OLFA Interview – Beverly McCullough
Also be sure to check Beverly's Tulip Bench Pillow Here!
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Tell us about yourself. Where are you from? What is your community like?
I grew up in Arizona but I know live in Tennessee in a little town called Portland, just outside the Kentucky border. We recently moved to a house we built and are looking forward to building our own little farm here!
How long have you been doing this?
I started a craft blog in 2010, sharing projects I’d made that were mostly craft and diy. I got back into sewing (one of my first crafty loves) and my website has transitioned to quilting and embroidery. I became a Riley Blake Designs designer in 2017 and I’ve loved designing and quilting with my own fabrics.
Where do you do your work? Are you happy with the space you work in – what are its limitations and benefits?
We designed our new house so I have a sewing studio where I am able to cut and sew to my heart’s content! We also have a bonus room that we use for storage so I’m able to keep all my extra fabrics and supplies there when I’m not using them, so it helps to keep my studio nice and tidy. (in theory haha!)
How were you introduced to OLFA? Are there any in particular that you love best?
I have used OLFA cutters as soon as I started quilting. I’ve tried several styles of cutters but my favorite is the OLFA Deluxe Ergonomic 45mm cutter. It’s so comfortable to use and I love that it covers the blade when not in use.
On your website you have such a variety of project areas to choose from - quilting, sewing, embroidery, cross stitch, and crafting - which one do you love to do the most? (Or is it like kids, you love them all equally.)
It is very hard to choose, but my favorites are quilting and embroidery! I even combined those two loves in my latest book, Make it Mini. It has mini quilt projects that are all decorated with embroidery. I love combining the two elements in one project.
Your next two lines from Riley Blake Designs - Sweet Acres and Haunted Adventures - will be in quilt shops soon. What influenced you in designing both of them? How have your fabric designs changed over time?
I’m so excited about these two collections! Sweet Acres is a farm inspired collection that is inspired by our new little Tennessee farm. There are aren’t any animals on our farm yet, but this collection has sweet cows, chickens and lots of flowers of course.
Haunted Adventure is my first Halloween collection and it is inspired by my love for cute vintage campers. The fabrics have little Halloween campers, skeleton flamingos, and spiderwebs with a fun color palette.I feel like my fabric designs have gotten more detailed, and I love showing my vintage style in each collection too.
You have so many cute magnetic needle minders on your website. Can you tell how they work and why stitchers need them?
Needle Minders are so fun and are perfect for holding your needle when you aren’t stitching. They are made up of a cute enamel design with a magnet fixed to the back side. There is also a loose magnet. The cute side goes on the top side of the project and the loose magnet goes on the back side of the project, to hold the needle minder in place. When you aren’t stitching, you can rest your needle on the minder. These work great for cross stitch, embroidery, quilting, paper piecing, and more. No more needles in your couch (or feet)!
Riley Blake is doing a block challenge. What are some tips you can give quilters so that they can enjoy the process and keep up with the blocks?
I love joining in with the RBD Block Challenge because it allows me to build my quilting skills and learn new things. That being said though, I don’t stress about having “perfect” blocks. I like things to fit together nicely of course, but I also want to maintain the “fun” of quilting! I also love that RBD gives the last week of the month as a catch up week, so if the month has been busy, we can sew any missed blocks during the last week.
When you go on a retreat or to a class, which OLFA tools do you always include in your bag? How about at home - which are your go-to tools?
I always take along my OLFA ergonomic cutter! I also really like traveling with the 17” x 24” folding cutting mat – it’s not too big folded but once it’s open it makes a great size mat. At home I also use my favorite ergonomic cutter. I also keep a stash of Endurance Blades on hand to make sure I’m using a nice sharp blade for all my cutting.
When you go on vacation, what project would we find in your bag?
I usually travel with embroidery projects. They are so easy to stitch when flying or on a road trip. It also makes the travel time go faster for me!
Where else can readers find your designs?
I share projects on my website every week. You can also find my quilts and embroidery in my books, Retro Stitchery, and Make it Mini.
