Meet One of Our Members!
With a hearty and warm sense of humor, often at her own expense,Mary Cieslak tells of growing up as an only child in Berwyn, Illinois, where she attended Morton West High School. Despite her mother’s skill at sewing, Mary can still recall taking a home economics class and making a blouse that she says was so ugly she threw it away immediately upon receiving her grade. But her mother persisted in teaching her daughter to sew well, enough so that she was later able to make clothes for her two sons as they grew.
Then in 2003 two of her quilting friends invited her to attend the International Quilt Festival in Rosemont and her world of sewing took a whole new turn. She was in awe of the new things she saw and a passion for quilting took off. In 2007, Mary joined Riverwalk Quilters Guild, enjoying the new friends, ideas, speakers, and the world of new techniques to try. Since then she has made a great many quilts including her personal favorite called Magic Windows, which has a special place on her living room wall.
Then in 2003 two of her quilting friends invited her to attend the International Quilt Festival in Rosemont and her world of sewing took a whole new turn. She was in awe of the new things she saw and a passion for quilting took off. In 2007, Mary joined Riverwalk Quilters Guild, enjoying the new friends, ideas, speakers, and the world of new techniques to try. Since then she has made a great many quilts including her personal favorite called Magic Windows, which has a special place on her living room wall.
One of her favorite techniques is three dimensional machine applique, which she uses in small wall hangings, sometimes making a set of four of the same pattern, each in colors to match a season of the year. She points out quickly that she loves the immediate gratification she gets from machine quilting – yes, she has a long-arm – and avoids handwork such as applique or hand-quilting at all costs. Mastering free form quilting is a current goal she is working toward.She especially enjoys working with batiks and visits the websitewww.quiltingboard.com often.
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T-shirt quilts are a specialty of Mary’s and she makes them frequently for others, including memory T- shirt quilts to comfort the families of loved ones who have passed away. Since 1996, she has been an active member of the craft co-op store in Oak Park called Artisans & Crafters Unique Boutique of the Oak Park Women’s Exchange where she works once a month and is able to sell her handmade items.
Thank you, Mary!
November 30, 2014
Thank you, Mary!
November 30, 2014
