Michelle Wilkie has not been quilting for very long, but her list of quilting accomplishments is already extensive. A full-time software developer by day, she steals time for herself to quilt at night and on weekends. Michelle’s passion to learn and to share what she knows has led her to teach and contribute in a wide variety of ways: she writes about all of her creative endeavors on her blog, Factotum of Arts; she is an active member and administrator for the Quilt Design A Day Facebook group; she created a monthly series called Design to Reality for Sew Mama Sew; she contributes regular content to the Modern Quilt Guild; she has won three design competitions; and if that’s not enough, her work has also been published in Love Patchwork and Quilting, QuiltCon Magazine, and Modern Quilts: Designs of the New Century. In addition, Michelle’s work has hung at multiple QuiltCon shows and she is the Region 4 representative for the board of the Modern Quilt Guild. Are you impressed yet??!? Michelle is a proud kiwi (born in Auckland, New Zealand), who decided to travel round the world. She is currently settled in North Carolina where she lives with her husband and 10-year-old son. Welcome, Michelle!
How would you describe your quilting style/aesthetic?
Michelle: My quilts fall into a modern aesthetic. I love all quilting styles, but my favorites are improvisation and minimalism. I am inspired by the world around me, and have a passion for design. Majority of my quilts are of original design.
New York Highline. Image Courtesy of Michelle Wilkie.
How would you describe the creative environment in your home as a child?
Michelle: I don’t remember growing up and thinking that my mum and dad were creative. Looking back though, they were both very creative and have influenced my creative outlets over the years. I remember drawing from a young age and knew it was a thing I was good at. That was encouraged with winning art awards. In high school, art was the elective I chose to balance the heavy science and math focused curriculum, I had. My favorite medium is chalk pastels.
In art, my Dad probably influenced me the most while growing up, as he was a type setter and oil painter hobbyist. My mum was an amazing seamstress, and made all our clothes in elementary school, and two ball gowns while in high school. Though having a kid’s sewing machine at 10 it was not something that I was really interested in.
Abstract Triangle Trio Pillow. Image Courtesy of Michelle Wilkie.
What artists and makers do you most admire or have an influence on your work?
Michelle: There are so many. . . from an art perspective, growing up in New Zealand gave me a love for Pacific Island and Maori art and designs. More recently, my favorite artists who I admire are Carmen Herrera, Ellsworth Kelly, Donald Judd and Frank Stella. I have to mention also Jacquie Gering and Katie Pederson, which highly influenced my plunge into modern quilting with their book Quilting Modern: Techniques and Projects for Improvisational Quilts.
Altitudinal Ecosystem. Image Courtesy of Michelle Wilkie.
Do you consider yourself a “quilter”, an artist, or some combination of both?
Michelle: This is a question I have been asking myself too and I think has changed over time as I experience different opportunities. I would love to be a recognized as textile artist.
Right now, as I commit more to this career path, I am asking myself about the balance between making art versus making for a more commercial market. I think it is tough choosing a path and finding that identity.
How would you define “making with intention”?
Michelle: I am not sure. I think for me this depends on the project and the goal for the project. Introspectively, I would like my quilts to show my journey, whether that is a journey of exploration, finding peace, remembering lost ones, or having a voice.
Sunday Best. Image Courtesy of Michelle Wilkie.
Do you think that having a craft makes us more compassionate? If so, then how?
Michelle: I don’t think it necessarily makes us more compassionate, but I think it provides us with different opportunities and avenues to show it. Becoming a quilter has allowed me to meet people and be part of an amazing community. In this diverse community, you get to hear about other people’s viewpoints/stories and it provides different ways to give back. Quilting gives me a voice.
How does creating feed your soul/spiritual purpose?
Michelle: I am an over thinker and achiever. You know the kind that gets insomnia as they replay conversations and situations over and over, role play different outcomes etc. Everything has to be right. Compound that with a high-stress environment…I was probably a ticking time bomb. For a long time, I had been focused on my career and had given up all forms of creativity.
The act of designing and quilting has provided me a much-needed creative outlet again. It helps me find a balance. It provides me a calming place as it gives me “me-time”. This ultimately reduces my stress. I no longer have insomnia and over think work situations, which is fantastic. I will admit that I keep a journal by my bed now, as I can have trouble switching off my brain, noodling on new design opportunities.
Rails. Image Courtesy of Michelle Wilkie.
Are there any rituals that you perform to prepare/ground yourself in your work?
Michelle: I have a couple of rituals:
- I have to have a clean space when I start a new project. I clean all the surfaces, I sort and put away scraps, put things back in their place, dust and vacuum. I see it providing me a clean slate for the next idea/design/quilt
- Before I start quilting a new quilt, I clean my machine and change the needle.
What is the support system you have in place for creating your work?
Michelle: Firstly, my husband is amazing. He gave up his space in our bonus room for my sewing studio and helped me organize it and set-up my design wall. I love that he encourages me. Biggest thing of all, he does for me is he gives me the time to create.
I am also very lucky to have a group of women that are part of a sewing group that meet at my house once a month. They are my people. What’s amazing is that they have all contributed to my journey, providing emotional support, great feedback, helping with editing, graphic design assistance and good times.
The world of social media, has also provided me with such inspiration, support and direction. Without Quilt Design a Day Facebook group, I don’t think I would be where I am today. Finding this group allowed me to grow and find who I am as an artist. I also love the Instagram community, and am giving back this year with #yearoffavoritethings. Meeting many of these folks in real life is one of the best experiences of every event I go to.
San Francisco Bustle was a Modern Quilt Guild quilt of the month and based on a design from the Quilt Design A Day FB group. Image courtesy of Michelle Wilkie.
How do you deal with comparison to / envy of others? Can you describe a time when you used comparison/envy/admiration to push yourself in your own work and self-discovery?
Michelle: I tend to be affected by others when I need to make critical personal decisions or change in direction. At the moment, I am in the middle of this junction.
I work a full-time job that sometimes involves travel and often means working 50 hours a week or more. This impacts my quilting time, being away, being too tired etc. With social media, I see how much people can accomplish who have this as their full-time job. I have a passion for this and ecstatic about what I have accomplished so far but can I do more? I have to make the decision if I can accept what I can do in the time I have, or need to make a change. Can I find a better balance? How do I fit in more? What can I change?
What was the most challenging thing you ever made?
Michelle: The most challenging thing I made was my mum’s quilt. My mum was suffering from a brain tumor. I wanted to make a quilt to give her comfort, while I was on the other side of the world (they live New Zealand, I live in the US). I wanted to get it to her quickly but the quilt was a lot longer journey, as it needed to be my best work. She was so happy when I finally gave it to her. It gives me peace that she was able to enjoy it in her last days. I know it meant a lot to her. It now resides on my bed.
The quilt Michelle made for her mom now adorns her own bed. Image courtesy of Michelle Wilkie.
What does it mean to you to work in a traditionally domestic medium that historically has been regarded as predominately female (aka “women’s work”)?
Michelle: I am still working on understanding what this means to me, to be honest. I am proud of the history and the women who have come before me, whether it was producing quilts for use or as an art piece. I would like women to be taken seriously, if they choose quilts as their medium for art or expression. Overall as an artist, I think women have been overlooked.
How do you see your current work in the context of quilting history?
Michelle: As a relative newbie, only 5 years into this, I am exploring this at the moment. To know where you fit, I think you need to understand the past. Other than researching the history, I have been experimenting with hand stitching, using upcycled materials and next up I want experiment hand quilting as a group.
Thank you, Michelle! It’s hard to believe you have only been quilting for five years! You’ve accomplished so much in such a short period of time! To learn more about Michelle, visit her website Factotum of Arts or connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.
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Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl
March 16, 2018 at 11:08 amI love how everyone interviewed so far has their own unique voice and perspective, but how much I relate to everyone’s point of view and answers. Trying to accept if what we are doing is enough or if it is time for a change in terms of balance and life choices is really a lovely way to view comparison to others. I hope these conversations help foster the knowledge that we all face these challenges and help make the community more supportive somehow as a result. I might need to noodle on that for a bit.
lelandavestudios@gmail.com
March 16, 2018 at 12:24 pmI agree, Yvonne. And I think there’s a repetitive theme – that we are all hard on ourselves. I’m not sure what the answer is, but I’m hoping as we continue to work through the series, and as we get more perspectives from a wider range of quilters, we will start to have some new ideas for how we view ourselves, our own work and the work of others.
Judy @ Sew Some Sunshine
March 16, 2018 at 8:06 pmThese interviews are a nice window into ‘meeting’ many quilters that we might only know from snippets on social media. It’s really nice hearing more about each person and Michelle was no exception. I think that getting to know more about other quilters can help us understand more about our own work. Another great interview, thanks Kim!
Kirsty @ Bonjour Quilts
March 17, 2018 at 8:04 pmAnother great interview! I love Michelle’s style and colour choices. So many beautiful, thoughtful quilts here.
lelandavestudios@gmail.com
March 19, 2018 at 10:33 pmThanks, Kirsty. And I couldn’t agree more. The quilts are lovely and so much attention went into each design decision.
Abby
March 29, 2018 at 10:39 amI LOVE Michelle’s abstract style with such perfect color combos. I’m already inspired to make my own creations. Very cool.
lelandavestudios@gmail.com
April 6, 2018 at 9:57 amAbby, I agree — and the photos are quite wonderful, too!