After years as a serial entrepreneur, Denise Russell has made her “avocation” into her “vocation” – she is a full-time pattern designer for Missouri Star Quilts. Who knew there were even such jobs out there?
Denise began quilting in 2005 when she lived in Maryland. Her work life and home life were overwhelmingly male, so the quilt store in town offered the chance to be among women. She decided to dust off her sewing machine and jump in. With an Eleanor Burns “Quilt in a Day” book, Denise became a quilter. In 2015, Denise decided to submit some of her quilts to magazines – quilts she had designed with Electric Quilt software. Dozens of quilts were accepted and published, and then the fabric companies began to contact her.
Using Electric Quilt, Denise launched a business designing quilts for just about every fabric company you’ll find at the quilt shop. When Denise designs quilts for a fabric line, the fabric is usually not printed yet – she works from electronic images of the fabric. Her product is an electronic quilt design – ready to distribute to retailers when the fabric is shipped. You can see Denise’s work at her website www.piecedbrain.com.
Denise loves all kinds of quilts and techniques, and her Master’s degree in Instructional Design helps her find the right way to explain how to make a quilt. She also enjoys speaking to quilt guilds and sharing her enthusiasm for all quilt styles and techniques.
Denise’s house is full of quilts, and she especially loves batiks. She likes to design quilts that look complicated but are easy to make. On her personal bucket list? A New York Beauty quilt and a Mariners Medallion are at the top. Denise loves paper piecing, so she can already see those quilts in her head.
Denise moved to the Atlanta area about a year ago to be closer to her grandchildren and found ECQG online – and we are so glad she did! Despite her busy schedule, Denise is part of the team producing the 2024 ECQG Raffle Quilt. Denise is quick to say that she is always learning about quilting – something we all have in common.
Zen Life Quilt – Denise’s Favorite Quilt
Some of Denise’s Quilts
American Patchwork & Quilting
Every Which Way Quilt
Fireworks Quilt
This is one installment of Who We Are, a monthly series in this newsletter and on our blog spotlighting ECQG members and giving them a chance to tell their quilting stories.