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NW QUILTING EXPO
September 2012
Margaret J. Miller with
MillerQuilts, Inc., is known for her
enthusiasm, humor and sincere
encouragement of quiltmakers
with all levels of experience.
Perhaps that’s why she’s such a
sought-after teacher.
A studio quiltmaker from the
Northwest who travels worldwide
to lecture about hues and design,
Miller’s presentations are colorful,
like her quilts.
What started as teaching quilt
and appliqué classes in a
university’s home economics
department in the ’70s, soon grew
to a successful quilting pattern
business called Tanglethread
Junction — allowing Miller to
reach more students through her
popular appliqué and stained-glass
appliqué designs.
Selling that business in 1982
signified her commitment to
become a full-time quiltmaker.
And she can add inventor and
author to her resumé as well.
As the inventor of Angleplay
templates, tools for rotary-cutting
a formerly difficult patchwork
shape — the elongated triangle —
Miller put her knowledge into
books such as “AnglePlay Blocks,”
“Stunning AnglePlay,” “Smashing
Sets: Innovative Settings for
Sampler Blocks , ”
“Easy P i e c e s :
Creative Color Play with Two
Simple Quilt Blocks,” “Strips that
Sizzle,” and others.
Miller believes that the elongated
triangle will be the next classic
shape in pieced works, since her
templates make perfect piecing
results possible. And she loves
sharing these
tips and tricks
she’s learned
through the
years with her
students.
“My greatest
joy is to get lost
in the creative
p r o c e s s
o f
choos i ng a
range of colors
for a new quilt project, creating the
quilt on the design wall. For me, it
is like a big jigsaw puzzle, and I
just don’t have the box top — and
500 colors to choose from,” she
said.
Her joy of teaching comes from
seeing her enthusiasm for this
craft spread into her
s tuden t s ,
wa t c h i n g
them gain
confidence.
“They
give in to the
j o y
o f
c r e a t i n g
s ome t h i ng
new wi th
their own
hands and
s i m p l e
mat e r i a l s , ”
Miller said.
“Watching the
‘aha’ moment
as a student
catcheson toa technique, or exhibits
newfound satisfaction in color
choices made, is truly gratifying to
me as the teacher.”
Miller encourages her students to
“reach for the unexpected,” she
said. And she’ll teach five classes at
this year’s NW Quilting Expo,
including:
■
Easy Pieces and Strips that
Sizzle allows students to sew and
not agonize about fabric choices
ahead of time because they’ll create
blocks that are simple and fast to
make — learning about value and
color. The techniques learned will
allow students to use multiple color
families and more of a range of
value from light to dark. Since the
blocks are made quickly, the
challenge is to quit playing with the
blocks on the wall and sew them
into a quilt.
■
Desert Starlets and Aquarius
Wall Hanging are projects that
involve the long right triangle —
half a rectangle, which introduces
many new angles into the pieced
surface. This elongated triangle
shape enables the quiltmaker to
create circles and undulating,
curving lines in the pieced block or
quilt — with straight lines and
accurate piecing.
■
Samplin’ AnglePlay will
introduce students to the cutting
and sewing of the long triangle
shape with the help of MillerQuilts’
AnglePlay templates. These
templates address the “matching up
the triangles” problem that this
shape has caused quiltmakers in the
past. Students will improve their
craftsmanship and breathe new life
into their pieced designs by having
these templates in their tool bag.
“Very fewof myworkshops feature
a certain quilt that everyone will
make,” she said, “but even with
workshops like Desert Starlets and
Aquarius Wall Hanging, students
are always encouraged to make
their own design and color choices.
“I knowa lot of growth takes place
— especially when a student really,
really, really tries to make me make
color choices for her, continually
asking ‘do you like that?’ My answer
is always, ‘do you like it?’”
Through her workshops, Miller
hopes to also teach patience.
“The first time they try something
new in quilting, it often feels
awkward or confusing,” she said. “I
proceed to lead them — one step at
a time.”
The process of quiltmaking isn’t a
race or competition, she reminded.
“I insist that people work at their
own pace,” she said, noting to also
not compare fabrics. But attendees
are welcome to check out some of
her favorites. Make sure to stop by
the MillerQuilts booth to view 20
quilts on display representing a
range of techniques highlighted in
Miller’s quiltmaking books since
1992.
For more information about
Miller, visit millerquilts.com.
Margaret Miller’s classes at the show promise to be among the most popular. Her quilt
designs have been a favorite for many years.
■
Margaret Miller’s colorful classes will
share enthusiasm – and helpful tips and
tricks – for quilting
By
NICOLE DeCOSTA
Pamplin Media Group
Margaret’s
creations include,
clockwise from top
left, “Miscellaneous
11,” “To Market, To
Market” and
“Morning Has
Broken.”
“My greatest joy is to get lost in the creative process
of choosing a range of colors for a new quilt project,
creating the quilt on the design wall.”
– Margaret Miller
Check the
schedule for
the dates
and times of
classes
offered.
Getting quality quilt results that
sizzle