The Five Favs Series with: Nik Knott of vogonversequilts
Episode 3
The Story behind Five Favs
This series developed out of my love of movies, and specifically, movie lists. Critics and film geeks alike spend hours pouring over lists, ranking everything from best movies of the year (pretty standard fare) to top five music documentaries (getting a little more granular) to top five movie characters that shaped who you are (pretty personal and specific!). I thought it would be fun to play with this idea in the quilting world. Since we spend so much time in our sewing spaces, they contain interesting snapshots of who we are as creators, and can offer a sneak peek into other aspects of our lives, too. And so- the creation of The Five Favs Blog. This is a top five of the guests favorite items in their sewing space.
And this month I am super excited to have Nik of vogonversequilts on the blog! I met Nik as a part of my Quilter’s Candy Quilt Pattern Writing Course, where we were put into the same small group. It’s been so lovely to discover our mutual love of animals, movies, and running, and we also happen to be birthday buddies! Nik has a PHENOMENAL knack for fussy cutting and using bold prints in her work, AND she is also happens to be an amazing teacher and FPP guru. I am so honored to have her as a friend, and always stunned by what she creates.
About Nik
“Hi friends, I'm Nik, the creative quiltpreneur behind my small business vogonversequilts. I'm a quilt pattern designer, tech editor, Ghost writer and educator with a passion for precision and creativity. I specialize in Foundation Paper Piecing and I love how this method allows for intricate details and perfect points with minimal effort! I live in rural Ireland where I am surrounded by nature and stunning scenery. Beyond quilting, I'm a sci-fi fan who enjoys country walks with my dogs and cozy nights in with a great film or box set. I hope you enjoy getting to know the human behind the screen!”
Where Nik Works
“If you walked into my home on any given day, you may be forgiven for thinking that the whole place is a sewing room! Technically, I try to contain myself to a small, spare bedroom but inevitably I 'spread' out. I'd never had my 'own' sewing room until we moved here 3 years ago and I feel really lucky to have this wonderful space. There is a huge window to the front which gives me a beautiful view of the nature-filled hedges and fields, with the imposing mountains in the distance. I've always loved mountains and I adore this view; it's my very own oasis of calm, where I feel my soul can truly breathe. Behind me I have an assortment of miss-matched bookcases which act as my fabric storage. As the room is north facing, I have the best light but without the glare of sunlight to damage my fabric. When I walk into this room it's like giving myself a hug!”
Fav 1 - Storage Containers
“I am a huge fan of the Arts and Crafts movement and when surrounding myself with 'things' in my home, I try to follow the advice of William Morris ‘Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.’ Inevitably, whatever craft or hobby you have we all need storage and I try to make mine useful and in my eyes, beautiful. As a massive Tula Pink and Annie Unrein (byAnnie) fan I get to use amazingly designed fabric to make practical and useful bags for storage! Plus, I get the enjoyment of making them too - win, win! These are a few of my favourite storage solutions.”
Fav 2 - Tula Stickers
“I LOVE stickers! They were a huge deal for me when I was at secondary school in the 80s and I would cover my schoolbooks with them. I still love stickers but had started to 'collect' them rather than use them to decorate with. My favourite Tula Pink fabric stockist in the UK (Lovely Jubbly Fabrics) issues a new sticker with every new Tula fabric line released and I made a conscious decision to display them to bring me joy. This is what I see first, every time I open the door to my sewing room and it makes me smile!”
Fav 3 - Black Cat
“Black cats have always held a special place in my heart ever since reading the story of Gobbolino, the Witch's cat, at primary school and I share my life with two brothers named Loki and Shadow. I also love Halloween (possibly my favourite Holiday), so when I saw this wreath in a local supermarket, I knew I needed to make a Black cat to adorn it! I'm a reasonable crocheter but amigurumi was another skill set altogether. This makes me smile when I see it, so when it's not Halloween, this wreath resides in a quiet corner of my sewing room.”
Fav 4 - Fabric Stash
“So, I also have to include my fabric stash! Have I said already Tula Pink is my favourite fabric designer!! When choosing fabric for a project or quilt I am often overwhelmed by choices. My solution to this (it's not perfect but it helps me a lot) is to restrict my choices. Over the last few years I have only bought fabric from Tula Pink (occasional exception for Christmas fabric, Halloween, Star Wars for hubby and anything with a dachshund on - we are owned by two!). This has eased my indecision enormously, plus, since I have arranged it by colour and not collection, I feel that I have a greater palette to work from. These are some of my favourite fabrics sorted by colour.”
Fav 5 - Wall Hanging
“I have been gifted many beautiful hand-crafted gifts over the years but this wall hanging is one of my favourites. It was made for me by the very lovely and talented Alison. As an avid FPP sewer I marvel at the precision of traditionally pieced quilts and Alison's wall hanging is absolutely bang on for precision. This hangs on the door of my sewing room to serve to remind me as an affirmation about how amazing we all are but also to inspire me to get better at traditional piecing. It's also in my favourite colour - blue!”
