Beth Hayes
Editor in Chief
Believe it or not, my very favorite scenario for really "putting on the steam" is sewing during NFL and college football games. That takes me through long Saturdays and Sundays for about half the year.
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| Come springtime, baseball works in a pinch. You won't find me stitching much during the summer, however. Every spare moment is spent on the golf course! Like all serious quilters, snacks are kept close by. |
Ellie Brown
Art Director
Kind of a hierarchy of the creative process happens to me. Mentally I build in anticipation for weeks before I get going on a project. That incubation phase provides me with a lot of energy.
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| Then seeing the work develop under my hands keeps me excited. I meter my time by number of movies watched while working…Lord of the Rings is a favorite…and the mindless timeless creative zone is my favorite place to be. Staying in that moves me to the finish. |
Sandee Wachal
Associate Editor
Being a "retired nurse", I've always had thoughts of hooking up an IV in my arm with a melted milk chocolate drip for a good energy fix. But, I've never done it. Instead I settle for a bowl of mini Hershey bars, Enya on the CD player, and the phone off the hook.
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Kathy Patterson
Assistant Editor
The right kind of music can get me through almost any quilting dilemma. I like classical when I need to concentrate and work through a drafting problem, classic rock when sewing something repetitive as
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| quickly as possible, and country music for detailed appliqué or piecing challenges (it's as if they feel my pain!) For an energy boost, raw nuts, dried fruit, and lots of water work for me. |
Lise Neer
Senior Designer
Nothing clears my head or energizes me better than a good long bike ride. But that takes precious time away from the studio, so a more immediate solution is to wander outside for some light gardening,
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| take a quick walk, or—in case of bad weather—practice some invigorating yoga. Anything that gets me breathing again is a big help. |
Tricia Camp
Editorial Assistant
Even when I am on a deadline, I make sure I take enough breaks that I don't get too tense from just sitting, or so focused on a technique that I'm not allowing creativity to have a place in what I'm doing.
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| I get up and walk around, even if it's just to the kitchen for yet another snack or to stare out a window for a moment. This allows me to see if I like what I'm doing or if I think I need to move in a different direction. |
Laura Stone Roberts
Contributing Editor
I think every quilter knows what it's like to find yourself hating the project you're up to your elbows in! Nothing's going right, the seam ripper is busier than
the machine, and your neck is so tight you can't turn your head. When I hit this point, I get up and find
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| a cat to cuddle. When my face hits that fur, I can feel the tension just melting away. My mind stops racing and my shoulders unwind. Aaahhhh…just what I needed! |
