Our January 2023 Winner is Jennifer Fournier from Sandia Park, New Mexico. It's always fun getting the reply from the email that tells the winners they've won. Jennifer's enthusiasm was so great. We were all doing the happy dance for her after reading her reply. She's sent in three entries since July 2022. We will look at them all, and she's written a lovely bio about who she is, her quilting background, and her involvement in other exciting things. I'll say no more and let you read her story. Below are the quilts and her words. Congratulations Jennifer!

I made this long overdue sewing machine cover for one of my treadles. I pieced and bound it on the treadle but quilted it on my Bernina Q20 on a frame. I thought the back half would be a perfect place to do a trial run of the splash of love stencil. I really liked it and it will definitely be going on a proper quilt soon.
I started quilting when I was stationed at Kadena AB in Okinawa Japan in the mid-1990s. The base had an active quilt group and I learned so much doing their block exchanges and educational presentations. I kept quilting for the rest of my Air Force career (lawyer) with sewing digressions for clothing for myself and ice skating dresses and gymnastics leotards for my daughter. In terms of quilting, I love working on mystery quilts. I like that I almost always learn something new and the project never looks overwhelming because you only see little bits at a time. For literally decades, I quilted my quilts on my domestic machine: either my Bernina 170 or one of my treadles. I sometimes did a full quilt but more often did some form of quilting in sections. I love Marti Michell’s methods and also smaller scale quilt as you go (Pattern Poolemethod “easy cover strip” is my favorite). Mostly though, I just made quilt tops and stored them. In 2021, I was fortunate enough to get a longarm. I love longarming but still do QAYG but now I use my longarm!



I thought you would enjoy seeing this quilt (below). I used your bubble stencil (40088) but not as an all-over. I used it for the strips. I did add a few extra bubbles here and there. I made this quilt “quilt as you go” on my longarm on a frame. I made a jelly roll race quilt with Thomas the Tank Engine which I cut into strips about 7.5 inches long. Laid it RStog with the border, sewed a .25 inch seam (channel locked), flipped over, repeated…
I made this quilt from a Quilts for Kids kit (a great charity quilt organization) and quilted it with bump and slide (46005) as well as some freehand free motion on my Bernina Q20 on a frame.
I had seen your stencils and pounce pads before but once I got my longarm, I knew I wanted them and bought several at the Houston show in 2021. You have not disappointed. I enjoy all quilting on my longarm (ruler, custom freehand, stencils, pantographs). I don’t think I can say I have a favorite stencil but I think the one I use the most often is 40045 Turquoise Trail by Dave Hudson. I moved to New Mexico in 2021 and am currently fascinated by all things southwestern. 40045 is perfect for the quilts I have been doing lately.
Natalia Bonner’s 9 patch along…I went a little wild in the border. Mostly freehand but you can see your Turquoise Trail and the cat stencils (with bonus mouse) in the border close up.
I have recently become involved with the Albuquerque NM Quilt of Valor Group (The HappyScrappers). I have longarmed a couple of quilts for them and we meet twice a month and piece together. Just this last weekend, we spent Saturday (4 Feb) together for the National QOV sew day. I will most likely spend at least a little of my lovely $100 shopping spree on a stencil that will suit a QOV :)
Do you love listening to books as you quilt? Jennifer narrates them!

In 2015, when I had a very long commute each day, I discovered Librivox (free audiobooks of public domain texts). I started volunteering as a narrator and eventually moved into commercial audiobook narration. That became my part-time, retirement job after I retired from the Air Force in October 2019. I mention it because audiobooks and quilting often go together and you can find “Mabel Ross, The Sewing Girl” that I narrated on Librivox (so it is free). As I wrote in the summary: this book will appeal to those who love intimate family dramas, light mysteries, scathing social commentaries, or sewing machines!

A Great Tip!..BTW - my friend (Jennifer Hume) to whom I introduced your stencils has a tip that I am not sure she has sent to you. She sprays a bit of hair spray on the quilt BEFORE applying the stencil and chalk. She told me the stencil slips less and the chalk stays put. I have only tried it on a small sample but I think she is right.