Member Profile: Meet Geraldine

Before we wrap up our member introductions, I'd like to present to you Geraldine of Sophie Belle Designs.  Geraldine, tell us more about yourself...

Stars and Stripes: One of Geraldine's favorites.  She says "...probably a bit too ambitious for someone quilting since January '12, but I have enormous patients when I'm quilting, seems to leave me as soon as I leave my sewing room!" 

The basics

Name: Geraldine Conway          

Hometown: Carrantample, Co. Sligo

Current Home: Lucan, Co. Dublin. Live in a great spot which is far too close to the shops!
Flickr name: SophieBelleDesigns

Family: A husband and two children, a boy of 12 and a girl (Sophie) 7

Pets: A cat called Lennie

Love Birds: One of Geraldine's favorites.

The details

What is your day job? Stay at home Mum who gets to sew while the kids are in school. I also spend a lot of time working with my little girl Sophie who has special needs.

What is your current dream job? Pretty happy with my current set up!

What did you want to be as a child? Can’t remember...

What is your favourite time waster? Internet or 4od.

What are you working on now? A baby boy quilt, a gaming pad sleeve and a draught excluder & customised apron

What do you want to be working on right now? I’m designing some cushions with sketches on them, so just working through the overall look I’m aiming for and practising sketching with my sewing machine.

Do you have other hobbies beyond quilting? I paint and draw too & enjoy photography

Do you play sports?  Which ones? None

What is your strongest positive personality trait? Optimism

What is your greatest fear (nothing morbid or spooky…in a lighter sense)? My sewing machine dying

Is there anything in your past that would shock us (that you’re willing to share)? Ha, next..

What started you quilting? My Mum always sewed and quilted so I just followed her lead.

Geraldine's creative space!

A Quick-fire Round….What is your Favourite
place to holiday: Florence or New York

movie: The Station Agent or The Guard

food: Boxty

book: It would be like asking whose my favourite child! Impossible task.

band/song: Again too many to narrow it down.

colour: Blue

saying: ‘it could be worse’

fabric line or designer: Don’t have one, I just like what I see.
sewing tool: Probably my quilting gloves, couldn’t quilt without them.
completed sewing project: My boys stars and stripes quilt
quick finish sewing project: Cushions or iPhone covers

The quilts
I made this quilt for my boy Jack a few years ago. I started out determined to make a cushion for his bed and it ended up as a quilt. I went about it completely the wrong way and made many mistakes but I still love it!

Well this quilt just ended up all wrong. The ‘white’ background of the polka dot was off white and it jarred against the white bands. That bugged me hugely and when I washed it the red colour ran and it all ended up a hot mess. Two lessons were learned though. The first: double check your fabric colours in the store, especially the whites. Second: wash all your colours to make them run proof beforehand. I washed all my red fabrics together after that and it took 16 colour catchers and 6 washes to make them run proof!!!!!