Meet Our Members: Amanda Gaither

Say hello to Amanda! Born and raised in the South, Amanda and her partner came to Omaha 8 years ago and made it home. Amanda is a social worker, activist and lover of rainbows,  bright solids and geometric prints. She has been quilting for nearly 2 years.

How long have you been a member of OMQG? I attended my first meeting when it was still hosted at Sunshine Stitches in September 2016. I was overjoyed by the welcoming group and inspired by the show and tell. As a new quilter, I very much appreciated the demonstrations and sense of community so I became an official member of the group in November.
Tell us about the first quilt you made The first quilt I fully completed was a t-shirt quilt for a friend. It was a little rough around the edges and I learned a lot from that experience.
How would you describe your style? What are your influences? I love all things rainbow! I am most drawn to bright modern fabrics. I get most of my inspiration from Pinterest, Instagram, quilt shows, and fellow quilter's show and tell.
How often do you sew/quilt? I know many folks sew every single day and I commend your dedication but I prefer to sew in large blocks of time on the weekends mostly. I'm sure I could be much more productive if I worked on a project at least 30 min per day but it's just not my style.
What is your proudest quilting moment? I'm strengthening skills with each project but so far my proudest quilting moment has been a llama pillow sham I completed for an Instagram swap. The construction of the llama was tricky and the quilting was nothing special but I felt proud of the final product. I am often too critical of my own work but this time I was confident and it felt great for a change.
Any quilting fails? What areas do you wish you were better in? I am learning new techniques and tricks of the trade with each project so I would not consider anything a fail but simply a learning experience. I wish I wasn't so afraid to free motion quilt on my domestic machine. I have watched many tutorials where the instructor moves so fluidly but when I'm sitting in front of my machine I freeze up and panic. For now, I will continue quilting with my walking foot but I have a goal to practice more free motion this year.
Any recommendations? I love listening to podcasts while quilting. Some of my favorites include Serial, S-Town, This American Life, My Dad Wrote A Porno, Black Tapes, and a variety of TEDtalks. What is your best advice for a beginning quilter? Sign up for as many beginner classes as you can to learn hands-on from experts. Follow quilters on Instagram for inspiration. Buy the best machine, notions, and fabric you can afford because the investment is worth it. Most importantly, enjoy the creative process and don't be too critical of yourself.