November 2025
Kathleen Esche
Kathleen joined the Cheshire Quilters' Guild this year. She had just moved to Northfield, MA in 2024 and was looking for the nearest quilt guild. Guess what? she found us! She says she was also very impressed with our website. Please take a minute to get to know one of our newest guild members. Welcome Kathleen!
1. Where do you find inspiration for your quilting projects?
Answer: “Currently, my main inspiration is to finish the projects that I planned for over the years but never started in order to make my stash smaller. I recently finished a quilt using Civil War Reproduction fabric that I had collected at one time. When I make a quilt for a specific person, I carefully consider the quilt pattern, the colors and the quilting design based on the recipient. Things like where they live, favorite color, favorite sports team, hobbies, places they’ve traveled etc. inspire the final result. Recently I asked our friend that lives in Germany to send me a picture of his bedroom so I could coordinate the colors in the quilt with his room.”
2. What advice would you give to a new quilter and why?
Answer: “My advice would be to learn different techniques like appliqué, curved piecing, Cathedral Window, using chenille etc. Try different types of fabrics like flannel, 100% cotton, and Ankara fabrics. You don’t need a lot of fancy tools. I get by with my cutting mat, rotary cutter and Stripology Ruler.”
3. If you wanted or needed help with your quilting, who would you ask? Why?
Answer: “I have a long-time friend that lives in New York that is my sounding board. Our styles are very different but it works. She is a machine quilter and I am a hand-quilter. Sometimes we inspire each other to make the same quilt pattern using the same fabrics.”
4. If you could watch anyone quilt, who would it be?
Answer: “My friend that I just mentioned knows the names of many quilters but I don’t keep track of that kind of information but I’d love to visit my friend and watch her machine quilt. She does AMAZING things on her machine. I follow Brittany at Lo & Behold Stitchery and I would enjoy spending a day with her. I’d also enjoy meeting and spending some time with Jenny Doan from the Missouri Star Quilt Company.”
5. Tell us a funny quilting story about your experiences in your quilting hobby?
Answer: “I have a funny story but it’s also a bit embarrassing. My brother got married about 35 years ago and I decided to make a white-on-white quilt for them. I thought that since I didn’t have to piece it, it would be a “quick” project. Well, it wasn’t. At the time, I was busy working and had 3 young step-children and didn’t have much time for quilting but I kept pulling it out now and then and making progress. Then he got divorced. Then about 15 years ago he got married again. We laughed together about me finishing it. But I didn’t. He’s divorced from the 2nd wife too. I still have the quilt. There really isn’t much to be done although the printed pattern is no longer there so I’ll have to draw it in. I really should finish it for him.”
Kathleen's Work
