Today I introduce to you Zia Miller. She is a Southern Lady through and through and I have come to know her over the last few years as the friendship between her son & daughter-in-law, Jack & Jamie and my husband and I has grown closer.
My first "interaction" with Mrs. Miller was when a box arrived upon my doorstep via Jamie. It was full of fabric, patterns and some unfinished - abandoned projects (some quilters would refer to these as UFO's (un-finished objects) or PIGS (Projects In Grocery Sacks).
When I contacted Mrs. Miller with a few questions about her quilts and quilting I got an honest and concise response from her...
"In kind respect to your time consuming project, I don’t quilt any more. That is the reason I sent you stuff and have more in the closet. Cutting mats under the bed, etc. but I still use those occasionally."
She did very kindly answer a few questions -
How old were you when you started sewing and who taught you?
I cannot remember not sewing and playing with fabric. I still have the doll quilt my maternal grandmother made for me and she died when I was 5. She was an accomplished seamstress and made quilts. By 4 or 5, I was embroidering as a summer activity. I had a “playroom” when I was about 7 with an oasis as I called it, including potted banana trees and a wash pot fishpond. This is when a loving friend gave me her mother's Golden Star treadle sewing machine. What fun! Before “electronic baby sitters”, people had time to play with and teach their children, etc. and my mother was truly my mentor both spiritually and socially.
"I helped my mother using our family heirloom quilts, in many museum exhibits. I would read about a show so off we would go across the state and the country to attend quilt shows. Sometimes, we would stop at a house if we saw a quilt on the front porch or fence!!! Rogers, Arkansas and that area was wonderful fun.
Zia shared with me that she owned a quilt shop in the 1980's and taught quilting; she judged many shows large and small; made and sold quilts; entered shows and won many blue ribbons and gave many programs. We will learn more about this next week in Part II...
Quilting is part of my past. Many quilts have come and gone. I have given a number of them to different family members and friends. It is my nature to work like crazy for the “blue ribbon” so to speak.
Mrs. Miller is quite a busy lady and concluded her first message to me...
I so greatly appreciate her taking the time answer a few questions... Next week I will wrap up her story. Trust me... She is a multi-faceted lady!
Happy Quilting!
Melva
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Delightful story. Can't wait for part 2.
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