Meet Dani
Pellon: Where do you find inspiration for your work?
Dani: Much of my inspiration comes from projects that I see others doing either on blogs or my personal favorite, Instagram. I follow many different crafters on IG and they are always posting wonderful projects that make me want to get up and get crafting!
P: What does your creative process entail?
D: I often begin thinking about the design for a project while I am in bed at the end of the day. I think about requirements, layout and the general idea of how a piece will go together. Then I move on to sketches, which are often refined and changed based on my or my customer’s requirements. Finally I will begin working with fabric, creating a sample piece with muslin and then a finished piece from my final fabric.
P: Why do you enjoy sewing/crafting/quilting?
D: I think I have always had a need to create things with my hands. It seems so much more productive to me than working on a computer (although that is an important part of my business and process too). I get a great deal of satisfaction from finished projects – being able to look back and say “I made that!” I also love the feeling of giving handmade pieces, especially to other people who craft.
P: Do you create mainly for satisfaction, gifts, art or another reason?
D: While I used to create solely for myself and for gifts, the main reason I create now is for my business. I have been able to turn what I love into something that I get to do every day. And I am so thankful for that! Even while I working I still have a strong feeling of satisfaction in completing a piece or project.
P: What tips or tricks learned through experience can you share?
D: Being a good sewist takes practice! It is not something that you will necessarily be perfect at on day one. You will encounter challenges, mistakes, and problems but that is ok! Keep sewing as often as you can, and before you know it you will look back and see how quickly and vastly your work has improved.
P: When and why did you start sewing/quilting/crafting?
D: I began sewing at age 11 as part of my school Home Ec. program, but I did a lot of different crafty and art projects with my Grandpa from as young as I can remember. The work I did with wood and metal, building with Meccano, and many others were really the foundations for the sense of satisfaction I get from working with my hands. I have done and still do many different crafts including knitting,weaving, cross stitch and paper crafting, but nothing has held on as long or as strong as sewing.
P: What inspires you to start a project?
D: Deadlines! I know that sounds silly, or too much like work, but I am a person that thrives on a deadline. I am a type A, list-making organizer. If I don’t have a deadline for something it will often just get pushed to the back burner. The deadline might be something as simple as an upcoming Modern Quilt Guild meeting, when I know I want to have my current quilt finished and ready to show and tell. Or it might be customer based and require careful prioritizing. It’s not a system that works for everyone, but it works extremely well for me.
