About Sandie Mackintosh...

Check out Sandie's contest quilts at the bottom of this page.

I've been quilting since.. I pieced my first top 24 years ago.

I began quilting because.. I saw an article in Womans Day magazine claiming to teach you how to “Make a Quilt in a Day”, and thought it would make a great wedding gift. ( It’s been almost 25 years and I have completely frog stitched the original Trip Around the World and turned it into a Boston commons variation and still have not finished that first quilt.  So much for  making a “Quilt in a Day”!)

I learned to quilt by.. After that first top I began buying every quilt magazine and book I could find and learned what I could from them, but basically I am self taught.

My style is.. dependent upon my mood! Maybe “evolving “ would be the right word. Traditional blocks are often my jumping off point, so a lot of my designs have that kind of a feel, but with a "current" undertone.

I was inspired by.. my paternal grandmother, who was an accomplished seamstress and needleworker. If it involved what was referred to as”hand work” she did it and did it beautifully. Sewing , embroidery, knitting, crocheting, beading... you name it, she did it.....except for quilting! So even though I do all of the rest of the things that she did, and the quilting is mine alone,  I still believe that my inspiration comes from the memories I have of the beautiful things she made with her hands.

I draw inspiration from.. all around me...a song title or lyric, the layout of tiles in a floor, a stained glass window, a flower garden, a pottery collection, a beautiful piece of fabric, it could be anything! A musician friend and I were talking recently, and in order to help him understand what quilting means to me, I compared it to his music. While he uses instruments and volume and tone to convey his thoughts, I interpret mine through fabric, and texture.

My favorite techniques are.. whichever one I happen to be using at the moment! I do not believe that the “Quilt Police “ can, or should, dictate to anyone how things should be done. The entry I used to become a finalist included - machine piecing, foundation piecing, hand applique, machine quilting and hand quilting.. On a different day, or quilt, I may have chosen to use fusible applique and hand machine embroidery. Someone else making the same pattern could very well choose completely different techniques, and achieve beautiful results also.

I am attracted to.. five years ago I would have said primarily “Rustic” country colors, similar to the Kansas Troubles Lines from Moda, but since then  I have also begun to warehouse 30’s Repro's, and have acquired a pretty impressive assortment of hand-dyed fabrics from Starr Designs, Cherrywood and most recently an Etsy Shop by the name of Ruby Mountain Dyeworks. I also love the moda  “Pre - Cuts”, and like to see how many different designs I can create using them.

My stash is.. Have you heard the saying, “ She who dies with the most fabric wins”? My husband says to tell everyone I have it all taken care of, and  jokes that if we ever move, the movers will need a fleet of vans just for the fabric!

I belong to.. the NQA.

My non-quilting hobbies are.. photography is my newest interest. I recently upgraded from a basic point and shoot digital to one with a lot more capabilities, so I plan on taking a non-credit photography course this fall to learn how to use it properly. I also love to cook and bake, and make all those comfort foods that aren’t any good for us like Homemade noodles and soups, Pierogies, Ravioli. and cheesecakes of any description!

I entered Quilt Design Star™.. to step out of my “comfort zone” and stretch myself. I have always thought about publishing my patterns or submitting them to a magazine for publication, but lacked the confidence to take that first step and the Design Star  contest gave me the perfect opportunity. (That, and my brother-in-law insisted! Thanks Bruce!)

What you should know about me.. I have been married to my husband for almost 16 years, and together we adopted and raised 3 children. We now share our home with 1 dog and 3 cats, who are kind enough to allow us to continue to live there and feed them!

Stolen Moments (below) is Sandie's Design Star™ entry quilt.

When Madeleine and Elmer Fell in Love (below) is Sandie's Design Star™ Challenge 1 quilt.

Who Needs Television (below) is Sandie's Design Star™ Challenge 2 quilt.