Karlene L

My name is Karlene and I live in Abilene TX.  I moved to Texas from Colorado three years ago and I am still adjusting to the warm weather and still missing the mountains.  This picture is of me and my very best friend Chuck who lives in Montana (one of my favorite places).   My son Andrew and his wife Amy are both in the Army.

I have been making quilts since I was around 6 years old.  No one in my family sewed, but my mother had a sewing machine she used for patching.  It fascinated me so she let me use it and I cut up an old chenille bedspread and some pieces of flannel and put them together for my first quilt, which I still have yet today.  So, I am "self-taught" but sure have learned a lot along the way.  In 1980, I saw a rotary cutter and thought it was ever so much fun and that everyone should have one.  I love to teach quilt-making. Scrap quilts and sampler quilts are my favorites.  I like to make simple quilts just for the pure fun of it and I like quilts to be used and loved so much they wear out.  I feel that God has given me quilting as a gift and this has helped me in the healing process of so many difficult situations that life has hit me with.

I belong to a small quilt group that works year-round on Christmas quilting projects.  I also like to read, sometimes like to knit, crochet, cross-stitch, and embroider.  I enjoy having several pen-pals, one of whom is in Norway.  Mostly, I love to walk and last year I logged over 1200 miles before I had problems with my leg, but I will overcome that and plan to walk at least that many miles again this year.

I have a full-time job, working usually about 50+ hours a week, doing accounting and whatever else I'm needed for in a small business, plus I am in charge of a group of self-storage units so this keeps me rather busy, along with being a secretary on the board of the Homeowner's Association where I live.  I am honored and excited to be a part of helping Marcia to bring quilting to the world through her super website.