• Meet Fabric & Quilt Designer Annette Plog

Meet Fabric & Quilt Designer Annette Plog

It's always fun getting to know designers whose work is featured on the pages of Quilter's World magazine. And it's fun getting to share these designers with our readers for a more personal connection. In the autumn 2021 issue of Quilter's World, Annette Plog shared her tips for hosting a successful quilt-block exchange. A couple of us who work at Annie's, along with some other quilting friends, participated in a quilt-block exchange organized by Annette. The pattern we used, Snowed In, can also be found in the autumn issue.

Annette Plog.

Hi, it's Carolyn Beam here again; I'm the person who writes this update. Thanks for joining me as I share my thoughts about quilting with you. As always, I'd love to hear ideas and suggestions from you as well.

I'd like to suggest a quilt pattern that might be of interest to you: Leaves of Change. This quilt pattern is perfect for displaying or cuddling under as warm summer days change to the cooler days of fall. Made using precut 2 1/2" strips or fabrics from your stash, along with some yardage, it sews up quickly.

I asked Annette to share a glimpse into her life with you. In Annette's words:

Hello, I wanted to introduce myself to you all and tell you a little about my quilting life journey. It all started when I was young and my grandmother showed my sister and me some simple hand-sewing stitches. Her name was Louise and she taught me to hand-sew and how to use her sewing machine. Although she did not quilt, she crocheted, knitted and made clothing. We loved making doll clothes together.

In high school, I learned more about fashion sewing. In classes I learned to make dresses, skirts and blouses for myself and had a desire to go to a local fashion college. Instead, I went to the University of Texas at Arlington and graduated with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, got married and went to work.

In the early 1980s I had two beautiful children and started sewing and smocking clothing for them. After my children got older, I needed to find new handwork projects. My mom instilled in me a love of antiques and all things old, so after seeing so many beautiful quilts in decorating magazines, I asked her if I could see our family quilts. Sadly, she said we had only a couple and they were in very poor condition. So, if I wanted to surround myself with quilts, I would have to collect them or make them myself. I pieced and machine-quilted my first quilt, a Lone Star design, in 1986.

Annette's studio.

My first quilts were made using simple beginner patterns such as Log Cabin, Nine Patch and Irish Chain. I started working at a quilt shop, which continued to feed my love of fabric and surrounded me with other inspiring quilters. In the mid-1990s, I was asked to join a block-exchange quilt group with the purpose of reproducing antique quilts using the new reproduction fabrics available. Since making the group's first quilt, I have made more than 60 quilts using exchanged blocks. This group of talented ladies helped to teach me about antique quilts and fabrics, piecing tops together and color play, and they encouraged me to set no limits on what I could create and accomplish. I began teaching classes, continued to make quilts and started working on a book.

In 2017, I wrote my first quilt book, True Blue Quilts, from C&T Publishing. The book offers a brief history of blue fabrics during the 1800s and features 15 quilt patterns from small to large, simple to challenging projects. Each project in the book was inspired by antique quilts.

Annette's antique blue quilts.

In 2021, my second book was released. Time-Honored Traditions from Martingale Publishing offers quilters a field guide to 19th-century fabrics, how to collect and establish a fabric stash, and antique-inspired quilt projects to make. Having an established fabric stash is the key to creating interesting and beautiful scrappy quilts, and there are certain reproduction fabrics that should be included in a great stash such as cheddars, double pinks, Lancaster blues, indigos, purples, chrome yellows, poison greens, and lots of shirtings and lights.

Annette's books.

In conjunction with the release of Time-Honored Traditions, I designed my first fabric line with Windham Fabrics. Petite Perennials is a line of traditional fabrics reproduced from an antique quilt. The line includes highly desired color prints such as cheddars, madders, indigos, pinks and poison greens. I wanted the fabric line to include the stash-building fabrics that were highlighted in Time-Honored Traditions. Having each of these fabrics is the perfect place to start building a traditional fabric stash.

Petite Perennials from Windham Fabrics.

In 2007, I opened a small Etsy shop, Petite Quilts, to sell small handmade quilts. I love making small quilts but didn't necessarily need to keep every one that I made. The shop now offers patterns, Petite Perennials fat quarter bundles, both of my books and larger quilts. I also write a weekly blog, Annette Plog Quilts. The blog is a look back at the projects I have tackled, quilt-shop road trips, book reviews, quilt-retreat progress and some random family photos.

I am currently teaching quilting classes locally on subjects such as hand piecing, hand quilting, curved machine piecing and other quilting techniques. I also travel and present programs and workshops to quilt guilds. I have a small collection of 1870s blue-and-white antique quilts, and I love hunting for and collecting antiques of any kind.

My studio is a small room in our house -- it is small but mighty, and it is my happy place! I live in the Ft. Worth area with my husband and a large mixed-breed hound named Roxy. I enjoy running, gardening and spending time with family and grandchildren. I love making quilts, playing with fabric and creating new projects. The goal I strive for is to be creative every day! If you'd like to contact me, I can be reached at maplog55@gmail.com.

Keep it scrappy!

Annette Plog

Thanks, Annette, for sharing your story with us. In the next update the quilts made from the exchange coordinated by Annette will be featured. Be sure to stop by and check them out.

In the meantime, please stay safe and healthy!

Take care,

Carolyn

Carolyn Beam
Editor, Quilter's World magazine

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