Today we have yet another fabulous contributor Q&A! You definitely don’t want to miss this one! Molli said in an Instagram post about ModBLOCK “I peed my pants a little when they contacted me!” Well we were just as excited when he said yes!!!
Meet Molli Sparkles
Molli was featured in ModBLOCK with an article called, “Watch Your Tone”
What is your sewing/quilting/crafting/art background?
I have always created. As a child I would help my grandmother lay out her quilts on her design room floor, and I think this has influenced my own quilt design consciousness today. I have an MFA in photography, but I never thought I’d be using those skills to photograph my own quilts! I’m a self-taught quilter, but I did ask my grandmother and the Internet plenty of questions along the way!
How did you get started in this business?
I wanted to create a shared memory with my grandmother. So on a visit home to Oklahoma, I got off the plane and said to her, “Let’s make a quilt together!” She thought I was crazy, nothing unusual there, but five days later we had a finished quilt top of my design. That quilt lives on my bed and I think about our relationship every time I look at it. As for the blogging, well I naively thought, “I’ll start a blog about quilting, I bet no one’s done that before.” Ummm.
What are you inspired by?
Oh, there’s inspiration all around us! Fabric will always inspire, but I like to look in unusual places like pop songs, the emotions of a relationship, old family photographs, and art gallery visits. Then there’s that other feeling you get, that urgency to create; it takes over where inspiration stops. Sometimes you just have to listen to that and see what happens!
How would you describe your style?
In my first year of art school, Professor Julie Schneider said to me with her clever smile, “If you think you know your style now, you don’t. You have to wait until the end to figure it out.” The end? The end of what? The semester? Art school? Life? Since then, I’ve taken that to mean, don’t let your style define what you create. Instead, let what you create define your style. Then you can look back at any stage, and confidently say, that your output is genuinely you.
What are some of your greatest challenges in your design process?
My greatest challenge is staying true to my original voice. There’s so much beauty in our quilt community that it’s challenging to shed that influence. In our pervasive world of social media, I think it’s important to be aware of it, but not let it consume your time and individuality. I like to think I’m marching to the beat of my own drum as hard as Naomi Campbell works a runway, but there are times you have to step outside yourself for some clarity. Why am I doing this? Where is this coming from? Stay focused on the beauty of your own voice, so you can add to the greater chorus of others.
Do you have an online presence on social media: Facebook? YouTube? Pinterest? IG?
Blog: https://www.mollisparkles.com
Facebook: Molli Sparkles
Instagram: @molli_sparkles
What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done?
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela. When I read that recently, it changed my entire outlook. Standing up to apartheid is hard, as for this y-seam, I just need to learn how to do it. Hard is no longer an excuse for me.
Who are your creative inspirations or heros?
I like to think if Madonna, Kylie, and Mariah were quilters, we’d totally be in a quilt bee together. Even though they’re musicians, I appreciate their visual aesthetic, and the amazing achievements they’ve accomplished from such humble beginnings.
Do you have a signature color? If not, what would it be?
My signature colour would definitely just be called Sparkle, because we all need some of it in our lives!
What trends or colors do you predict being hot in 2015?
Darker shades of blue, like cobalt, ink, sapphire and indigo. It’s not just navy anymore!
Is there a experience or accomplishment you are most proud of?
I’ve been quilting and blogging for only two and half years, and I’ve had some amazing experiences in such a short time. Being a Guest Artist at the Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair, along with a feature on Australia’s The Today Show would have to rank pretty highly on my list!
Thanks, Molli! We loved hearing your answers to these questions! Don’t miss our next feature!! 🙂