Happy Scrappy!... an interview with Amy Bradley...and GIVEAWAY!!!

I was in Thimbles and Threads Quilt Shop last week... and found this...

Fresh from Quilt Market!

click HERE for more info

My first thought?  I gotta share this with all my blogger friends!

My second thought? ...maybe, I could email

Amy Bradley...

you know...she's theee creator of this...

 SO-SEW cute quilt pattern...and many more!

I took a deep breath...and, emailed her. To my surprise she replied quite quickly!

 In her reply...(I thought it was cute) she said...

"You can call me at...or email me some questions. 

 I have to warn you that I am a very slow typist."

Another deep breath...and, then, I dialed her number.

  I was so excited to talk with her!

I have admired her VERY fun, whimsical patterns for many years!!

We talked for a few minutes and then, began the wee "interview".

O, I really hope you enjoy....'cause, well, you'll see, meee is..eeeee-yonz

away from being a journalist. =P

I did, however, have a great time asking Amy questions...

She is a FUN lady to talk to!

~~ How long ago did you start sewing and/or quilting?

Amy: I started sewing when I was about 8 or 9 years old… sewing clothes for my dolls and then, later for myself. I took many Home Ec classes. It's sad now that so many schools are taking away the sewing and Home Ec classes.
 ~~ How did you start drawing?
Amy: I graduated college with a Fine Arts Degree and I began to do sketches and artwork for my husband's veterinarian office and hospital

~~What words (choose 2 to 5 words) might describe you?
Amy: (laughing and thinking) Well, I'm kind of a person of opposites. I think I would say I am… free spirited and hardworking

 ~~Does this mean that you don't like to wear shoes most of the time or …
Amy: No, no… not like that
~~Well, when someone says to me "free-spirited"…I tend to think more like the late '70s…kinda hippy-like
Amy: No I mean more like spontaneous… I really like to set my own hours…take breaks when I want and be able to work at my own pace….set my own deadlines. The other word I would use is Hardworking. I'm a workaholic. I'm usually working long hours to finish a project. I come from a long line of family business owners. This has been very helpful in giving me a good work ethic. I discipline myself to stay on one design and see it thru to the end. It's a business and so you have to do that. Otherwise, there would be lots of unfinished projects and no funds coming in.

~~What's it like "working" in Amy Bradley's shoes?
Amy: I have it really nice because our daughter does all of the orders, marketing and sales. I get to do all the artistic parts….sewing, drawing and coloring.

~~Where do you get your ideas? Do they come to you in dreams or while you are at a Quilt shop or store watching quilters shop?
Amy: Oh, I have doodles everywhere! They are hanging on walls all ever my studio. A couple of places that a lot of ideas come to me….one of them is in the shower. I can be alone and I am relaxed. And, the other place is…while I'm driving alone in the car.

 ~~Do you speak the ideas into a recorder…or do you pull over and park on the side of the road to draw?
Amy: No, I just jot a word or two down.

~~How do you work on one idea when so many more just keep popping up?
Amy: This is a hard thing! I always feel like I have way more ideas than time to work on them! I may do sketching and hang it somewhere. But, I won't start on another idea/sketch. When you are creating designs to earn money for your business, you have to stay with an idea until the "end".

~~ How long would you say it takes a design to go from idea to "in the marketplace"?
Amy: somewhere from 1 to 2 months.

~~ Do you show your drawings to other people? Or do you keep them in your own private areas until you are ready to make a quilt?
Amy: I show to family, then, I share with a few friends who sew and quilt for me and with a local quilt shop owner. They all give me their ideas and opinions.

~~ After the drawings are "friends and family" tested…then what?
Amy: I begin to put the drawings into fabric. I have some friends who help me sew.  The ladies that do the sewing proof my original patterns. I also have a lady that does the quilting for me. I make 3 quilts to be used as "traveling quilts". These quilts travel all around the country visiting quilt stores and quilt shows. The "traveling quilts" help me to sell my patterns.

~~What was and when did your very first quilt pattern debut?
Amy:  It was the Dog Quilt...a gift for my husbands Veterinary Hospital in 2002



click HERE for more info

~~You are an artist. What made you decide to transfer to quilts?
Amy: Well, it just seemed an easy transition because I've always like
 to sew...this brought my drawings to life.  Now, my drawings have a
practical use and many people can enjoy them.

~~ What is the best thing about your "job"?
Amy: I feel the happiest when children (old and young) have fun with
 the quilts. It's really fun to see people making my quilts! Many of the
grandmas begin making the quilts for their grandchildren…and they,
 (the grandmas) are unable to give them away. They keep them
 for their own homes.

 ~~If you a Genie came to visit you out of a lamp… and gave you 3 wishes…these wishes have to be something just for YOU!....what would your wishes be?
Amy: Studio, studio, studio… I already have this studio pictured in my head. It would be a cheery bright place, with kitchen, large TV, a couple of comfy chairs…maybe something that would make into a bed. And an area with sewing machines so that friends could come to visit and sew with me.

Okeee dokeee, ladies...would you like to win Amy's newest pattern...

"Scrappy Happy.." (first quilt pictured, top of this blog)?

It's so EZ...yep, yep, yep!

1) Go to Amy's website, leave comment on my blog that you visited her

          -You will get one chance for doing this

2) Share this blog post (with a link back to this blog post) on your blog, 

          (you need to leave me another comment that you did)

          -You will get three more chances for doing this

3)  Be a follower...sure, 'cause you wouldn't want to miss any fun, right?

Winner to be chosen (by Random.org)

midnight (US, MT time)Friday June 3rd.

Do any of you have any of Amy's patterns?

Her patterns and quilts can sure put a smile on your face...

don't you think?

PS...Wonderful Wednesday will be postponed until next week....