The Herald sat down with Patti Schust a Merrick resident, Uniondale High School alumna and Adelphi-trained artist, to discuss her love for art, her journey into quilting, and how the craft became her lifelong passion.
Q: How did quilting get its start, and why do you think it’s coming back now?
A: On the prairie, women took of old clothing they didn’t have time to go to the store and buy fabric they were going to buy fabrics for dresses not blankets. As clothing wore out, would cut small scraps of fabric and save them and would sew the pieces together to make blankets to keep them warm in the winter. People in their 60s and 70s were interested but their children weren’t. However, their grandchildren are interested. They want to create, fashion design is such a big thing now and people sell them online.
Q: What makes quilting so personal?
A: I make quilts from men’s ties, T-shirts, even dress shirts. When my husband passed, my children gave him shirts like “pop the man” I cut up those T-shirts and made giant pillows for my grandchildren – their grandpa’s T-shirts. I did the same with a quilt for my two daughters. It’s sentimental.
Q: Do you sell your quilts?
A: Yes. I sell at shows — like Water Mill in the Hamptons — and through Instagram. I don’t have an Etsy shop yet, but I take orders for people.
Q: What first inspired your love of art?
A: I’ve had a love of art since I was a very young girl. My mom said that when I was five years old, I saw a show and it was about Rip Van Winkle and him sleeping by a rock. And when the show was over, I drew this picture and my mom said this is fantastic. And from that day on, my parents encouraged me.
Q: What’s your process when designing a quilt?
A: Every quilt starts with an “inspiration fabric.” If it’s a big print, I don’t cut it into small pieces — you’d lose the focus of the pattern. So then you start thinking in your head, what would go good with this? How would this work? What colors will complement this?
Q: How long does it take to make one?
A: It depends. A baby quilt could take a few days. A large piece, like a kaleidoscope quilt, might take three weeks at four to five hours a day. Tie quilts, made from neckties, are extremely labor intensive — they can take months.
