K-State grad stitches together award-winning quilts
Colorful fabric birds sit perched on a whimsical tree. Delicate flowers in a variety
of shapes intertwine in an intricate pattern. Vibrant triangles join together to form
bright, eye-catching circles and swirls.
Each one of these quilts sewn by Patty Nelson ’75, ’83 is a hand-crafted work of art,
painting a vivid picture and showcasing hours of painstaking work. What started as
a hobby a decade ago to keep her occupied after retirement, has now turned into her
life’s passion — one for which she’s been recognized with multiple awards.
“Quilting is relaxing for me,” she says. “It’s always nice to see the finished product.
It’s peaceful.”
Nelson came to K-State to study secondary education, specializing in business and
computer studies. She followed up with a master’s degree in adult and occupational
education. She spent 40 years as a high school teacher, retiring in 2013.
“I knew I would need to develop some hobbies to fill up my time,” she said. “I decided
I would take up quilting.”
Nelson had already been sewing for most of her life, creating projects such as garments
and home decor. Yet as her kids had grown older, she’d had to set aside her stitchwork
to keep up with her family’s busy schedule.
Her first quilting project was constructed from a kit: a small wall quilt for her
daughter, who was in college at the time.
“Looking back, it was ugly,” Nelson laughs, noting she later found it hidden in her
daughter’s closet.
However, even though that first quilt might not have turned out to be a masterpiece,
it was a start, and Nelson’s skill level and love for the hobby kept growing from
there. She wasn’t afraid to challenge herself to learn new techniques in order to
create a design that caught her eye.
She remembers a friend expressing an interest in trying a technique called needle
turn appliqué, which is when the raw/unfinished edges of a fabric shape (such as a
heart, flower, circle, etc.) are turned under as the piece is being sewn onto a quilt.
Nelson found herself shifting from, “I’m not going to be able to do that!” to “It’s
still one of my favorite quilts.”
While some may look at quilting by hand and think it seems tedious, Nelson finds it
soothing.
“It’s portable, and I can take it with me anywhere and work on it,” she said.
One of her favorite quilts in her collection is covered with intricate needle turn
appliqué, and has a special story woven through the hours she spent working on it.
In 2020, her boyfriend needed a double lung transplant, and so they moved to St. Louis
for three months for the surgery and rehab. She spent a great deal of time in the
doctor’s office or a hospital room, and working on the quilt brought her a sense of
purpose and calm. The pattern she used was named “Auntie Tess” by the designer, but
she titled her own quilt “Just Breathe” in recognition of the circumstances it was
created in.
This quilt was recognized with the Grand Champion Award at the Kansas State Fair in
2022 (a honor she repeated in 2023 with another quilt).
She also submitted her “Just Breathe” quilt to the prestigious American Quilter’s
Society show in Paducah, Kentucky, this year for the first time. She wasn’t expecting
anything when she decided to enter — just to experience what the process was — but then received an email stating she’d been accepted to exhibit her quilt at the
show. It ended up placing third in its category.
The quilt will stay on the show circuit, next traveling to Daytona Beach, Florida,
and Branson, Missouri, in 2024.
Whenever Nelson wraps up a project, she finds herself on the hunt for her next quilt.
Sometimes she’ll spot a particular fabric she likes, and then find other fabrics to
fill out the design. Other times a special quilt pattern will speak to her.
“I’m always looking for an ‘oh wow’ quilt,” she said.
She plans to keep entering her quilts in fairs and contests as well. Even though yes,
it is somewhat nerve-wracking to pack up and ship a piece of artwork you’ve worked
so long and hard on, to Nelson it’s worth it. Because the more people that enter their
handiwork in fairs and contests, the more the public is exposed to the craft of quilting.
“If nobody enters, it will be forgotten,” she said. “It’s a way to keep the art alive.”
🧵 Patty Nelson’s tips for beginners
If you’ve ever been curious about quilting as a hobby but aren’t sure how to get started,
Nelson encourages you to pick something small and simple, like a wall quilt made from
blocks of fabric.
You can look for beginner-level classes at a quilt shop in your community, or, if
you’re like Nelson and have prior sewing experience, you can join an online quilting
forum to learn tips and tricks. Another valuable place to learn quilting is through
joining a quilt guild and smaller stitching groups. YouTube and other online videos
are plentiful and cover so many different techniques.
Nelson encourages patience and practice, and remember that mistakes are part of the
process. Don’t be afraid to rip out the stitches and try again.
“Learn as you go,” she says. “If you get frustrated, just set it aside and come back
later. Usually you can always fix most anything.”