Jera Brandvig

Meet Jera

Pellon:  Where do you find inspiration for your work?
Jera Brandvig: I like to go back to the basics, or older techniques/art forms, and see how they can be either simplified or modified in some creative way. Then, once the light bulb goes off in my head I’m usually ecstatic to share the ‘new’ technique with the world. And because I’m a fabric addict (as most quilters are) I of course draw inspiration from fabric as well. 

P: What does your creative process entail?
JB: A sleeping toddler, my sketchbook, my Pfaff and some inspiring fabrics. Throw in some chocolate to the mix and I’m unstoppable.  

P: Why do you enjoy quilting/crafting/sewing?
JB: Because it puts me in my happy place. It keeps my brain creative. And what’s more satisfying than creating something beautiful?

P:  Do you create mainly for satisfaction, gifts, art or any other reason?
JB: I create because it gives me an excuse to buy fabric. Lots and lots of pretty fabric.

P: What tips and tricks have you learned through your experience that you can share?
JB: Being a self-taught quilter I know plenty of tips and tricks in which I always share on my blog. But the main thing is to remember that if anything ever frustrates you or stops you from completing a project, if you do a little digging there’s always a more simplified way around it. So don’t sweat it and have fun. Don’t let the craft intimidate you. Rather, make it work for you.

P: When and why did you start quilting?
JB: I’m proud to say that I’m the first quilter in my family! I started in 2007 after I walked into a local fabric boutique and on impulse started buying (and hoarding) fabrics. What better way to display fabrics then to make a quilt?! Later that year my husband bought me a sewing machine. We didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into. 😉

P: What inspires you to start a project.
JB: Pretty fabrics or an interesting design in a piece of artwork. If there’s something beautiful that I see that inspires me, my quilting-brain likes to take it apart to see how I can craft something similar but  in a quilted version.