Carolyn Archer
Longarm quilter extraordinaire of Ohio Star Quilting
Carolyn and I have been great friends for many years and she is one of the most fun and dearest people I know. She is also amazingly talented! She machine quilted some of the quilts for my first book, Quilt A Travel Souvenir, and has also quilted many of the quilts I have made since then including those which have appeared in numerous publications such as McCall’s Quilting and Quick Quilts Magazines, Patchwork Tsushin (Japanese quilt magazine), American Quilter Magazine and Irish Quilting Magazine.
I recently had the delight and privilege of staying with her and her family (husband, Bruce, and their very talented daughter, Megan) in their home for several days while I was in Ohio. We had such fun – endless laughing, chatting, eating, stitching, and more laughing. I took photos of her studio, where she has not one, but two Gammill longarm machines and a Statler Stitcher. She has graciously allowed me to share the photos with you all.
Carolyn converted their extra large basement into her workroom and studio. I really like the lighting Bruce installed which provides extra bright light. Carolyn lovingly refers to this as the “surface of the sun.” Trust me when I tell you there are NO shadows in her workroom.
Carolyn doing what she does best. The little pineapple quilt is a four-block quilt I whipped up using Honey Bun strips (1 1/2″ strips) and my EZ Pineapple Log Cabin Ruler for a class sample. Her choice of quilting designs made this quilt sparkle!
Always by her side or at her feet is Hunter, their beloved Australian Sheppard.
He’s also the official greeter for the customers who come to her door.
Girls’ day out! We met another dear friend, Sandy Vining, for lunch at one of our favorite haunts, the Cobblestone Cafe in Waynesville, Ohio. After lunch, we shopped at the Fabric Shack. Does it get any better than this?
Carolyn put me to work and taught me to pin-baste a quilt top to the frame in preparation for machine quilting. She kindly suggested that I not quit my day job. (smile...)
Carolyn keeps a little plastic tube (picked up at a hardware store) on the handle of her machine to hold her scissors. Now that’s clever!
No more cans of compressed air — check out the awesome air pressure machine she uses to keep her machines clean! Since I’m a complete neat-freak when it comes to keeping my sewing machines free from lint, this is just the ticket for me. I think a little birdie needs to put a bug in my husband’s ear.
“Oh honey! …..Mother’s Day is just around the corner.” (Hint, hint.)
All smiles and a perfect pineapple block! Carolyn took a day off to play and stitch with friends. She attended the EZ Pineapple Log Cabin workshop I taught for the Creative Quilters Guild in Centerville, Ohio in late March.
Carolyn is so easy to work with, her rates are fantastic and her turn-around times are fast. She’ll listen to your suggestions and has an amazing knack for interpreting the “vision” you have for your quilt. I trust her implicitly! She is always busy with a steady stream of very satisfied, repeat customers, but if you’d like her to work her unbelievable magic on your quilt tops, contact her at:
513-933-9002 or at moc.rennurdaornull@3rehcraC. Be sure to tell her I sent you! 😉
Thanks, Carolyn, for a great visit with you in your home. I had a wonderful time! Looking forward to our next reunion and many more great collaborations!
That’s a great friend to have. She looks like she loves what she is doing and has all the equipment to do it which makes the job so much better. Thanks for sharing your friend.
I love Fabric Shack – it is dangerous for my wallet to drive down there- Thanks for the info on a nearby longarm quilter.
Mary-Kay– Thank you so much for taking a moment to leave a comment on the blog. I appreciate it very much! I’m so glad you enjoyed “getting to know” Carolyn. She is true blue; a one in a million friend. I consider myself blessed to know her!
Thanks again for stopping by… 🙂
Robin — You SAID it. I LOVE Fabric Shack, too!!! Even though I don’t need any more fabric, there is never a time I can go into that store and come out empty handed. On that particular trip, I left with some gorgeous new blue and white prints, and several more jelly rolls! (Like I need any of it!) But it is great ‘color therapy’ and always so fun. I especially love it now that the owners have remodeled and it is so light, bright and airy!
And do keep Carolyn in mind. She is just wonderful and I know she’d be happy to quilt for you. Just be sure and mention you found out about her from the blog! 😉
I love Carolyn’s work. She has done several quilts for me and they are perfect! There isn’t any other word for them. I hope to send her a few more in the near future. She’s at the top of my list! I’ve also met her at a quilt show and she really seems as nice as Kimberly says she is!!
Hey Patti, I would love to quilt another quilt for you. The last ones you sent were just beautiful. I just love those fabrics you have. Hey everyone check out Patti’s web site Batiks by design. Theres a link on Kimberlys home page. Hope to talk soon. Carolyn
hi Kimberley
I would love to meet Carolyn to talk longarm with her!!!
I just came back from france yesterday and if you want ,you can come any day!!before the 12th of june because then i go back home for two weeks
take care
Christine —
Knowing both you and Carolyn the way I do, I just know the two of you would be great friends! I’ll be sure and tell Carolyn she has a new “fan” from France, and she’ll be delighted!
Hello Kim! I think I may have already told you that because of a class my cousin and I attended that you taught I contacted Carolyn to quilt a few works in progress that I had. We met and true to your glowing words I left 3 quilts with her. She helped me choose the designs (perfect for Quilts of valor) and now she has 2 more from me. I also wanted to give you the sad news that the Fabric Shop closed to foot traffic. So sad. It was such a wonderful place to shop, fondle and slobber over fabric, talk quilting to complete strangers like you’ve known them for your entire life…?. It’s a total online shop now. So we can still get fabric but I will say that there is nothing like actually seeing a piece of fabric. Touching it. Comparing colors to what you need to match. Ever try to “match” a red from an online picture? Then you know what I mean. Happy holidays from Ohio with love. Brenda Day,
Brenda, thank you so much for letting me know that you have connected with Carolyn. She’s positively brilliant as a longarmer, and one of my dearest friends in the world. I’m so very sorry to learn that Fabric Shack has closed it’s doors to the brick and mortar shop. It was a wonderland — one of my favorite shops of all time. Like you said, nothing beats touching fabric in person. I feel like I’ve lost a friend to know it has closed. So sad.
That should of said FABRIC SHACK. Sorry?