Into the quiltiverse
Hello! Welcome to my new website. I don’t exactly know where to begin, but often the beginning is a good start.
My name is Joshua, and I am a vegan, weightlifting quilter. I’ve been quilting for quite some time now—since 2020. It all began with making face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, using materials and a sewing machine inherited from my mother, who had passed away only months prior to the lockdowns.
April 2020 — making face masks with fabrics from my mother’s stash.
As masks became more widely available, I shifted toward making traditional blocks with scraps from the leftover materials throughout the summer. It felt like a return—the memories of watching my mother piece quilts in my childhood came rushing back. Soon I realized this was going to be more than a new hobby… this was going to be a way to stay close to her.
I honed my skills by watching YouTube videos. My go-tos were Donna Jordan of Jordan Fabrics and Kimberly Jolly of the Fat Quarter Shop. Each had their own pro tips: Donna offered efficient steps for breaking down larger units into patchwork, while Kimberly shared thoughtful guidance for pressing, cutting, and using notions.
With the lessons I’d learned—both from my mother’s early teachings and the collective know-how from Jordan and Jolly—I began shifting away from following patterns and toward designing my own.
In February 2024, I discovered my point of view in quilt design. While exploring the quilt gallery at QuiltCon in Raleigh that year, I felt immense awe, a touch of overwhelm, and deep excitement meeting many folks for the first time—people I’d only recently come to know through Instagram.
February, QuiltCon 2024 — Raleigh, North Carolina.
After the show, I returned home with a feeling of clarity—a point of view being born. I turned to the photos on my phone to see what was consistently capturing my attention: space, deep rich colors, stars and twilight, magical scenery, nocturnal nature, and water.
Two sketches emerged as the start: one quilt with an all-over effect and the other designed as an artistic wall-hanging quilt. Both featured curved piecing—a skill I had yet to learn. Once again, I turned to YouTube and dug through my fabric stash to learn.
Nicole of Modern Handcraft has a pattern called Phase Quilt, which I purchased as a means to learn curved piecing—and it certainly did the trick! Around that time, I also upgraded to a new sewing machine: the Juki TL2010Q. While I still treasure my mother’s Brother CE1100 Project Runway machine, the Juki has since become my go-to for piecing.
Today, my quilt creations are modern and art-styled—original designs that reflect both story and structure. At this very moment, I have five finished quilts inspired by the cosmos: each designed on my iPad and brought to life through templates. And I’m not even done! There are at least two more sketches waiting patiently to make their debut in the quiltiverse.
So, this is how it started—and how it’s going. If you’re still reading, I’m going to assume you’re all about this voyage, and I’m so glad you’re here.