Betsy Vinegrad

Short Hills, New Jersey

About Betsy Vinegrad...

I've been quilting for… 18 years.

I began quilting because… I love fabric and have been sewing most of my life. I studied clothing and textiles in college and worked in the fashion industry in New York as a patternmaker and technical designer. At work, I spent my time making clothes fit. At home I wanted to make things that didn’t have to fit.

I learned to quilt… I started collecting quilt books and magazines. I took a hand piecing class at a local quilt shop. That was the last hand piecing I did! Now, I take as many workshops as I can from different teachers to learn different skills.

My quilting style is… A mix of traditional machine piecing using contemporary fabrics.

A person who inspired me…  Shizuko Kuroha, a Japanese quilter, Judy Doenias at City Quilter in New York.

My imagination is sparked by… Books, magazines, architecture, graphic design, anywhere…

My favorite techniques… Rotary cutting, chain piecing, paper/foundation piecing, log cabins.

Colors or fabrics I'm attracted to... Bright colors and Japanese indigo.

My fabric stash... Lots of batiks, Japanese fabrics, Australian fabrics, bright colors, black and white. I have more fabric than I will ever use.

My quilting community… I belong to 2 quilt guilds, Empire Quilters in New York City and Garden State Quilters in New Jersey.

My additional hobbies/interests… I knit and crochet. I am part of an unofficial running group. We run 3 to five times a week all year round and enter local races. I coach 3rd to 5th grade girls in a program called Girls on the Run.

I entered Quilt Design Star™ 2011 because... I have always been good at interpreting and creating what others design and have a hard time coming up with my own ideas.  I thought this would be a good opportunity for me to take a risk and design more.

Links... No.

What you should know about me… My two sons and husband love baseball. In the past 10 years we have been to every major league baseball stadium.

Cosmic Spin (below) is Betsy's Quilt Design Star™ 2011 entry quilt.

Summer Sorbet (below) is Betsy's Quilt Design Star™ 2011 Challenge 1 quilt.

Sante Fe (below) is Betsy's Quilt Design Star™ 2011 Challenge 2 quilt.