Meet Paula Golden

Woodbridge, Virginia

All photos courtesy of Paula Golden.

I was first introduced to Paula Golden through an email from one of our Quilty Girls, Mary Walsh.  Mary explained that Paula was ”a dynamic quilter who was an all-around good person…and also, last year’s Quilt Teacher of the Year”!!  Now that I’ve interviewed Paula, I can assure you that all of those good things that Mary said are true!!  Read on…

 

Paula, when did you start quilting? 

I attempted my first quilt when I had just graduated from college.  It did not turn out well at all and ended up in the circular file.  I wish I had it now to love and honor.  Seven years later I took my first quilting class on Hawaiian Quilting from Betsy Like in Oahu, Hawaii in 1980. I have been quilting since.

 

Why did you start quilting?

I had the good fortune to grow up as a military dependent in Germany. It was an incredible experience, especially as I look back on all the wonderful opportunities we had to visit other countries and learn about different cultures.  As a typical teenager I was curious about what I felt I was missing. I did not know what it meant to be “an American”.  When I returned to the US to finish my college education I was interested in American arts and crafts. Quilting had a history that intrigued me.

 

Who taught you how to quilt?

My first quilt class was from Betsy Like in Hawaii. She stressed the importance of creating our own design, as each quilt tells a story, which was very hard for me at that time.  But she insisted and the importance of her words has stayed with me since that time.  Each workshop I have taken presents the opportunity to learn something new.

 

Where do you live now?

We currently live in Virginia.  I love the variety of the geography and the length of the seasons here.

 

What other hobbies do you have besides quilting? 

I love to dig in the dirt and play in our garden.  The natural beauty and incredible detail of flowers constantly inspires me and nourishes my soul.  Our backyard is a certified wildlife habitat so we have a lot of birds, plus an occasional raccoon, possum and deer have been know to visit.

 
Do you have any pets?  Do they try to “quilt” with you?

We have two cats and a dog. Of course they help and always at the most inopportune times!

 

Are you retired?  Do you currently work outside the home?  What kind of work do you do? 

In my former life I was a Medical Technologist and Specialist in Blood Banking.  Now I teach a variety of quilt making workshops.  It is a wonderful part time job that has blended well with being a civic volunteer and parent.

 

Where in your home do you quilt?  What do you call your sewing space? 

I am trying to think of my room for quilting as my “studio” but “sewing room” always slips out.

 

What kind of sewing machine do you use?  How many machines do you own?

I use a Bernina 1630 for all my piecing and quilting.  I do have a Bernina 801 and my mother’s Featherweight as back-ups. And then there is a Wilcox and Gibbs treadle machine and a hand crank machine, but they are for decoration.

 

What is your favorite part of the quilting process?

I love to start with an idea and play with fabrics that make it come alive.

 

What inspires you creatively?

Where to start?  Nature, walks outside, talks with friends, fabric ……

 

Whose quilts inspire you? 

I firmly believe that each quilt tells a story.  Each quilt that I view inspires me in one manner or another. I am on the Virginia Consortium of Quilters Documentation Research and Book Writing Committee. We have seen so many beautiful and historical quilts while conducting research on Virginia’s quilts.  Renowned contemporary quilt makers that inspire me are Jinny Beyer, June Colvin, and Ruth McDowell.

 

How many quilt projects do you have in progress right now? 

Let me just say that there are a lot of pots on the stove and leave it at that.

 

How many UFO’s (unfinished objects) do you have?  Have you ever abandoned a UFO?

I love to go to a quilt show or an antique shop and find old quilt blocks that never made it into a quilt. I like to choose some and then create a new quilt from them, adding in fabrics and borders.  In this way, I feel connected to past quilt makers. It has also lessened the pressure I put on myself to finish each quilt project in a timely fashion.  Maybe someday someone will be finding my blocks or tops to finish and wonder about my life.

 

Do you own any antique quilts?  Where did they come from?

I own a number of old quilts; the earliest quilt in my collection is from 1825.  The condition is not perfect, but it is a wonderful example of Broiderie perse.  I wonder about each quilt maker and the lives they lived. I wish I had more knowledge about the stories behind each quilt and their creator’s.

The antique quilts in my collection have been found at antique shops over the years....... I believe they are party girls, as they like to be taken out and about. I enjoy sharing the old quilts as part of school and camp presentations.

 

Do you make quilts to satisfy a creative need or are your quilts always made for a specific purpose or person? 

My quilts are a creative work.  We have comforters on the bed.  Since our daughter’s puppy doesn’t understand that our bed is not her bed, it keeps family dynamics on an even keel.

 

Has quilting ever helped you through a time of struggle or heartache?  Can you share about that?

I believe that quilting can soothe the soul and help in troubled times.  Quilting has helped me realize that I am not a quitter and am strong person.  Barbara Pack, Karen Mayhew and I organized a two-day quilt conference (They That Sew Through Tears in Roanoke, VA, 2004) that used watercolor quilt-making as a way to work through the grief of neonatal death.   It was the most awesome event I have ever participated in.

 

Tell me about a project that you are working on right now.

I am working on a quilt using garlic as its subject. It will be part of a permanent exhibit of Healing Quilts in Art at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Oncology unit. The exhibit is being organized by Judy House.

 

Do you enjoy machine quilting? 

I machine quilt most projects due to previous experience with carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands.  I try to stretch daily to keep my hands and arms healthy; however, I would rather use my time to hand appliqué than hand quilt. 

I quilt all of my wall quilts by machine.  Mary Mast (hand quilting) and Pat Burham (machine quilting) lend their expertise to larger quilts.

 

Do you plan out your whole quilt before you begin or do you start with an idea and let it develop on its own? 

Each quilt has a life of its own and develops as it wishes to. When I have a plan in mind, something new always develops.  When I try to make the quilt go the way I would like it to, I end up unstitching and letting the quilt guide me. 

 

Do you like to piece or appliqué your quilts?

I believe that the quilt’s design dictates how the quilt should be made. I follow the quilt’s thoughts.

 

What’s your favorite color scheme in a quilt? 

Most of my quilts use saturated colors. I find it hard to work in pastels but keep trying to learn how to do so.

 

Is there a quilting technique, pattern, color combo, etc. that you’ve been dreaming of, but haven’t tried yet?  Please tell me about it.

I have been collecting fabric and have sketched a design about letting go. As a parent it is important to give our children roots and wings.  For me, it was easier when my children were little and the situations were supervised.  As they are young adults ready to live on their own, letting go is a bit tough for me.

 

Do you belong to a guild or quilting group? 

I belong to a number of quilt organizations. My “home” guild, which I founded, is Cabin Branch Quilters. I also belong to Quilters Unlimited of Northern Virginia, Virginia Consortium of Quilters, the Mason Dixon Quilt Professionals Network (president), American Quilter’s Society, and the American Quilt Study Group.  I am on the advisory board of the Virginia Quilt Museum.

I believe that we can learn so much from each other about life and quilting. Belonging to a guild offers a significant amount of support in many ways.

 

Do you ever teach classes?  What is your favorite class to teach?

I love to teach quilt making. I think Hawaiian quilting would be my favorite as I love to see someone who is very leery about creating their own design have the “aha moment” when the thoughts in their hearts and head translate into an original design.

 

Have you developed any special quilting techniques or products?

I create my own paper foundation patterns and have created a process to transform a design or photograph into a paper foundation pattern.

Another technique that I have been playing with is using basting spray for large applique areas. It keeps the applique fabric completely smooth and flat before it is pinned or basted down.  It also does not leave any space between the background and applique piece (i.e., when freezer paper is used).  


Have any of your quilts won awards or been published in a book or magazine? 

I have had the honor of having my quilts in three books and four magazines: Designing Tessellations by Jinny Beyer, Quilts Are Forever edited by Kathy Lamancusa and Quilting with Manhole Covers by Shirley MacGregor.  

Four of my original patterns have been published in The Foundation Piecer and Quilts With Style.

 

Do you use any tools or gadgets to achieve a ¼” seam allowance? 

I think that ARDCO’s 1/4” ruler is the best on the market. It always stays true.  As for other tools, "Add-a-Quarter" and a dressmakers serrated wheel are indispensable for paper foundation piecing.

 

Do you have any tips or advice for beginners?  What do you wish you would have known when you started quilting?

I wish I had taken a good basic quilt class when I had started rather than trying it on my own (and tossing the quilt top).  I believe that learning the basics of hand and machine piecing from scratch (with templates, etc.) will help down the line even if one only uses a rotary cutter and ruler for future quilts.  After that, follow your heart by creating quilts that make it sing. One of my favorite children’s books is The Bedspread.  It is about two sisters, one who embroiders with abandon and the other who is very regimented in her stitching.  The ending is wonderful.

 

Do you have any suggestions for quilters who are trying to fit more quilting time into their day?

We all have to remember that there are only twenty-four hours in each day. When I look at women who seem to accomplish forty-eight hours worth of activities, I have to realize that: 1) that may be their path or 2) something has to give.  Learning how to say “No” to what is not important is one of the most crucial lessons we can learn.  If we cannot honor who we are, how can we teach our children to do the same? I believe that women and men have equal difficulty with this issue.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed getting to know Paula as much as I have!  You can learn more about Paula and her awesome quilts by visiting her website.

www.paulagolden.com

So whom do you want for the next Real Women Quilt Featured Quilter?!!  I'm always open to your suggestions.  and let me know.


We are working on loading all the past Featured Quilters into our Featured Quilter Archive....sort of like our own little Hall of Fame!! 

Featured Quilter Achives!!