Desire to Inspire July Challenge - Joanne Hubbard with Holiday Traditions by Jan Shade Beach

This is our Desire to Inspire Challenger for July. We are so absolutely impressed with all the talent of our Henry Glass blog participants. This body of work is so AMAZING!  Joanne even found a red truck like the one that is used in the imagery to use in the photography of her projects. Joanne did a splendid job with the collection: Holiday Traditions by Jan Shade Beach.

Hello I am Joanne Hubbard. I live in Milan, Ohio, which is located almost exactly in between Cleveland and Toledo. Milan is best known as the birthplace of Thomas Edison, who I thank daily for his invention of the incandescent lightbulb, without which I could not be spending my nights happily sewing into the wee hours of the morning. My husband Jack and I live in a rural area located 15 minutes from the south shore of Lake Erie and the “Roller Coaster Capital of the World” – Cedar Point. As the second oldest operating amusement park in the United States, Cedar Points boast 365 acres of fun and has 71 rides, including 17 roller coasters. Because of that, our area is inundated with tourists May – September.

I was born about 3 ½ hours south of Milan, near Dayton and many of my 11 siblings still live in that area. As the ninth child out of twelve, I had a typical childhood and enjoyed all of the benefits of living in the country. We played outdoors year-round but also knew how to have a good time indoors without television or electronic devices. I remember sewing as a youngster and making much of my wardrobe during Junior and Senior High School. My mother sewed, mostly out of necessity, but I don’t remember her quilting. My grandmother, Mom’s mom, was a seamstress and quilter. I have fond memories of spending time at Grandma’s house, sleeping under homemade quilts. I am fortunate to have one of those quilts, as well as her quilting frame.

I did not make quilts when I was younger. I enjoyed them, but did not make them. When my children were young, I made them clothing and they sewed along with me; but it wasn’t until around 1997 that I decided I wanted to make my own quilts. I wanted my children to experience the same feelings that I had when I slept under a quilt made by someone who loved me. I wanted to provide them with the same “fabric hug” that I remember and cherish today. Little did I know where this journey would lead me!

I enjoy making quilts for my family, including my grandchildren who affectionately call me “Quilting Grandma.” I am fortunate to have children, step children, grandchildren, and siblings who tolerate (and even encourage) my quilting obsession. I am thrilled to say that both of my children, all of my sisters, my step-daughters, and one of my brothers have jumped on the quilt band wagon, and I couldn’t be more proud. With all of this quilting going on, it didn’t take long before I had made quilts for all of my family so I started making quilts for donations. As my blog title indicates, I truly do believe the Everyone Deserves a Quilt.

I absolutely love everything about quilting! I enjoy all types of quilting from intricate paper piecing Judy Niemeyer quilts to trying my hand at improv modern quilts. One of my favorite ways to spend a day is to be fondling fabric, trying to decide what color combinations and fabrics to pick for my next quilt. And the thrill I get from that first cut is simply exhilarating! I love the soft humming sound of my sewing machine, a Bernina 180 which was given to me in 1998 as an early wedding gift from my husband. I find that sound to be very peaceful and calming.

I love it when I’ve completed blocks and can put them up on the design wall Jack built while I was away on a quilting retreat a few years ago. (What a wonderful surprise to see upon my return home!) The excitement of watching quilts come together is so much fun! I am truly blessed that my husband enjoys this process as well. He often helps me with arranging blocks, giving ideas of color combinations and is my official “quilt namer” and “best binding fabric” decision-maker. He had a hand in the makings of all of the projects for this challenge, especially the art quilt which has yet to be named. We can’t decide between “Quest for the Perfect Tree” or “Nature’s Gift.”

Speaking of binding, I really enjoy that stage of quilt-making. It still amazes me that a ¼” strip of fabric can make such an impact on the overall look of a quilt. Because of that, binding is my favorite quilting class to teach. I am a teacher by trade (I now substitute teach for long-term assignments such as maternity or other medical leaves for Junior and High School.), and the move to becoming a quilt teacher was a pretty natural one for me.  I don’t remember exactly, but I think I taught my first quilting class in 2005. I remember the excitement I felt at introducing others to this wonderful world of fabric and quilting. Today, I still have that feeling and often tell students that I feel like a drug pusher, with my drug of choice being 100% cotton fabric. I enjoy teaching new quilters and love that “ah ha” moment they have when they figure out how to achieve that illusive ¼” seam allowance or how to press fabric so the seams nest and aren’t so darn bulky. I tell these new quilters, who often apologize for their lack of knowledge, that I like new quilters because they haven’t learned any bad habit that I have to beat out of them. I also tell them that we don’t make mistakes, we make design changes. It’s all about perspective!

I am fortunate to have a couple of wonderful shops nearby that have opened their classrooms to me and have given me free-reign on which classes I want to teach – including how to make your very own designer umbrella. I’ve taught classes based on commercial patterns as well as a number of patterns that I’ve written. I teach a variety of classes (usually more traditional style quilts) at Country Fabrics, a Mennonite shop located in Shiloh which is about 45 minutes from my home and well worth the trip. I also teach at M&E Quilt Shoppe in Sandusky, which has a great mixture of traditional and modern quilts. Although M&E has only been in business since February of 2014, they are really going places! They are featured in the latest Quilt Sampler Magazine and Mabel and Ethel, the owners, graciously asked me to design and write the quilt pattern for the magazine. It is a wonderfully colorful quilt called “Burst of Color” that perfectly reflects the mood of that shop – FUN and EXCITING.

Speaking of fun and exciting, thank you Henry Glass & Co. for this wonderful opportunity. This challenge has truly been an amazing experience and I am proud of the projects I created using such beautiful fabric. Thank you Jan Shade Beach for designing such wonderful Christmas fabric and making this 90° July feel so much cooler.

Joanne had one last picture of all the scraps for this quilt top: 

And one last shout out from Joanne to M & E Quit Shoppe in Sandusky which has this fabric line in stock and will be having classes inspired by Joanne's projects! 



Please take a moment to comment on the blog with your congratulations to Joanne Hubbard for doing such a great job with the Desire to Inspire July Challenge...

TOMORROW we post the August Challenge!!!  Are you game?