Saturday, January 26, 2008

My First Blog

Thanks to the ladies at Killer Hobbies for inviting me aboard. It’s going to be a fun ride!

So who am I? I am Terri Thayer, the author of Wild Goose Chase, a quilting mystery, available now. The second in that series, Old Maid’s Puzzle, will be out in September. Also available in September will be Stamped Out, the first in the Stamping Sisters series.

You can learn more at my website, www.territhayer.com. While you’re there, register to win a FREE quilt. That’s right, I’m giving away a reproduction of the Wild Goose Chase Dewey receives. It was machine pieced and designed by me, and fabulously machine quilted by Jenny Michaels of Finally Finished!.

Who am I really?

I am a quilter. When I say that at parties, eyes generally glaze over. People think they know what this means. After all, who hasn’t had a quilter in the family? I’m forever hearing, “My grandmother was a quilter. She made me the most darling.…” That’s when my eyes start to glaze over.

So what is a quilter? We can all picture the women in the toilet paper commercial – gray-haired, plump sweeties gathered around a frame poking needles into a scrappy 9-patch. And while I know many quilters who fit that bill, I know many more who don’t.

In Lancaster County, after talking to the Amish women, it was quite clear that I was not a quilter. They wanted to compare our stitches-per-inch count. After all, a quilter was someone who patiently sewed the finishing stitches bringing the three layers together with the tiniest stitches possible. Not me.

Quilts are more than just blankets. I once offered to fix a 4-year old boy’s blankie that had been loved so much, it was shredding. I suggested cutting off the worn couple of inches. His horrified expression stopped me in my tracks. Frayed edges or no, I was talking about loping off his blankie. He left with an admonition to his mother that they never talk about fixing his blankie again.

Quilters are more than just sewers. They’re people, too. Doctors, and grandmothers, and mothers of twins. Fiber artists, and landscapers and pattern designers. Mystery writers. They’re traditional, avant-garde, modern, old-fashioned. Democrat, Republican. Christian, Jewish, Mormon, agnostic, atheists.

Sometimes, they are men.

So what makes someone a quilter? The inability to pass a bolt of fabric without touching it. The craving to cut cloth in little bits and make something new. The desire to create a piece that will touch someone’s heart, whether it be the new grandbaby or the attendees at the gallery. The chutzpah to call a spare room a studio.

I’m not sure, but it might just be the need to sew until your eyes glaze over.

7 comments:

Kathryn Lilley said...

Welcome, Terri! I love quilts, even though I can't even sew on a button. Is the quilt that is pictured on your web site the Wild Goose Chase? It's beautiful! Looking forward to your posts. Best, Kathryn

Anonymous said...

Welcome to the blog world! Great first post--and, FYI to everybody out there who hasn't read it yet, Wild Goose Chase is a great first mystery! For quilters AND non-quilters alike. :)

Joanna Campbell Slan said...

Terri,
It's great to have you aboard. I love quilts. The quilted wall hanging you donated to Forensic U was quite a hit. I'm thrilled you'll be sharing your expertise with us.

Camille Minichino said...

SO glad to have you Terri! I think we met in San Jose ... hope to see you again.

I'm just back from LA where I met Earlene Fowler ... I told her with her early quiliting mysteries, she was crafts when crafts wasn't cool ...

eager to hear more from you Terri.

Terri Thayer said...

Thanks for the warm welcomes! Yes, Camille, we've met. The last time was at the Milpitas Library when you moderated the mystery discussion last summer. I'll be at the SinC meeting on Saturday. I made a quilted bag for the auction. Maybe I'll see you there?

Thanks, Kathryn and Joanna. Looking forward to seeing you.

yasista said...

Nice job, Ter-your creativity has been an important part of my life as long as I can remember, from adorable costumes for M. when he was little, to beautiful quilts now hanging in my home. Can't wait to read your latest endeavor, just one more item in a long line of visual joy you have brought to the world!

Anonymous said...

Great first post, Terri. Looking forward to reading the final version of "Wild Goose Chase". And of course all the rest of the books.
Good luck in all you do.