One day last fall I opened my inbox and found an email from Quiltfolk magazine. Would I be interested in being part of their upcoming issue on the greater Houston area? I couldn’t respond fast enough — of course the answer was yes!
I’ve been a Quiltfolk subscriber since the beginning, and love how they consistently feature a variety of quilters and quilt-adjacent personalities doing interesting things, all shared with absolutely beautiful photography. (Plus no ads!) Each issue feels almost more like a coffee table book than a magazine.
I had a lovely zoom chat with Frances Dowell for my article. It was fun to talk to her, and so interesting to see how she took our conversation and turned it into a short profile piece. She honed in on my love of challenges — something I definitely identify with, and enjoy sharing with others — and carried that theme throughout my quilting life and beyond.
The other highlight of my Quiltfolk experience was certainly the photoshoot! Azuree and Trevor Holloway and I spent a couple hours together, starting at my house and then finishing at Space Center Houston. These photos were all taken by Azuree and styled by Trevor, and are shared with permission.
I still stumble over what to call my room, which is technically the formal dining room of our house but has never been used for dining. Is it my sewing room? Studio? Study? Home office? It’s all of those things, and I use all of those names interchangeably. (My kids just call it “Mom’s room,” which might be the most accurate title.) But no matter the name, I’m grateful for having it captured like this! It’s my place for sewing, working, zooming, math-ing, thinking, editing, designing, making messes, and making art.
The photos from Space Center Houston were so much fun to take, and feel incredibly special in retrospect. It was mid-October last year and just two days before this photoshoot, I had travelled to Long Beach for my final, on-site interview with Relativity Space. I didn’t know for sure what would happen yet, but I knew I was excited about the opportunity — and that feeling alone was pushing me towards leaving NASA even if the job didn’t pan out. (Though happily I did receive an offer about a week later, and the rest is history.) These photos will always remind me of that time of both uncertainty and excitement. Leaving NASA felt scary, but NOT leaving felt scarier.
I’m so thrilled to have been invited to be part of the greater Houston issue, and participating was such a fun experience. If you’re not already a Quiltfolk subscriber, you can get 20% off this issue with code SRuizQF38. (I don’t get a kickback from that, other than hoping you enjoy my story and the stories of all the other great quilty folk in and around Houston!)
Happy quilting and happy reading!
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