Meet Jen Strauser — a self-proclaimed “chaotic maker” who brings humor, heart, and a love of color to every quilt she stitches. From her early days sewing with her grandma to her current obsession with Kawandi-inspired work, Jen’s quilting journey is all about creativity, persistence, and joy.
Tell me how you first discovered quilting? What drew you in at age 25 to pick up needle and thread and fabric?
I’ve played with needle and thread since I was a child, with varying levels of success.
I did embroidery with my grandma as a child. I stitched counted cross-stitch kits for years, until I discovered quilting when my first child was a toddler. It was a soothing process, and I could make things to wrap him in love.
I loved every aspect of the craft – creativity, the texture of cotton fabrics, the sound of the needle sliding through the fabric, the smell of fabric fresh from the shop, and especially the fact that I could control the fabric. My son was very high energy and LOUD.
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What was your very first quilt (or quilted project)? How did it go? Mistakes, surprises, what did you love?
My very first quilt that I made as an adult was for my son. I called it Sleeping with the Fishies. I “designed” it myself, filling in spaces with batik panels, and other fun things I found at the quilt shop. I used Benartex Foundation by the Yard for some of the blocks – a great product that doubled the cost of my quilt! The process felt magical.
I was super surprised that I could spend so much money on one project, and also that buying 78 yards of various batiks would leave me with so much leftover. I still have scraps from that first project in my stash.
That quilt is a rag now – pieces have fallen off, the dog chewed holes in it, and it went through the wash so many times. Both of my boys used and loved it. It was in use for close to 20 years. Seeing my quilts fall apart from use is magical.
Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
Traditional quilts are beautiful, but I never want to just copy them. I want to fool around with the blocks and make them look more “mine”. I’ll pay with colors, invert things, change value placement to blur the original block.
I find a lot of inspiration in the natural world. I love to walk my dogs out in nature, and I am often struck by color relationships, symmetry and asymmetry, and shapes. Nature loves variety and odd numbers, and so do I.
Right now, most of my work is based on Kawandi construction. Siddi Quilters in India make Kawandi, which are made from the outside in, all by hand, and with no piecing of the patchwork tops. I’ve been enjoying seeing what I can do with that basic premise. Sometimes I work on imagery, but most often I play with colors and show off my fabulous stash.
Describe your creative space.
I am a quilter with two homes and zero studios. I am currently occupying the dining room of both of my apartments (we are fortunate to have a winter home in Florida).
I am a chaotic maker by nature, so I am trying very hard to learn how to clean up my space at the end of the day. Mostly, I’m failing at that. A peek into my space would probably impress people with how tall I can stack things.
My sewing machines are Bernina’s, I have camera stands all over the place, and my shelves look like a raccoon put my stuff away.
What are some essential materials or tools you can’t live without?
I love scrappy quilts and projects, so I cannot live without a large stash of fabrics and threads. I thrive on variety.
My favorite fabrics are yarn-dyed fabrics, which give me the floppiest finished pieces. I love a drapey quilt.
My favorite threads are variegated and available in a wide variety of colors. I enjoy purchasing an entire line of threads at once so I can have ALL the colors.
My favorite thread for hand quilting is Wonderfil Fruitti 12-weight variegated cotton. I use a Sue Spargo Milliner’s #3 needle, and sometimes I stitch all day.
How do you balance “slow stitching” with wanting to finish a project?
Oh, that’s an easy one! Multiple projects.
I usually have at least two slow stitching projects in the works. One Kawandi-inspired quilt, several embroidery pieces, and maybe some other weird thing. Then, I have 20+ years of UFOs in various stages of completion.
There is always something I can pick up and advance a step closer to the finish line. This week, I finished a Kawandi-inspired piece and bound two larger quilts. I have been feeling a little bit of grief after taking the last stitch on the handwork piece. We’ve been together for 6 1/2 months.
Walk me through your process from idea to finished piece?
I am a manifesting generator, so I have approximately a bajillion ideas ready to go at any given time. Often they happen while I sleep or when I’m in the shower.
A project will start with some incoherent words in my journal or a very scruffy sketch. Then I will do a stash dive, making sure to pull out way more fabrics than any one quilt can hold. Then I will buy some more fabric, because there is always room for one more.
I will agonize over construction techniques, then I will alternate periods of manic making with totally ignoring the project. Very rarely can one thing sustain my attention for a long period. When I get about halfway through, I usually decide this was a terrible idea, and the project will get put in timeout for a little bit. Once it cycles back around, it often moves through smoothly until I finish it.
What parts of quilting do you find most satisfying, and which are more challenging?
Cutting and planning can be the worst for me.
I love doing improvisational work. Not just fancy curves, etc, but letting the project develop in its own way.
I have mixed emotions about drawing a project, then making that project. I CAN do it, but I do love to go off on a wander and see where I end up.
Finishing is absolutely the most satisfying, especially if there is a paycheck involved. Getting paid to do my favorite artwork is very satisfying.
Have there been moments when a design didn’t go as planned? What do you do then?
A design that wanders off isn’t usually a problem, unless I’m doing it for a client. Depending on how well I know the client, I’ll either continue on my wander, assuming they know who they hired, or I’ll force the fabric to follow the plan. I will write myself a note like – “try doing the same pattern, but flip every other block to the other direction”. I save the notes for long enough that I don’t know what they are referring to.
On my personal stuff, I take more notes. Things like “don’t hand stitch with canvas”, or “no more templates”. Quilts that are heavy on templates, precision stitching, things like that often don’t make it to the finish line. I get bored.
On my Sweet Surrender quilt, I didn’t realize until the end that I had put one of my “color guides” in the wrong place. So, instead of gradating smoothly, there is a spot where the wrong color is there. It turned out fine and is now traveling as part of Quilt National. I think having color mistakes that draw the eye makes for a more interesting composition.
Since you began quilting, how has your style or approach changed?
I was originally a very traditional quilter. I did lots of block-based quilts on a grid. I was very motivated to get those perfect points. Now I’m a rebel. I don’t do very much work with traditional blocks, I don’t worry too much about precision piecing. I want to have fun. No one in my circle needs another quilt, so I’m mostly making for me (or for money, in which case I’m happy to make whatever the client wants.)
How has being “younger in a quilting world” influenced your voice or aesthetic?
Well, I don’t think of myself as younger anymore, at the ripe old age of 52. When I actually was in my 20’s and 30’s I found the quilting world to be very unwelcoming. Patronizing older women ran the quilt shops and had lots of opinions on what I should or should not be doing. I’m a little mulish, so the absolute best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can’t do that. Watch me.
I do think those experiences have helped me be more welcoming to newbies. I’m very sensitive to not be discouraging to anyone. If we older quilters are not welcoming, the industry will collapse as we retire from stitching.
Also, as a younger woman, I’ve always felt that the older women had plenty of valuable insight. I just like to pick and choose what insights I embrace, and which I decide to discard. You know, like pre-wash and iron all of my fabric, no, thank you, I don’t do laundry for fun. But, protect my fingers from arthritis – good idea.
How do you define your “signature” as a quilter — is there something people say, “That’s so Jen”?
I don’t really know. Rainbows maybe? Also, Kawandi inspired pieces that aren’t made the “correct” way. Throughout my quilting career I have been very happy to try all of the things. If my goal had been to become well known for one specific thing, I failed.
Right now, I think I’m pretty well known for Kawandi-inspired quilts. At least, that’s what Google says. That infatuation hit me hard, and I just keep making them.
What have been some of the most meaningful quilts or projects you’ve made, ones that changed you, challenged you, or taught you something important?
Honestly, my hand work projects have been the most meaningful to me.
There is something about spending months or even years on one project, even if I cheat on it with others once in a while.
I have an enormous EPP project made with 17,770 half-inch hexagons. All hand-pieced. I call it “Eating the Elephant”. It needs to be quilted yet, but it hasn’t told me what it wants.
Working on something epic always leaves me feeling so proud of my skills. That one has a very clear demonstration of the evolution of my skills.
In the middle where I started, you can see my stitches. As I progressed through all of the hours of work my stitches became nearly invisible. Persistence pays off, and practice does make perfect.
My two most recent finishes have been pretty amazing for me. I am an avid collector of fabrics from Tula Pink and Alison Glass. In my last move, I realized how much fabric I have, and I was a little mortified. I decided to try to work through my stash by making quilts highlighting my favorite fabric designers. I call them the Fan Girl Series. Both are rainbow quilts.
Privately, I had considered rainbow quilts to be a little basic, because they come easily to me. But, they are so much fun to make. Taking a stack of fabrics and sorting it by color is my favorite thing. So, I’m going to let myself make as many rainbows as I want. Giving myself permission to do what feels good to me has been great. Plus, the quilts are just so pretty. And news flash – two quilts will not even put a dent in a fabric collection.
What advice would you give to someone starting quilting now, maybe someone younger, or someone who feels intimidated by the quilting world?
So, for someone younger who is intimidated by the quilting world, I’d say work on developing a thick skin. You are going to run into loads of folks who have really strong opinions. Learn who your allies are, and share your work with them.
I’m always happy to look at someone’s quilt and give praise. I’ll also ask if they want suggestions to consider for their next quilt. If they say no, I honor that.
Finishing a quilt is a big deal. It’s so easy to look at it and see that their points don’t match, but it’s hard to remember how hard it was to get started, and how much bravery it takes to show someone something you made with your own hands. It’s especially hard to remember how much it hurt when someone suggested I take a quilting class (not in a nice way) after I showed them a project I was really proud of. I’m lucky I’m contrary.
How can quilters be more welcoming toward younger or less experienced makers? What would you like to see change in the quilting, maker community?
I’m going to share a story from fairly recently, like within the past 5 years. I was working in a quilt shop, and I approached a customer, an older woman, maybe 60’s? I asked if I could help her with anything. She replied “I’ve been quilting for longer than you have been alive.” An impressive feat, for sure, but did she know where we kept everything? I’ll never know, because I didn’t offer again.
I would like to see all of this ageism stop. If you find an engaged person in a quilt shop, you know they also enjoy quilting. Male, female, young, old, you have something in common. Just be nice. Don’t be patronizing, don’t assume they don’t know stuff, or that they know everything.
Many quilters start at retirement. It’s entirely possible that the 30-year-old quilter started as a child, and the 65-year-old started last year. Also, there are younger quilters who love Civil War reproductions, and older ones who love Tula Pink. Stop making assumptions and just play together.
What do you want people to feel when they look at or use one of your quilts?
I want people to touch my quilts and enjoy the texture. I’d like them to feel the fun I had making it, and want to get some of that for themselves. If I’m lucky, they will reach out to me and take a class with me. I absolutely love teaching and encouraging folks to play more!
Where can people see your work?
DizzyQuilter.com is my website, although I’m a bit unmotivated to organize it right now. Spending time on the computer isn’t much fun.
I overshare on Instagram and YouTube, where I’m @jenstrauser. I also have a Facebook group, “Kawandi Style Quilting with Jen Strauser”. There you can watch people argue with me, THE Jen Strauser, about whether I’m doing it all wrong.
Interview posted November 2025
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