Lisa Ruble

Meet Lisa

Pellon: Where do you find inspiration for your work?
Lisa: Much of my inspiration comes from that ridiculous black-hole-for-the-hours-in-the-day we all love, the Internet. Quilting blogs, Pinterest…too many ideas and too little time! Sometimes ideas just pop into my head. Those are my favorite because they tend to be pretty random.

P: What does your creative process entail?
L: I don’t do much planning ahead; I’m more of a ”go ahead and wing it” type of girl. When I have an idea, I’ll usually work it through in my head, do a little math to figure out block size if I need to, and then start cutting and sewing. Of course, that never leads to needing to use a seam ripper…

P: Why do you enjoy sewing/crafting/quilting?
L: I love to create. Taking something from an idea in my head to fruition is incredibly fulfilling. I also love giving away things I’ve made and seeing the recipient’s reaction.

P: Do you create mainly for satisfaction, gifts, art or another reason?
L: About half to satisfy a creative yearning and about half for gifts. I love making a quilt with a purpose in mind, but it’s just a lot of fun to look at something (hopefully) beautiful and know that I made it.

P: What tips or tricks learned through experience can you share?
L: Don’t work like I do. In general, it’s less frustrating to quilt with a plan than to just wing it. (Although I highly recommend just winging it once in a while…) Strive to break out of your comfort zone when choosing colors. Every time I do, I am pleasantly surprised with the results. And don’t avoid trying anew technique because you don’t know how to do it. You can find so many tutorials and how-to videos on the Internet alone—don’t limit yourself!

P: When and why did you start sewing/quilting/crafting?
L: At birth? I did a ton of craft projects as a kid, including making Christmas presents for 25+ members of my extended family when I was about 12. My mom sewed, so I got into that (Cabbage Patch clothes, anyone?) and then really started focusing on quilting when I graduated from college. I also have worked for several craft and quilting magazines, which was the perfect marriage of job and hobby. As for why? I guess it’s in the blood.

P: What inspires you to start a project?
L: A fast-approaching deadline, even if it’s self-imposed. Seriously, though, when an idea pops into my head, I’m pretty inclined to drop everything and get started on it. I just can’t wait to see how it turns out.