I have been sewing for years and years. As a very small girl growing up in Duluth, Minnesota, my sister and I were always making something. Fabric is just one medium I love to play with. As a teen, clothes were #1. When I married and later a baby was on the way, I switched to baby blankets, clothes and home decor. Once it was determined I wasn't going to be blessed with a baby girl (which is not a sad thing at all), I had to find a way to express my creative side.  I made fancy bags with a thousand pockets for little cars and a play mat with a road on it to drive them around, tried to solve the Lego storage issues, sleeping bags for stuffed animals, etc.  Then one day my Mom-in-law, Nancy, told me about the quilts she was making. Bam! Shazam! Zippity Doo Dah... I was hooked!

 

I worked for 22 years as a database analyst in the direct mail industry.  But I always wanted to do something different.  On my birthday in 2013, I woke up knowing that I had to follow my dreams.  That was the day The Fat Quarter Gypsy was born.  I started out designing quilts, which I still love to do.  But then in April of 2015, I had this idea for a springy thread catcher.  Once the Fat Quarter Pop Up came to life everything changed and my business took a design turn towards dimensional products.

 

Susan Emory and I began working together in 2017.  She has incredible graphic design skills.  I do not.  Susan started helping me create the line of animal themed pop ups.  I have always loved the Swirly Girls patterns.  As a matter of fact, on my first trip to International Quilt Market in 2013 I had a celebrity sighting... it was Susan.  How funny is that!  I pointed to her and told my sister, "That is Swirly Girls... Oh My Goodness!  I LOVE their patterns!"

 

So, in 2018 when Susan asked me if I would purchase her pattern line, I jumped at the chance!  Best of all, Susan will remain a Swirly Girl designing fantastic new patterns just like always!

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Now in 2026, my sister, Diane owns the business and will be publishing my designs for me. She has been my along my side for my whole life and we have worked together in the quilting business since we first walked the floors of Quilt Market trying to find a distributor. She has been my test sew and tech editor from the beginning and we are proud of the quality of our patterns.

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I, Diane, look forward to continuing to publish my sister's quilt designs, Susan Emory's designs, and many of my own. Life is a full of twists and turns and as I embark on this new chapter, I am excited to see where it will lead.