Sabrina Paprocki has loved sewing and quilting since she was a little girl. Today, she shares that love through handmade quilts, friendships in the quilting community, and the Nimble Needle App, which helps quilters keep track of their creative projects.
Let’s start at the beginning.
I have been fortunate enough to be around some element of the sewing or quilting craft for my entire life!
My Mom made all my (and my Barbies’) clothes, and I was always the best dressed with the cutest outfits! As I entered high school, Mom started teaching me to sew my own clothes. Bell-bottom pants and Smock Tops anyone??
Our wedding day was made extra special, as she created not only my dress & veil, but also the entire wedding party’s dresses, and of course, her own.
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When I look back on the photos from that day, I reflect upon the impact having something hand-created by someone who knows and loves you has, I have never felt more special than that day!
What first drew you to quilting?
I married into an amazing family. My Mother-in-law, Sally, was a Quilter and she made a quilt for our wedding present, as well as baby and milestone quilts for both of our children, a tradition I have been grateful to carry on since her passing.
When my father gifted me two quilt tops that were handmade by his mom, I asked Sally if she would finish them, and she did; they are priceless, and I cherish them both dearly.
What has quilting given you that you did not expect when you first started?
When I retired and began quilting full-time, I expected to make quilts. I didn’t expect to have a quilting family. The friends I’ve met along the way have brought a joy and love into my life that I never saw coming.
Not only that, but I never dreamed that we would have built a mobile app, or I would have the opportunity to help so many quilters organize, track, and share their quilting stories through the Nimble Needle App.
What kinds of quilts or projects make you happiest to create?
My passion, and the projects that make me the happiest are the ones I have created for Quilts 4 Kids, a non-profit organization, which I am proud to quilt for!
Do you tend to plan a quilt carefully before you begin, or do you like to see where the fabric takes you?
I am absolutely a planner; I have to have the pattern and fabric before I get started.
What makes a quilt feel finished to you? Is it the last stitch, the quilting, the binding, or something you simply feel when you look at it?
Every quilt ends with hand binding, and it’s the part I love most. Each stitch brings me peace.
When the last one is done, I feel two things at once: joy, because I know the quilt will warm someone else, and a little sadness that it’s over. But the sadness never lasts, because a new project is waiting and the cycle starts again.
Tell us about your sewing space. What would we see if we walked into your studio on a day when you are working?
My sewing space is home to my favorite machines (a Janome and Bernina), my favorite Martelli mat and of course all of my cubbies that I keep carefully organized now with Cubby Keeper! My hubby also made me a custom ironing station which I love!
How do you organize your fabric and projects? Are you wonderfully organized, creatively organized, or somewhere in between?
Before Nimble Needle, I would say, somewhere in between; however, now I am able to keep everything on track (even my UFO’s) through the app.
Nimble Needle began with a conversation on the back porch about a very familiar quilter’s problem: fabric, patterns, and projects everywhere. What was the moment when you thought, “There has to be a better way”?
My daughter asked me, “ if you could build an app for quilters, what would it do”? She pulled the ideas out of me, and we started doing research to see if there was already a mobile app built for this. I
had found myself buying duplicate patterns & rulers because I couldn’t remember what I already had at home. When she asked me what I wanted, it really hit me as something that could be a huge help to other quilters, and that was the beginning of the Nimble Needle App.
What parts of managing your quilting life were the most frustrating before Nimble Needle existed?
Using an excel file (with no pictures) for tracking my quilts and buying duplicate items!
What did you learn about your own creative habits by trying to organize all those projects, patterns, fabrics, and ideas?
Almost immediately, I realized we had to make it easy for quilters to enter these items into the App. We added bar code scanning and created ‘quick add for projects’. We are also adding ‘quick add stash items’ in our next release.
Was there anything you thought quilters would want that turned out not to matter as much? And was there something they wanted that surprised you?
It’s still early; but so far every feature we planned has been well received.
Testing with my quilt guild and extended quilting family also surprised us. Their feedback showed that the Scrapbook, Notes, and Fabric Calculator matter more than we expected, so we’ve expanded these areas. We’re grateful for their time and ideas and remain dedicated to listening to our end users!
Technology can sometimes make creative hobbies feel complicated. How did you work to make Nimble Needle feel simple and natural for quilters?
Our focus was keeping things simple, yet giving our quilting family enough choices. I wanted them to be able to customize data fields to fit their needs without making it overly complicated.
What has quilting taught you about problem solving that you have carried into other parts of your life?
Think more outside the box!
When I make a mistake cutting fabric, I think to myself, ‘How can I make something beautiful out of what I have in front of me now?’
Sometimes the most beautiful creations come from the smallest mistakes, and I have learned to embrace the rough cuts and find the beauty in them.
Building an app is very different from making a quilt. What has been the biggest creative challenge in bringing those two worlds together?
Designing the app felt a lot like designing a quilt. We began with an idea, then picked our colors, our pattern (our features), and how it would all blend together.
The hard part was learning each other’s language. My daughter, Sarah, had quick reference cards for quilting terms, and I had them for tech terms. Sarah bridged those two worlds with her creativity and natural tech instincts, and she deserves all the credit!
What have you learned from working with your daughter, Sarah? Has building Nimble Needle changed the way the two of you see each other?
I’ve learned just how smart this incredible daughter of mine is. She’s got her Dad’s sense of humor and a deep love for things she is passionate about. I am truly blessed.
If you could sit down with someone who has always wanted to quilt but keeps telling herself she is “not creative enough,” what would you say to her?
Guess what! You are creative enough, and you should not sell yourself short. There are so many amazing quilters out there ready to walk with you along your journey. Before you know it – you are in love with fabric and all things related 🙂
Where can people learn more about the Nimble Needle App?
Quilters can download the Nimble Needle App on the Google Play and Apple App store, and learn more about the app and who we are on our website, nimbleneedle.app
Rapid-fire fun
- Favorite thing about being part of the quilting community? The relationships I’ve developed
- Favorite place to find quilting inspiration? Just about anywhere you look
- The most satisfying part of making a quilt? Hand binding a quilt
- Hand stitching or machine stitching? For piecing; machine all the way
- What is bringing you joy now? My family and my friends
Interview posted November 2026
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