Spotlight: Beth Ann Williams, Contemporary Quilter and Fiber Artist

Beth Ann Williams grew up in a creative environment and published her first quilting book in 2000. While she loves to design and create new, original work, she appreciates the soul-nurturing value of creative practice as a vehicle for mindfulness, peace, and comfort.

How long have you been quilting and designing? How did you get started?

I first learned to sew and quilt from my grandmother, Lesta King, when I was quite young. We started with hand-sewing little dresses and quilts for my dollies.

I was always one of those kids who, when I didn’t have my nose in a book, was always experimenting and “making stuff.”

My favorite outlets were drawing, sewing, crocheting, writing, and playing my guitar; but I tried a lot of other things too – with varying levels of success, but plenty of joy and satisfaction at stretching the boundaries of my imagination.

Who could have guessed what it would eventually lead to?

When was the first time that you remember realizing that you are a creative person? 

How do you define creativity? The people all around me lived out their creativity and love of beauty as well as function, starting with (but definitely not limited to) my grandfather growing masses of brilliantly colored flowers along with the vegetables in his garden and my grandmother making cheery rag rugs along with the colorful and cozy quilts she tied with bright red embroidery floss.

How has your work changed over time?

My first professional “breakthrough” came with my Celtic-style quilts, which I first started showing in dear friend’s gallery/shop in 1995. My Celtic Quilts: A New Look for Ancient Designs book was published by Martingale & Co. in 2000.

I still design and make Celtic-style quilts – here’s Celtic Homecoming, a brand-new pattern I also plan to release in fall 2025.

My second book was Colorwash Bargello Quilts. I love playing with washes of color and creating luminosity, or “glow”, by using gradations of value and intensity.

After my third book came out, I took a break from writing to focus on more personal “Journal” quilts. Each piece has personal significance to me or records an aspect of my inner life.

While I love to design and create new, original work, I’ve increasingly come to appreciate the soul-nurturing value of creative practice as a vehicle for mindfulness, peace, and comfort.

This last decade has been turbulent on multiple fronts personally, professionally, and communally. Sometimes I just don’t have the bandwidth to create “from scratch” and I have found joy in exploring patterns and techniques from other designers. Using a commercial pattern can be a very freeing way to explore color, value, and pattern character. The bones of the design are already in place, and I can relax and play.

I love making quilts that my family can use and enjoy!

Incidentally, that’s why I released the Easy Pieces Quilt pattern – I wanted to provide a simple but extremely versatile framework other folks could play with, too!

When it comes to creating, are you more of a planner or an improviser?

I generally start with a vague idea or perhaps a rough sketch. I enjoy letting the design evolve naturally, problem-solving as I go. This can make things more difficult when/if I’m asked to write a pattern or teach a workshop because I have to back-track to figure out what I did – not an ideal situation. Fortunately, over the years, I’ve gotten better at keeping notes and snapping in-progress photos as I go.

Are you a “finisher”? How many UFOs do you think you have?

I’m somewhere in the middle.

I have finished literally hundreds of quilts and other fiber-related creations of various kinds (most notably cloth art dolls, mixed-media cards and bookmaking).

However, I also have a rotating stack of 30+ quilts in various stages of progress. While most projects in the pile are eventually completed, I don’t force the issue.

I strongly feel that not every quilt started needs to be completed. Sometimes it’s enough to have learned a new technique or played with a new fabric combo.

Maybe the “unfinished” project has served its purpose. In other cases, I may set a project aside for weeks, months, or even years because (1) I have professional obligations that are more pressing than working on my personal projects or (2) I’m making decisions about design as I go, and I need more “gestation” time to figure out how I want to proceed.

Describe your creative space.

I have a large studio space downstairs in our basement; but since 2020, I’ve commandeered our dining room as a sewing, quilting, and filming studio as it has the best light. Since I often have mobility issues with stairs, it also helps that it’s on the main floor of the house.

What is your favorite storage tip for your fabric and creative supplies?

I’m a recent convert to using acid-free comic book boards for wrapping and storing my fabric. It makes it easy to sort and organize what I have, and easy to pull fabrics out (and replace what I don’t use) during the “auditioning” process. It also gives me a nice boost of happy endorphins whenever I walk by all that wonderful color and visual texture.

I also LOVE Ikea’s shallow drawer units for storing thread and other sewing tools and notions. Easy access, but safe from our 4 kitties.

When you have time to create for yourself, what kinds of projects do you make?

I love making mixed media fabric books and art dolls, but it’s a rare treat when I can take the time to work on something strictly for me.

Wrapping strips of batik fabric around clothesline rope and sewing it together to make a bowl was a quick and fun, not-much-thought-required, project.

I recently returned to thread painted appliqué/fabric collage just for me – but that turned into a class, too. 😊

How do you keep all the balls in the air? Is there one you wish you could drop?

It can be challenging when your passion becomes your business because eventually, the business part can crowd out the creative part that you’re passionate about. It can be hard to find balance – especially when life throws the challenging curveballs that are an inevitable part of living. It’s definitely a work in progress!