Check out some of Tonya's beautiful work as you read her letter she wrote me upon hearing she was the winner. Tonya is from Ogden, Illinois.

"I was quite shocked to get your e-mail saying I had won the drawing for December. I almost absent-mindedly swiped it into Trash as I haven’t submitted any pictures for a while. The project I am currently working on for my aunt was started in August 2021. She has a king bed and wants it to hang down 25” on three sides. Little did I know at the time how long that would actually take given the fact that I work a full-time and a part-time job.



Anyway, a little about me . . .

I grew up (and still live) in a small German farming community in Central Illinois. I learned to sew from my mother and grandmother. I remember mom making doll clothes when I was little, something I look forward to doing with my granddaughter. I think my first solo project was a blanket made from knit squares when I was in grade school.

After getting married, having kids and becoming a stay-at-home mom, I think I needed something creative to take away the stress of the days chasing kids and picking up toys. My first quilt was finished in 1992 as a gift for my in-laws and I have been quilting ever since. Most of my first quilts were given away as gifts. I now take orders as time allows. Quilting continues to be a way to wind down a stressful day while watching TV in the evenings.

I lay out the backing, batting and quilt top on a carpeted floor, pinning each layer through the carpet as I stretch and square it up. Once the layers are together, I use quilting safety pins to keep the layers together until I quilt that area. I hand-quilt usually with an 18” hoop for the middle and a 10” (or smaller) hoop for the borders.

Why do I enjoy quilting as much as sewing clothes or Halloween costumes? I consider quilting an art form. Taking colors and patterns and putting them together to make a work of art. Something that people want to touch and admire. Something they will keep and cherish for generations to come. I still have a quilt made for me by my maternal great-great-grandmother and another by my paternal great-grandmother. I look forward to teaching my granddaughter and hope she loves it as much as I do.

I’m very glad I discovered Full Line Stencils. I love the pink pounce pad, and Swirls & Curls (#45001) is my go-to for baby blankets as it has a fun, soft randomness that doesn’t take away from the pattern of the quilt. Thanks for all your wonderful products!"

In her quilts, she used Dusty Farrell's Swirls and Curls, #45001, and our Dragonfly #30454. Wow! What treasures you have from your family! And you're adding to it every year for future generations!



Below are more fun quilts from Tonya and a picture of some costumes she made! She is a woman of many talents! Thank you for sharing Tonya!