Modern quilter Erin Case sets challenges for herself to stretch her work beyond her comfort zone. Erin works digitally before she commits her designs to fabric, using software to experiment with color, shape, negative space and other design principles. She is so enthusiastic about using digital tools to create art with fabric that she helps other makers navigate the virtual side of quilting – the web, social media, pattern production and other behind-the-screen tasks that help artists get their work in front of more people. All while raising busy twin boys!
How did you find yourself on an artist’s path? Always there? Lightbulb moment? Dragged kicking and screaming? Evolving?
My mother is an artist. Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be able to draw like she could. I’m one of those people who can’t draw a straight line, but have been drawn to art and art history. (My “if I ever win the lottery” dream was to go back to school for an art history degree, move overseas and give American tourists tours of museums!) When I was in college, though, I was drawn more to science. I got my nursing degree and spent 10 years in Critical Care nursing.
I’ve always been attracted to quilts and quilting, but held off on learning how for a long time. My main hobby was knitting, which was expensive enough!
I stopped working as a nurse once I was put on bedrest during my pregnancy with twins. When they were born, with my mom’s help I learned how to sew some Halloween costumes for us. While they were still infants, I wanted to try and find a hobby that was quicker than knitting. Finally I decided to learn how to quilt because I *thought* it would be faster! (ha!)
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We moved to Ireland when the boys were 1, and spent three years there. While there, I found a quilting guild and ended up designing two years worth of Block of the Month Programs. That was my introduction into quilting design.
What inspires you to create?
My boys! Making them a quilt for their first birthday was my motivation to learn how to quilt. Nowadays, I make them a quilt every year for their birthday. As they’ve gotten older (and a bit more…selective, shall we say?), they have a lot more opinions about what I make for them. Even as I’m working on other projects during the year, they love to come in and look at the design wall and ask questions. Malcolm even took up a bit of quilting this year and his first quilt was accepted into QuiltCon 2022!
Why quilting? How does that medium best express what you want to communicate through your art?
Quilting is the best medium for me. When I take a step back and look at it, it’s a combination of both my analytical and artistic brains. There is a bit of a science to cutting up fabric and piecing it accurately so all of the blocks then sew together properly.
Tell us about Birch Tree Creative. What services do you offer?
As Birch Tree Creative, I offer creative virtual assistant services to quilt pattern designers and sewing small businesses. A creative virtual assistant is a person who offers support to their target audience through content creation. I currently focus on website content like blogging and optimizing SEO, video editing for Youtube and classes, Pinterest Management, and Social Media Management. In 2022, I’ll be focused on learning the Adobe Creative Suite so I can offer more services like pattern layouts. I’m always looking to learn new skills and expand my skillset!
I started Birch Tree Creative in September of 2021 after working as a dedicated virtual assistant for a client for a year and a half, and being approached by other clients for help.
Is it difficult to balance your own creative work with helping others organize their own creative efforts?
Overall, no. As a critical care nurse, I became an expert at time management. Those skills have come in handy while juggling growing my business, taking care of my family, volunteering and creating quilts.
When it comes to creating, are you more of a planner or an improviser?
Planner, 100%! I like to make sure I have the yardage I need, as well as testing out blocks, to make sure everything works. I currently design using EQ8, but I’m hoping to learn how to use Illustrator in 2022.
What do you do to develop your skills? How do you get better at what you do?
I’m lucky enough to live near a guild that offers workshops frequently. I try to take classes that focus on techniques that I haven’t worked with before, and my favorites of this past year include Audrey Esarey’s Watercolor Quilt Workshop, Tricia Royal’s Raw Edge Applique Tour workshop, and Krista Hennebury’s Speed Date with Improv.
Do you have a dedicated space for creating? If so, what does it look like?
Thankfully yes! I have a bedroom on our upstairs floor that has three side-by-side north facing windows, so it has a good amount of natural light. My husband actually insisted I use this room as my sewing room! I have my work desk, a design wall, a cutting table, my sewing cabinet and ironing board set up inside it. Hearing this description makes it sound huge, but it’s actually one of the smaller bedrooms in the house.
What are the indispensable tools and materials in your studio? How do they improve your work?
My design wall and iron. They give me a chance to set up blocks on the design wall and mull over my decisions for a day or so. It helps me visualize my final design without worrying about a cat or child moving things around. A great iron is essential for flat blocks. I use a Reliable Velocity 260IR Compact Vapor Generator. I discovered this iron at a guild quilt retreat, and fell in love. The steam it generates is sublime, and presses my blocks perfectly.
Do you use a sketchbook or journal? How does that help your work develop?
I use a bit of both, but digital, not paper! Two apps on my Ipad help me to visualize my designs. They are Procreate and GoodNotes. Procreate focuses mainly on the drawing/sketching aspect of the process, and I can export images from the app and import them into GoodNotes. GoodNotes helps me stay organized with what pieces need to be cut, how many and where I am in the process of making the final quilt. Once I have a finished quilt top picture, I can go back into Procreate to import the quilt top photo and audition quilting designs!
What plays in the background while you work? Silence? Music, audiobooks, podcasts, movies? If so, what kind?
I have to have sound of some sort while I work. So I go back and forth from listening to podcasts to having Netflix or another digital streaming service up on my laptop. I like to watch/listen to documentaries and HBO series but my eyes are mostly on my work!
Can you tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works? How does a new work come about?
The quilt I’m currently most proud of is my quilt, Put a Curve on It, recently accepted into QuiltCon 22, and the 2022 QuiltCon Magazine. I created this quilt as part of the Hexagon quilt challenge sponsored by American Patchwork and Quilting.
I’ve been adding curves to what feels like 99% of my original works, so I set about trying to design a hexagon that had a curve in it. Most of the designs were failures, until I tried the arc tool in my EQ8 design software, and I inserted what looks like an orange peel shape into the interior of a hexagon. I tried laying them out in a horizonal/vertical grid, but wasn’t satisfied with the result, and then tried them on point. Next, I subtracted some of the blocks to create some negative space. Finally, using my Kona color card, I came up with the palette.
After creating a test block using scraps, I was able to determine that this was something that I not only could make, but also wasn’t painful to make! After some encouragement from a friend, I submitted the quilt for consideration to the QuiltCon magazine, and thankfully was accepted! I’m so excited to see it hanging in Phoenix in February!
What was the biggest challenge that you encountered on your creative journey? What did you learn from it?
I tend to get into creative blocks, mostly due to pressure from outside of my quilting world—motherhood, volunteer commitments, work, etc. I learned that for myself, taking a step back and not putting pressure on myself helped out. I’ll turn to my other creative hobbies—knitting, spinning, cross stitch—to stretch my creativity without the pressure of having a quilt at the end of it. Another way to spark my creativity is to work on guild charity projects. Our organizer, Cath, sets out packets of fabric where you’re able to create whatever you’d like from it. I find that very low pressure. Then, at the end of the process, I know it’s going to a good cause, our local PICU.
If you could interview a creative person (past or present), who would that person be? What is it about that person that intrigues you?
I’d like to choose Marcel Duchamp. He is a French painter and sculptor (among other things) whose work is associated with Cubism and Dada. When I took art history in college, we learned about his work, Fountain, which I found hilarious. I’d love to find out more from him about that intersection of fine art and nonsense and well, bravery. We all need a bit of confidence that would give us the courage to submit something like a urinal to an art exhibition!
Do you think that creativity comes naturally to people? Or do you think creativity is a skill that people can learn?
I think it’s a bit of both. Innate creativity can only take you so far, if you don’t put in the work to develop your skills. The drive to learn and push yourself further than you thought you could go really creates your own best work.
What advice would you give to emerging artists?
Do what you love. If you’re doing that, you’re not competing with the rest of the field that’s out there. Don’t feel like you have to change who you are or what you like to do to be accepted.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
Join a guild or small quilting group! By being a part of my guild, I’ve met many extraordinary quilt makers. I’m lucky enough to be in a small group, where we work together over Zoom once a week. I’ve bounced ideas off of them about several of my designs, and have always received solid advice on where to go next. As I’ve never had formal design training, it’s helpful to get suggestions for what I think are holes in my designs.
Tell us about your website. What do you hope people will gain by visiting?
My website is www.birchtreecreative.com. There, you can find information about my Virtual Assistant business, as well as a little bit about my original quilt designs. I offer a variety of services to take the strain off of quilt pattern designers and other creative businesses like Pinterest management, blogging, video editing and website maintenance. I’m hoping overwhelmed quilt pattern designers can find there are those of us out there that want to take some of the strain off of them so they can spend more time doing what they love—creating!
Interview posted February 2022
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