Amy
From Closter, NJ
Anita Gives Thanks| All Access | 18
We also want to thank
our amazingly talented
seamstresses, Amy and
Tammy, who volunteered to
assemble all of the quilt
blocks we have received for
At Anita Goodesign, we rely on our
seamstresses every day. Every quilt
you see and touch at our events are
built by hand, by our seamstresses.
They are also the geniuses behind
many of our DIY articles, by creating
custom patterns and photographing
step-by-step tutorial pictures for
projects. Without Tammy and Amy, the
creative team would not be where it
is today. Amy and Tammy continue to
build quilts for Safe Alliance, thanks to
all of your support.
How long have you been
quilting and sewing?
TAMMY: I started sewing as a little
girl with my grandma when I was
around 8 or 9 years old. My grandma
started by teaching me to hand sew
buttons onto my grandpa’s shirts; then
we moved on to sewing 2 pieces
of fabric together by using a straight
stitch. She kept adding fabric squares
and before I knew it, I had made my
first hand sewn quilt. I’ve been hooked
ever since. Now I am teaching my
granddaughters. I hope to one day
give them my embroidery machine so I
can teach them traditional and modern
embroidery.
AMY: I have only been quilting since
I started working here. I have been
sewing since I was a kid, and I went on
to study design at the Fashion Institute
of Technology in New York. I worked
on 7th Avenue for a home furnishing
boutique sewing custom designs.
How long have you worked
for AGD?
TAMMY: Almost 5 years; and
loving every minute of it! Sewing and
embroidery make me happy. It’s not
just a job or a hobby to me, it’s my life’s
passion and a career I’m very proud of.
AMY:I have been working here almost
2 years.
How does it feel making a
quilt for people in need?
TAMMY: I do what I can for people
in need outside of work. It’s just who
I am. Everyone needs help at one
time or another. When I was told we
could make quilts for Safe Alliance,
it really touched me. I thought, “I get
to make a quilt for someone in need,
someone who needs to be warm, and
someone who needs to feel safe.” I get
to make something for someone that
they can keep and know that it came
from a place of love, kindness, and
compassion.
AMY: It feels great to be able to make
a difference in the lives of others while
doing what I love.
What goes into making a
quilt like this?
TAMMY: A lot goes into making a
quilt. You have to have lots of time,
fabric, and thread. The arrangement
of each block is just as important,
so there is a lot of thinking behind
designing a quilt.
AMY: First, it’s a big help that all
of the Anita’s University attendees
donate the quilt blocks from the class.
Everyone uses the same fabrics, but
with different thread colors, so it’s fun
creating patterns with blocks from all
over the country.
Tammy
From Burlington, NC