About Me

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Thank you for visiting my website! I’m Michael Smith, aka The Sewcial Quilter. I live in Collingwood, ON, Canada, and I’m very excited to meet you here to share in our love of all things quilting.

Looking back, I suppose it was fate which led me to quilting because my journey through life could be described by the names of many quilt blocks.

I must have followed the Drunkard’s Path because there was certainly some twists and turns along the way. From finally becoming a home-owner, my Log Cabin, to finding unbreakable love of the Lover’s Knot. There was even a Storm At Sea when I lived through the devastating effects of a hurricane. Following a Young Man’s Fancy has gotten me into trouble more than once, and some exciting opportunities led to a Trip Around The World – well, part way, at least. I’ve emptied plenty of Spools through my sewing and quilting journey, and many moves over the years resulted in some Broken Dishes, and a few broken mirrors, too!

I caught the quilting bug quite by accident, or was it fate? I studied Fashion Design in college and turned on the TV one Saturday afternoon. TA DA! There she was! Eleanor Burns from Quilt In A Day, or, The Crazy Quilt Lady, as I dubbed her.

As she threw her fabric around and spoke dramatically of pressing “to the dark side”, I was intrigued that Eleanor’s techniques were nothing like I had seen before. I had never thought of making a quilt until that moment, but that single thought changed everything. I quickly hit “record” on the VCR (Remember those?!) and intently studied every move she made. I thought, I can DO that! I didn’t have any cotton fabric as she had, but I did have plenty of scraps from the various garments I had made in school. Funny, wasn’t that how quilting got it’s start anyway?

I watched Eleanor demonstrate a step, then hit “pause” while I completed said step. I hit “play” when I was done, then hit “pause” again to complete the next step. I can’t remember how long it took me to complete those blocks or that whole quilt, but I remember thinking at the time that Eleanor’s techniques were speedy and a world of possibilities opened before me. I was hooked! I finished that first String quilt sitting on the floor in front of the TV the whole time! It was a gift for my new, ultra-adorable niece so it was worth all the aches and strains.

A Sunbonnet Sue was the next quilt, a Christmas present for my niece. It was again made from garment scraps, but I tried a new technique of satin-stitch applique. The stitches were a little rough (Stabilizer?! What’s that?!), but I learned something new and definitely enjoyed the ride. Fast forward 23 years and I now have three beautiful nieces who’ve all received various quilts over the years, as have dozens of other people and several charities. I recently became involved with my local chapter of the Canadian Quilts of Valour by offering to complete quilts for Veterans and their families. If anyone deserves something cozy and comforting, it’s them! No matter where I’ve been in the world, no matter what job I was doing, I’ve always come back to quilting.

A new ride, or, new journey I’m currently on is exploring all there is to learn on my fabulous new APQS Millennium. For years I described myself as a “piecer”, instead of a “quilter”. For me, the actual quilting process was the most challenging part of creating a quilt. I hated trying to wrestle all that bulk through the arm of the sewing machine. Owning a long-arm has long been a dream of mine and I’m excited that I’m also finally realizing the dream of operating my own business. Offering quilting services to the community allows me to connect with my fellow quilt enthusiasts, stay abreast of new products and techniques, and helps get the word out about our industry. We’ve come a long way, baby!

I’m happy to help turn YOUR creations into comfy, cozy, beautiful quilts which will last a lifetime. Please join me on this journey so we can explore new creative possibilities together!
Take care and all the best,
Mike, aka. The Sewcial Quilter