Meet One of Our Members!
Dottye Luttrell confesses her dream to be an “art quilter,” but, like many of us, says she’s not sure she has the “wherewithal” or the artistic vision to accomplish that goal. But her color selections, her precision piecing, and her vibrant subject matter belie her assessment. Her work has an elegance that reflects an artist’s eye for stunning effects. Her dining room is home to a dramatic triptych of red poppies in a leafy setting. The three panels started life as one quilt, but an idea to split the piece was a good one. The result is a lovely eye-catching work of art.Becoming a member of Riverwalk Quilters Guild in 2013, Dottye was certainly not new to Naperville or to quilting when she joined. She vividly recalls the first ten years of her life in a Mennonite community in Minnesota where she observed her grandmother’s expertise at anything hand-pieced or hand-quilted. After moving to Naperville from Houston, Texas, thirty-one years ago, she eventually became an employee of a local shop, The Sewing Room, and later of a then-new fabric store, Pieceful Heart Fabrics, which has since closed.
Through her working life, Dottye was soon drawn into the world of quilting, meeting amazing quilt makers along the way. As a long-time seamstress, always making clothing and home accessories, she was not a stranger to excellent workmanship or to patterns and the ability to adapt them to one’s own purposes. So when her granddaughter Sienna came along about fourteen years ago, she decided to take the plunge, to make her first quilt.
Through her working life, Dottye was soon drawn into the world of quilting, meeting amazing quilt makers along the way. As a long-time seamstress, always making clothing and home accessories, she was not a stranger to excellent workmanship or to patterns and the ability to adapt them to one’s own purposes. So when her granddaughter Sienna came along about fourteen years ago, she decided to take the plunge, to make her first quilt.
Since then, of course, she has made many more, adding to her skills, taking classes and learning from the talented people around her. The “Fab Ladies,” her group of close quilting friends, conspire together as they plot new projects to showcase their skill and artistry. Maybe next on her agenda, she says, is learning more about the world of needle-turn appliqué. Can’t wait to see what beauties her future show and tell items may be!
Thanks Dottye!
Thanks Dottye!
