Amy Smart

Meet Amy

Pellon: Where do you find inspiration for your work?
Amy Smart: My favorite sewing medium is making quilts. I find inspiration in so many places: architecture, modern art, sidewalks, anything with shapes and geometric patterns.

P: What does your creative process entail?
AS: Sometimes I start with a design in mind, other times I start with a color palette or collection of fabric and then come up with a design. I really love playing with color and prints especially.

P: Why do you enjoy sewing/crafting/quilting?
AS: It’s my creative outlet and my favorite form of artistic expression. I really wish I could paint or draw, but I’m just not as comfortable in those mediums. Sewing is where I get my groove on. Also, as a mother of four busy kids, it’s nice to work on something that stays done.

P: Do you create mainly for satisfaction, gifts, art or another reason?
AS: All of the above. haha. I would say the main reason I create is because it feeds some part of my soul that needs feeding, but I really love creating things for friends and loved ones as well.

P: What tips or tricks learned through experience can you share?
AS: I think the biggest tip I would share is to not get hung up on perfection. So often I’ve seen people who get paralyzed while working on a sewing project because something is not perfect. Then they put the half-finished project away and never get back to it. I say, just keep going. Learn from each experience – especially in the beginning. With each project you are learning and refining your skills. It’s okay if some of them aren’t 100% perfect. The more you keep going the better your skills will get.

P:  When and why did you start sewing/quilting/crafting?
AS: I first learned to sew and quilt from my mom as a child. Later I took clothing sewing lessons in my neighbor’s basement and learned how to make things like corduroy bermuda shorts or boxy, Hawaiian print shirts that looked like something Magnum PI would wear. That neighbor later helped me make a floral dress for my High School graduation 20 years ago. I really started to make quilts in earnest after my first baby was born. I needed that creative outlet and something with visible progress.

P: What inspires you to start a project?
AS: Too many things! Seeing pictures in magazines, catalogs or on the internet, a new fabric collection, or a friend’s new baby. I have more inspiration than I’ll ever have hours in the day to make everything I want to create!