still loves teaching, and says that it is one of her favorite things to do. She enjoys sharing her knowledge with students and making it easier for them to understand a new concept or technique.

Quilting the quilt is Laurie’s favorite step in the quiltmaking process. To Laurie, the making of the quilt top is just like the preparing of the canvas on which to paint, with the “painting” (or the quilting) being the most gratifying part of the process.

Be sure to visit Laurie at her website, Laurie Tigner Designs.