David Taylor will be teaching three classes at Road to California 2022.
Two Handwork Classes:
0002C – Pictoral Hand Appliqué: Little Chickadee on Sunday
And 2017C – Floral Hand Appliqué: Sweet Pea on Tuesday
David Taylor will also be teaching 1018C – Precision Machine Piecing: What A Flake! Sewing Machines from Juki will be provided for this class.
Life Long Love of Fabric
David Taylor was raised in Peterborough, New Hampshire, one of six children: three boys and three girls just “like the Brady Bunch.” His mother “tied” quilts while David was growing up but as a single mom with six kids, she didn’t have much free time to devote to quilting. David first focused on apparel construction. In 1998, a longtime friend who knew of David’s life-long love of fabric, suggested he try quilting. He was reluctant at first as he didn’t want to cut up his “precious fabric collection.” Since then, he has never looked back.
Stitching Past Adversity
In 2016, a gas explosion and subsequent fire destroyed David Taylor’s home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Since the fire gutted the living room and the sewing loft, David was without his tools and supplies for over nine months. Both of his Berninas were melted; his serger was gone; rulers were twisted and turned and his Handi Quilter Sweet Sixteen was a major loss. Needless to say, it was a very devastating experience. David recalled that ever since the fire, for him, life got both “a little easier and a little harder at the same time.” He was able to slow down, take long walks, read, and do jigsaw puzzles to occupy his thoughts while he rebuilt his studio.
A Familiar Face at Road
David Taylor has been a frequent teacher at road, overseeing classes in applique techniques and long arm quilting using the Handi Quilter Sweet Sixteen sit down longarm machine, which uses the same skills as a regular sewing machine.
In 2019, David was one of three judges for that year’s Quilt Contest. The Best of Show chosen that year was Garden Variety Sampler, made and quilted by Janet Stone.
Because he has never taken a quilting class, David believes that the best way to learn is to practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice and makes a lot of mistakes. In addition, he believes that quilting “should be a team sport,” He recommends joining a guild or a group and getting together with like-minded “fabric fondlers.” And if there isn’t a group where you live, David says, “Start one.” For David, there is no greater satisfaction than “seeing a student’s face light up when they realize they CAN do this!” He hopes his students will learn that if they create from their heart, the rest will follow.
To learn more about David Taylor, please visit his website.
