Meet Sandi Cummings
Instructor for Thinking Outside the Block
Quilting Adventures - Hill Country Style
Seminar 2: March 5 - March 10, 2006

What have you been up to lately?
I've done a lot of teaching around the country this year, which is great fun. I and 4 other women also rented a house for a couple of weeks in France . None of them are quilters, so it was a change of pace. We tried to absorb the tranquility of small village life. The only problem with traveling is that it takes time away from the studio!

What part of the quilt process is your favorite?
I get the most excited when I am just starting out. I love that feeling of anticipation and exhilaration-I always feel like something great is going to happen. I love selecting the fabrics I'm gong to start with. Because I design as I go it's always fun to see how things evolve.

Did you start out as a traditional quilter?
I actually did. But I knew right from the start that I wanted my quilts to reflect who I was and my own personal vision. I wanted them to be different. Besides, I couldn't control the urge to experiment. I'm not crazy about rules! I think my classes and my book, Thinking Outside the Block , help others to loosen up and be more creative.

Where do you get your inspiration?
That's one of the hardest questions to answer. I think it's important to have "play time" in the studio. That's time when I say "this may not work out well, but I'm going to try it." I think you have to be willing to waste time and to waste fabric. Sometimes it's hard!

Do you have a favorite color you like to work with?
My initial inclination was to say "yellow," but I think it's really the pairing up of beautiful colors that is exciting. It's finding those gorgeous combinations. And then, how do you think of color without pattern? No wonder we're quilters. Fabric has it all!

How did you start selling your quilts to corporations?
About 15 years ago I put 3 quilts in an afternoon of art at a local church, and an art consultant happened to be there. She has been selling my work ever since. I was lucky. She had a thriving business and liked my work. I was at the right place at the right time. Although I quit counting, I probably have 150 pieces in corporate collections. Selling has it's up and down sides. There's a lot of pressure to meet deadlines and to constantly come up with new and different ideas. Although I have had a piece in Quilt National and one in Visions, I don't enter many shows because it ties up my work for too long a period.

How do you like living in California ?
I came to California from Washington State with two girlfriends right after graduating from college. I was really willing to go anywhere, so I'm just glad we picked such a wonderful place. The San Francisco Bay Area is a wonderland for the arts and crafts enthusiast, and I am often touched by the natural beauty of the State.

What other interests do you have?
As a volunteer I taught quilting to at-risk teen girls for a few years, but we ended up losing our funding so the school closed not too long ago. I listen to opera constantly in my studio. I think I like the passion and drama of it. I walk and work out on a regular basis, but not because it's an interest of mine! And finally, I'm madly in love with my two grandchildren who live only 5 minutes away.

Books by Sandi Cummings:
Thinking Outside the Block: Step by Step to Dynamic Quilts, with Karen Flamme, C & T Publishing, 2004

Web site: www.sandicummings.com

E-mail: sandic@silcon.com