Meet Alice Walter and Deb Hopkins

Burley, Idaho

All photos courtesy of Alice and Deb.

I am delighted to introduce you to Deb Hopkins and her mom, Alice Walter (aka Walter Times Two).  A big thank-you goes to Trice Kastein for recommending that I find out more about these Quilty Girls!  According to Trice, “They are inventors of terrific rulers for half-square triangles called the Wonder Cut Rulers.  Besides giving the quilting world these great tools, they are wonderful quilters and warm, caring human beings.”

 
I’ve found Trice’s comments to be sooooo true.  Alice and Deb have hearts of gold.  They each make one, two, or even three quilts per week for charity!!  Sounds like their fabric stash doesn’t have a chance to get dusty!!  I hope you enjoy meeting Alice and Deb as much as I have.

 

When did you start quilting? Or, how many years have you been quilting?

 
Alice – I made a few quilts 30 years ago and then did not pick it up again until about ten years ago.

 
Deb – This year celebrates my 25th year of quilting.  I’ve kept a photo album with pictures of all of my quilts which number a little over 400 at the time of this writing. 

 

Why did you start quilting?

 
Alice – I loved to sew, but was tired of making clothing.

 
Deb – I was very financially challenged and making utility quilts from old jeans was a way to help me make ends meet. 

 

Who taught you how to quilt?

 
Alice – Deb taught me to quilt.

 
Deb – I am a self-taught quilter.  I learned from trial and error.  Some days it was a lot of error. 

Do other people in your family quilt? Who?

 
Alice – My grandmother quilted, my mother did not. Deb has been the one to inspire me to quilt.

 
Deb – I have an aunt who was an avid quilter.  We spent many, many lunch hours over the years talking about quilts.

 

Tell me about your family. What do they think about your quilting?

 
Alice – I have a “wonder”ful husband of 41 years, Stan, two “wonder”ful children, Deb and Ryan, and two “wonder”ful, “wonder”ful grandchildren, Jessa and Alex.

 
Deb – I am married to Ron who is a retired military officer.  He is truly supportive of my quilting addiction.

Do you live in the United States? Which part of the country?

 
We live in southern Idaho – as we say….in the middle on the bottom of the state.

 

What other hobbies do you have besides quilting? How do these interests affect your quilting?

 
Alice – I like reading, especially mystery novels.

 
Deb – One of my Shih-Tzu’s is a certified Pet Therapy Dog.  He and I go on visits to long-term care facilities and hospitals once a week. 

 



What inspires you creatively?

 
There is nothing like enjoying the splendor of Mother Nature to inspire. 

 

What is your favorite season? Why?

 
Alice – I like fall the best. The frost has killed the bugs, but not the flowers, which are always in full bloom in the fall.

 
Deb – Spring has got to be my favorite.  After a long winter, there is nothing more inspiring than Mother Nature. 

 

Are you retired? From what? Or do you currently work outside the home?

 
Alice – I was a real estate broker for 20 years. I retired five years ago and have never looked back. I am enjoying being able to quilt when I want and have the time to spend with my husband and grandchildren.

 
Deb – I work for a small city as Deputy City Clerk.  I’m a “Jill of all trades”.  I do payroll, accounts payable, and keep the electric department on its toes. 

 

Where in your home do you quilt?

 
Alice – I have a studio set up in my basement.

 
Deb – I have a sewing corner in a room I share with my husband. 

 

What is your favorite part of the quilting process?

 
Alice – Piecing has to be my favorite. I get no pleasure in finishing a quilt.

 
Deb – I have to agree with my mom on this one.  Piecing is truly my favorite part.  The more precise, the better I like it.  It takes an Act of Congress to get me motivated to finish a quilt.  I work much better under the pressure of a deadline. 

 

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

Alice – I usually have only one project going at a time.

 
Deb – Because of my limited workspace, I usually work on one quilt at a time.   

 

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

 
Alice – I don’t have any UFO’s. If I ever did abandon a UFO it would go into the garbage.

 
Deb – Probably 9 or 10.  I don’t think I’ve ever abandoned a UFO.  It may a take a few years for me to get back to it and finish it, but I always do. 

 

Please list your favorite quilting books and authors.

 
Our favorite quilting book is “Back to Basics – The Wonder Cut Ruler Way”…because we wrote it....Shameless self-promotion  :)

 
Alice – I usually quilt my own projects by machine….that is unless I can con Deb into quilting them for me.

 
Deb – I’m a machine quilter through and through.  I’ve never hand quilted except for a community project and that was only a few minutes at a time. 

 

What size quilts do you usually make?

 
Alice – I either make a 45 X 52” quilt or I make what Deb calls “carpeting”. Seems like I can never stop at a reasonable size.

 
Deb –  She does make carpeting that’s for sure.  As my workspace is very limited, I tend to make smaller quilts. 

 

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

 
Alice – I am currently working on a baby quilt. Deb has beaten me every year at our local fair in that category and I think it is about time that changes. What most people don’t know about us is that we are best friends and business partners up and until fair time comes.

 
Deb – I wasn’t going to mention Fair Quilts, but since mom opened the door on this subject, it is only reasonable to say that both of us are working on our entries.  Until the fair is over, you’ll not hear a peep from either one of us on this subject. 

 

Please list your favorite quote or motto.

Join us as we make this world a better place, one quilt at a time.

 

What is your favorite Bible verse?

 
Matthew 7:1 – Judge not, that ye be not judged.

         (ed.  I wonder if this has something to do with the State Fair?!)

 

Do you work from patterns? Do you innovate your own designs?

 
Alice – Once in awhile I work from a pattern.

 
Deb – I find most patterns are far more complicated than they need to be.  I prefer to be a free spirit.   

 

What’s your favorite color scheme in a quilt?

Alice – When I first started to quilt, I liked fabrics with colors that blended together. Now, the brighter the better!

 
Deb – I love high contrast! 

 

What is your favorite color?

 
Alice – I like brights!

 
Deb – Blue has got to be my favorite. 

 

Do you belong to a quilt guild or quilting group?

 
We belong to a quilting group called “The No Sew” group. There are nine of us that love to quilt, but don’t like taking a sewing machine when we meet. Hence, we meet at a restaurant once a month, have “show and tell” and have a great time.

 
The other group we belong to is our Wonder Cut Ruler list on yahoo.com. There are 400+ members.  Techniques, patterns and ideas are shared. It is a great on-line quilting guild.

 

Do you hand piece or hand quilt any of your work? Tell me what you like about this process.

 
Alice – I don’t do anything by hand unless there is no other way to do it. I even put binding on by machine. This is not to say that I don’t admire handwork. I just don’t like to do it.

 
Deb – The only hand work I do on a quilt is binding. 

 

Do you enjoy machine quilting?

 
Alice – NO way!

 
Deb – I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite thing, but I like it better than hand quilting. 

 

Have you developed any special quilting techniques or products?

 
We are the designers of the Wonder Cut Ruler, the Wonder Cut Triangle Ruler, and three sizes of the Read Easy rulers and authors of the book “Back to Basics – The Wonder Cut Ruler Way”.

 

Do you ever teach classes? Do you have a favorite class that you teach?

 
We hold quilt retreats twice a year at the Marsh Creek Event Centre in Albion, Idaho.  At our retreats, we teach classes.  Check our website for details.  We’d love to have you join us.  We travel and teach for quilt guilds and quilt shops.  If your group is interested in a trunk show, speaking engagement, or teaching classes, drop us a line.  

 
I wouldn’t say we have a favorite class to teach.  The Wonder Cut Ruler method is our favorite method to teach.  There is a moment when you are teaching that you can literally see the light go on. Your student finally breaks through the old boundaries and sees things in a new light. 

 

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

 
The best piece of advice we have for beginning quilters is to remember that it is “your” quilt.  Nobody has to like it but you. 

 

Do you have any suggestions for quilters who are trying to fit more quilting time into their day? Are there activities that you skip so that you can quilt more?

 
We have always said that people make time to do the things they enjoy.  Our best quilting time is from 5 in the morning until 7:30.  We have discovered no one bothers you this early in the day. 

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know about Deb and Alice as much as I have.  I would LOVE to go to one of their retreats some day! I bet they have so much fun!!  And I gotta have one of those nifty rulers!!  I’ve poked around on their website and they give great instructions with lots of pictures showing how to use the Wonder Cut Rulers.  Be sure and check it out!!

www.wondercutruler.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!!