July Featured Maker and Pattern: Kris Kross by Suzy Williams (aka Suzy Quilts)
We had a blast introducing you all to our first collaborator, Sarah Holst, and her wonderful Starship pattern and hope many of you picked up the pattern during June. But we’ve got so many more collaborations to share with you, and we can’t wait any longer to reveal our designer and pattern for July — meet Suzy Williams of Suzy Quilts!
Suzy’s featured quilt pattern, our July pattern of the month, is Kris Kross. For the month of July, Suzy will be donating 100% of the proceeds from the pattern to Minority Veterans of America. For this month’s interview, we chatted with Laura Hopper, Managing Editor and Communications Director at Suzy Quilts, about her deep connection to the military. Keep reading to hear more about the whole Suzy Quilts collaboration with Modern Service Quilts!
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your quilting journey?
My mom studied textile science in college and was a lifelong needlepointer. She taught me to sew by hand and machine when I was in grade school, and I experimented with lots of fiber crafts through my twenties. After she passed away unexpectedly in 2014, I needed to find a new creative outlet to take my mind off of her passing. A friend had recently attended QuiltCon, and I was introduced to the modern quilting movement, so I decided to give it a try!
Since then, I’ve started designing my own quilts and even made a career change in 2018 to work in the quilt industry. After working as a freelance quilt writer and the associate editor of a quilt magazine, I am now loving my job as Managing Editor and Communications Director at Suzy Quilts. I’m also a past president of the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild, a board member of the Quilt Alliance, and the Exhibits Director for the Social Justice Sewing Academy.
Why did Suzy Quilts want to collaborate with Modern Service Quilts?
At Suzy Quilts, our team has strong, personal connections to non-profit organizations. We believe wholeheartedly in giving back to our community through donations. Combining that guiding principle with encouraging modern quilters to make quilts to honor veterans was the perfect fit.
Do you have your own personal connection to the military, service members, or the tradition of making honor quilts?
My mother served in the Army, and her time in the military was a source of great pride. She worked in military intelligence and enjoyed living in West Germany in the 1980s, where I was born in a military hospital. After I was born, she left the military, but it remained an important part of her life. Here she is in her dress uniform while she was pregnant with me!
This month, we’re highlighting Suzy’s Kris Kross quilt pattern. Why do you think this particular design lends itself well to becoming a modern honor quilt?
Kris Kross is a dynamic Suzy Quilts pattern with lots of visual interest, and it looks particularly good when made in a limited color palette. All of that makes it a perfect charity quilt and particularly for a patriotic cause.
Does Suzy have any other patterns you think could work well as honor quilts?
Absolutely! All Suzy Quilts patterns look great in limited color palettes, like red, white, and blue. Stars Hollow, Thrive, Maypole, Triangle Jitters, and Nordic Triangles are all excellent choices.
Do you have any tips for making a quilt pattern appropriate for an honor quilt?
Charity quilts are often made for strangers, which means you won’t be able to choose specific fabrics to suit the recipient’s style. Because of that, I’d stick with fabrics that would please anyone and look good in any home. Solids, blenders, and textured fabrics like linen and wovens would be excellent choices.
Novelty or juvenile prints would be a big risk because your service quilt is being made for an adult. You want to make sure your quilt is used, loved, and proudly displayed in their home regardless of their style. Sticking with simplicity and minimalism is a great idea. That means you can save your novelty fabric to make another charity quilt for a children’s organization!
Suzy Quilts has chosen to support Minority Veterans of America with the pattern sales from Kris Kross this month. What led the team to choose that particular charity?
As a woman in the Army in the 1980s, my mom faced many challenges. She was always so proud of the hard work it took for her to succeed in a male-dominated career. A true woman of the 1980s, one of her favorite movies was the Goldie Hawn classic Private Benjamin, which she loved to watch while telling me stories about her time in basic training.
Seeing women and all other minority service members succeed continued to be an important cause to my mother long after her military career ended. She would have been proud to support Minority Veterans of America, and Suzy Quilts is thrilled to support MVA’s work.
Anything else you’d like to share?
The Suzy Quilts team is grateful for the service of all veterans from all branches, including minority veterans who face unique challenges during and after their time in the military. Thank you to Modern Service Quilts for creating a new opportunity to engage the modern quilting community in honoring our veterans!
Suzy and Laura, we’re so glad to have the Suzy Quilts team on board, and thank you for sharing this wonderful pattern with our makers. Head to Suzy’s shop to purchase your own copy of the Kris Kross pattern. We can’t wait to see the beautiful quilts you all make.
If you need information on donating your finished quilt to a veteran, check out this page.
We’ll be back mid-month with more information on the sample quilt we made using Suzy’s pattern and a Kris Kross quilt from Suzy herself. Until then, be sure to follow us on Instagram for lots more photos and information and sign up for our email newsletter below. You can follow Suzy on Instagram at @suzyquilts and Laura @sonicstitches.
