The Five Favs Series with: Erin Holmes of Hexen Haus and Quilt Brew
Episode 6
The Story behind Five Favs
This series developed out of my love of movies, and specifically, movie lists. Critics and film geeks alike spend hours pouring over lists, ranking everything from best movies of the year (pretty standard fare) to top five music documentaries (getting a little more granular) to top five movie characters that shaped who you are (pretty personal and specific!). I thought it would be fun to play with this idea in the quilting world. Since we spend so much time in our sewing spaces, they contain interesting snapshots of who we are as creators, and can offer a sneak peek into other aspects of our lives, too. And so- the creation of The Five Favs Blog. This is a top five of the guests favorite items in their sewing space.
This month I am pleased to have Erin from Hexen Haus and Quilt Brew on the blog! Erin’s quilts first caught my eye when she was featured on QuiltInk (side note: if you haven’t checked out QuiltInk before, you should! It allows you to test out color combos on quilt patterns before you cut into that precious fabric!) I fell in love with Erin’s great style, sense of color, and overall vibe. Additionally, the ‘choose your own adventure’ possibilities for her Maidan quilt really speak to me (who doesn’t love different layout options!).
About Erin
“Hi, my name is Erin and I'm the designer behind Hexen Haus and Quilt Brew™. I design my quilt patterns in the evening, as I balance a full-time career in educational publishing and life as a busy mom. My Quilt Brew™ patterns offer a flexible design and limitless possibilities as quilters can "brew- their-own-design" by mixing and matching blocks or transforming them to create their own quilt designs. Giving quilters the freedom of expression and opportunity really inspires me. I write my patterns for a confident beginner because it’s important to me that the designs are accessible to all. Are you curious to see what I'm working on? Come visit me at www.hexenhaus.co for patterns, inspiration, and a creative quilty adventure!”
Where Erin Works
“My sewing space location has changed over the years from a small basement in downtown Baltimore, Maryland to an attic in NEK, Vermont to now a first floor room in eastern Pennsylvania. We have been lovingly restoring a historic stone home and my sewing room is conveniently located close to the living room. This is really handy, because I can keep a close eye on the kids. With a little nudge and convincing, I would LOVE to convert our smaller barn, which used to be a blacksmith shop in 1800s, into my studio. For now, I'm grateful for my space because I can do what I love and be close to those I love.”
Fav 1 - Bernina 880 Plus
“I'm always looking to find gold with the old and this machine is no exception. I found her on Marketplace (like almost everything else in our house). A widower was selling his wife's craft tools, materials, and gizmos. When I found this listing, I knew I had to meet him and see this machine. After learning about his lovely wife, he mentioned finding my shop online. He had seen my bee aprons and told me that was his wife's favorite thing to do was raise bees and make honey. His response was ‘When I saw your aprons I knew you were the right person for this machine. I think she would want you to have it. Why don't you take it home for a week and try it out. I don't want you to pay me now because I know she would kill me if I sold it to someone who didn't enjoy it as much as she did. Take it home and let me know. We can settle up later.’ Of course I left in tears and you know how the story ends. Sometimes things are just meant to be.”
Fav 2 - Witch Frame
“It's no secret that Halloween is my family's favorite holiday, so much so that we live close to a historic landmark named Hexenkopf Rock in Pennsylvania. My quilting journey began with whole cloth applique quilts often inspired by the holidays and my kids favorite storybook characters. This framed picture represents my early beginnings as a quilter; a lover of both applique and old things, which in my opinion is the perfect combination.”
Fav 3 - Ikea Table
“An Ikea kitchen isle is the ultimate hack! Before I had this piece of furniture, I was either cutting fabric on the dining room table or placing my cutting mat on the floor (which I don't recommend!). Ironically, this kitchen island is the perfect height for ironing and cutting. I also love butcher block and baskets. The shelves underneath are the perfect size for storing bolts of fabric and batting. I would love to add wheels to the bottom to make it easier to move around in the room. Either way, it's a total game changer for your sewing space.”
Fav 4 - Creative Grids
“Creative Grids rulers are an absolute must have. My patterns often include flying geese and half-square triangles so these rulers really come in handy. They take the guessing out of unit creation as they have suggested sizes printed directly on the rulers. They are also extremely user friendly for cutting and most importantly, affordable! When space is at a premium, it's nice to have one ruler instead of a ruler for each individual size.”
Fav 5 - Wooden Box
“I love to repurpose things if I can. Our kids are getting older so we are gradually downsizing and finding new homes for the toys they no longer use. The girls were always gifted beautiful Melissa & Doug toys when they were little. As they outgrew them, I knew I had to find another way to use the gorgeous wooden boxes the toys were stored in. Well to my surprise they are fantastic boxes to store quilt units or blocks for your project. I've even used them to store fabric cuts! Who knew?”
Thank you all so much for checking out this series and learning a little bit more about Erin and her sewing space! I’ll have a new guest talking about their favs next month!
Where To Find Erin and Hexen Haus:
You can follow Erin on Instagram at Hexenhaus and QuiltBrew, and be sure to check out her website!