Dee Brown will be teaching two evening Handwork classes during Road to California 2022:
On Thursday Evening, 4061C – Healthcare Angel
And on Friday Evening, 5061O – Road To California
Handwork Designer
A resident of Monroe, Washington (“a smallish city an hour northeast of Seattle”), Dee Brown began her quilting journey in a small quilting group at church for just a few months where she “learned the basics.”
With her sewing background, Dee was accustomed to making her own patterns or modifying existing ones. She quickly found the rigid precision of traditional quilting too stifling. Once, when she made a huge mistake on a Christmas table runner, instead of ripping it out to fix properly, Dee appliquéd a poinsettia over it and discovered the freedom and “cheatability” of appliqué.
Dee Brown admits that “although the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest has inspired a few of my projects, I seem to lean towards tropical settings or the uniqueness of other states” such as with her “States” series.
Because Dee considers herself more of a designer than a quilter, she says that her “most indispensable tool is an eraser. Having no artistic training beyond junior high, drawing for me is draw-erase-edit, over and over. Hence, my work is more whimsical than realistic.” Her other indispensable tool is her “old Pfaff 7570…If it ever dies, I may be done.”
Quilting Friendship
Dee shared that her best quilting friend is actually a knitter. Robin Halliday and Dee have been best friends for 50 years. They travel to quilt shows and work their vendor booth, The Quilted Trillium, together. Although wool is her first love, Robin attends many quilt related activities just because it has become Dee’s passion. Robin has learned to appreciate the art, time and talent of other quilters and totally supports and encourages all of Dee’s designs.
The Quilted Trillium vendor booth has been to Road to California several times. The “cozy, little cabin” is always a fan favorite. Coming up with the idea for their booth has been “life changing” for The Quilted Trillium. The booth is small enough to feel comfortable and is the perfect size for displaying their kits, patterns, fabric and tools. People are always telling The Quilted Trillium that they sought them out specifically to see the cabin and experience the “Art Gallery” feel. Then they stay for the demonstrations.
(As a side note, Dee is currently looking to sell The Quilted Trillium)
Teaching at Road 2022
Dee Brown has been teaching since 2013. Her first teaching experience was with “5 lovely women in Leavenworth, a quaint Bavarian themed town in the Cascade mountains. I was a little wary about spending the night with strangers (in a private home) but she was the town Vet and he was State Patrol so I felt pretty safe. Although she had a wonderful sewing room, it was a little tight for the 6 of us. I was nervous but like to think I’ve become a much better teacher since then.”
Dee’s favorite part of teaching her technique is seeing that light go on when her students “get it.” Dee Brown hopes that her students “will learn my time saving method and find the freedom in raw edge appliqué.”
This will be Dee’s last time teaching at Road to California. She said she will “be 70 and things get heavier, I get slower and the booth takes longer to set up and take down. I love Road to California and just want to enjoy every minute of it. I look forward to being around some dear vendor friends and customers I may never see again.”
