10 Questions - Debbie Quitaquit

I've been remiss. I've had this interview done for over a month. Debbie is one of our newer members but has quickly become completely involved with us. She sews with us on Sewing Friday and Saturday almost every month and is going to be providing our meeting program in January.

1. If you live in Hanover (or the area), how many generations of your family have lived here and how did they come to settle here? If you moved here, where are you from and what brought you here?

I moved to Hanover in March of 2015. I was born and raised in Big Stone Gap, Va and moved to Emporia in 1975, where I lived for the next 40 years .  My husband and I moved to Rockville to be closer to our children and grandchildren.  

2. When you were young what did you plan to be when you grew up and what happened with those plans?

I wanted to grow up to be famous like my ideal Gypsy Rose Lee.  At the time I was not sure what she did for a living but she had the coolest name I had ever heard! 

3. What are your favorite things to do in the area?

 I love the shops (quilt shops), restaurants, and visiting with the kids.  I love being closer to the local quilt shops so I can take classes, and run over if I need something for a project I'm working on!

4. Tell us a little about your family

 I am the youngest of 13 children, the "daughter of a coal miner", and my parents favorite(don't tell my sisters and brothers). I  moved to Emporia in 1975 to marry my husband and raise two children .  In the late 80's my husband gave me my first Valentine gift, an 18 year old daughter.  The other stepdaughter moved in with us that June growing our family to 4 children.  At that time we purchased a second house located in Midlothian, where I lived with the children for the next six years.  

This made my five to six trips to Richmond for my daughter’s gymnastics only a ten minute drive and gave the kids much better schools than were available in Emporia!

We moved back to Emporia after my gymnast graduated from high school, and lived there until last year. 

We now have six grandchildren and are looking forward to more, as my son has only been married since last December.

5. What hobbies or activities do you do other than quilting? Where do you do them? How did you get involved with.

I crochet, knit, and embroider.  I started embroidering in my teens, teaching myself from the instructions in books. I started cross stitching in the early '80s, making sure to buy two skeins of thread for each number in the pattern so I would not run out doing the pattern.  I still have some of the thread from the first project I started!  I learned to crochet when I was pregnant with my first child.  I have only been knitting for about five years, and still feel like I am a beginner!

 I would love to learn to tat and may need to take some online courses as I haven't found anyone who teaches tatting.

6. What’s your favorite vacation spot? Where do you want to go next?

I fell in love with the Dominican Republic when we went for my son’s wedding last year!   Would love to go to Scotland and visit the places that my ancestors are from.

7. What saying best describes how you like to live your life?

 At times my life is best described by "Life is a circus!”  Now that I live closer to my kids my life has calmed down a bit so I feel like my life is more "The circus has come to town (country)!”

8. Show us a photo (or photos) of where you create.

9. Show us a photo of the quilt that’s on your bed right now.

10. What is your all time favorite quilt and why?

 I love Bargello quilts!  I have made three and have patterns for several more variations that I would like to try in future.  I think Bargellos appeal to me because of their simple construction but they give such a complex geometric design.

I have included a photo of one I still have so you can see what a Bargello quilt looks like.