Welcome back to Meet Me in My Studio, where we explore the creative spaces of quilters, cooks and garden-lovers! This week, I’m delighted to take you inside the world of Debbie Jeske, the passionate voice behind A Quilter’s Table – (and super-popular newsletter The Scrap Basket) – that has been nurturing the online quilting community for over a decade.
Debbie is a Seattle-area multi-award winning quilter who finds special joy in improvisational quilt-making. As an active participant in Bee Sewcial (including being part of the first-ever group quilt Best In Show at QuiltCon with “Smile” by Leanne Chahley), she creates thoughtful collaborative quilts like her current “Ode to Joy” project. Debbie intentionally shares the process of designing and puzzling together complex projects, sharing the messy middle and not just the finished quilt. And through Rainy Day Bites cookbook club, she celebrates her extensive cookbook collection and the joy of making delicious meals as another form of creative expression.
Known for her wonderful sense of humor and genuine warmth, Debbie is opening her studio doors today to share how making, cooking, and community all come together around A Quilter’s Table.
Welcome, Debbie Jeske!
About Your Creative Space
Please tell us where your studio is located.
My studio takes up a good half of my husband’s and my home office. Everything related to my creating is here, as are both of our desks and computers.
What do you create in this space?
Mostly I create quilts. But I also enjoy making small sewn projects – bags, small art pieces, gifts for my friends and family. In addition, most of my blogging and newsletter-writing is done in this space.
How would you describe the space? Tell us what it feels like to walk into your studio.
The studio/office is a place my husband and I dreamt about long before it became a reality. On one hand, it’s nothing super special, but it’s a haven of sorts for us, where we both enjoy each other’s company and also do things we each enjoy separately.
As for my kitchen, it’s nearly 50 years old, and though appliances have been updated, it’s needing an upgrade. That said, it has pretty much everything I need to make tasty meals for my husband and I, as well as for our family and friends. I especially like to open the window over the sink when I’m cooking, letting some fresh air in and hearing the sound of my porch fountain.
What’s your favorite part of your studio and why?
I think it’s a toss up! Though not perfect, I love creating on my design wall, and am so grateful for it. Sometimes I have one big project growing on it; often I have several small projects as they wait for next steps. But I also really enjoy my cutting/sewing table. There’s plenty of room to prep and create, right in front of a large window, while providing quite a bit of storage room.
My favorite part of my kitchen is probably my extensive cookbook collection.
What’s one thing you wish you could change about your studio and how have you adapted to work with this limitation?
I do wish I had a larger design wall. The one I have is functional, and I’m thankful for it, but my quilts often don’t quite fit on it. It would be helpful if they did. For now, I occasionally rotate quilt tops and backs 90 degrees, so they fit while I design them.
And I look forward to the day our kitchen can be updated, with hopefully a little more counter space. Meanwhile, I just make what I have work.
Your Creative Process
What small rituals in your space mark the beginning and end of your creative time?
First off, a beverage. Whether it’s a homemade latte or a bottle of water, grabbing a beverage as I head in usually means I hope to spend some significant time there. To end, I always neaten things up and cover my sewing machine, so it’s a welcoming space next time I arrive to sew.
In my kitchen, I always put on an apron when I’m going in to cook dinner! And yes, the kitchen is pretty much cleaned up and the dishwasher running at the end of the day!
How do you approach your work or creative practice? Do you dive right in, or ease into work mode more slowly?
Computer work I ease into. I often will begin, then save files to tweak and expand with fresh eyes. With creative projects I dive right in. When I only have a short timeframe to create, I work quickly, seeing how much I can accomplish in the limited time.
What do you do when you’re feeling creatively stuck? Please provide an example.
Sometimes I look through my quilt books for a design or technique to inspire me. One example is my Italiano antico, inspired by the Old Italian Block found in Unconventional & Unexpected: American Quilts Below the Radar by quilt curator and collector Roderick Kiracofe.
Or sometimes, I grab my scrap basket and just start sewing scraps together, which led to Let It Be.
Favorites & Recommendations
What’s your favorite storage solution in your space?
I think my fabric storage closet is my favorite, even though it’s not perfect. But it holds all of my fabric nicely, and I can shut the doors to keep dust and sun out.
What’s your favorite project/meal you’ve ever made/grown in your space and what makes it special to you?
There is definitely not just one favorite project I’ve made – there have just been SO many over my years of quilting. But one I really love is Autumn Steps, made in 2020, after slowly curating a fabric pull during the early months of the pandemic. It’s an improvisational courthouse steps made with a variety of substrates and quilted with a serpentine stitch, which together made a very cozy quilt. It’s the one I personally enjoy cuddling with during the cooler months.
A favorite meal is also a tough one to choose, but I especially enjoy trying new recipes, using new-to-me ingredients, and making dressings and sauces from scratch. A meal that my family loves (and has been our go-to Christmas morning brunch for over a decade) is Cinnamon French Toast with Ricotta Filling served with Coffee & Brown Sugar Bacon, fruit salad, and mimosas.
What’s a piece of advice you’d give someone trying to become more intentional about their creative studio time/routine?
A common tip – even a little time creating each day maintains momentum on a project, keeps you inspired, and for me, settles me and helps me deal with the day’s responsibilities better.
Quick Finishers
The silliest thing in my studio is: the closet. It has two standard doors with a short wall between them. Long and narrow, it holds plenty, but it awkward to access. Probably the silliest thing in my kitchen is my crock of rubber scrapers (aka silicone spatulas). It’s kind of a family joke/tradition that we need a good variety of sizes and shapes in our kitchens.
The book I recommend to everyone: How about two? Inspiring Improv by Nicholas Ball and WALK by Jacquie Gering.
I always feel best when: I have at least a few minutes to sew every day. In the kitchen, I’m happiest when I have a well-stocked fridge and pantry, so I can choose what to cook according to my whim.
The studio tool I’d rescue first in an emergency is: Besides a sewing machine? Probably my Gingher shears. I don’t use them often, but they were a gift from my mom back when I was really beginning to take quilting seriously, and they’re a sentimental item.
Looking Forward
Anything exciting that you are working on now?
The big project I’m tackling right now is my latest Bee Sewcial quilt, Ode to Joy. It was quite a puzzle to piece it together. I incorporated embroidery into the backing and am currently working on getting it quilted.
I’ve been a member of the Rainy Day Bites Cookbook Club with Deborah Balint @rainydaybites since January 2023. It combines my love of cookbooks and trying new recipes, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what books we’ll be cooking and baking from for the final third of the year.
Thank you so much, Debbie! It’s been a joy to learn more about your projects in the sewing room and the kitchen! To learn more about Debbie Jeske at A Quilter’s Table you can follow her on Instagram, and visit her website. You can sign up for her monthly newsletter or visit the archives here.
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