Who am I?
Before I start telling you what to do and how to do it, I should probably disclose a little about who I am, how I got here, and why on earth I am talking to y’all out there is this way.
I’m Tegan, quilter extraordinaire, and the maker behind Gaelic Beauty Quilts. Ok, maybe not quilter extraordinaire, but I can hold my own in a quilty conversation and have been doing it for like 3 decades, so I hope I can speak with some wisdom on the subject.
I’m Midwest born and bred, more or less. I spent just long enough in the South in my 30s to make y’all and “bless” parts of my vocabulary, and have recently returned to my roots, settling near my family in Indiana. I am single and don’t have children, but that is a sad story full of drama, hindsight, and life lessons that I won’t get into here. Suffice it to say, I relish in the auntie life and dote on my 3 nephews and niece that live nearby.
I come from multiple generations of makers and seamstresses, but quilting has been my own thing. I see myself as putting a fresh face on a traditional art form. And if you’re wondering where the heck the name, Gaelic Beauty Quilts, comes from given the rather obvious lack of Irish influence, it’s a play on my unique name that means “beauty” in Old Gaelic.
My approach
My aesthetic tends toward a modern boho-y, farmhouse-y vibe that I love to bring out in my quilts….simple lines, muted or earthy colors, and textures that embody a feeling or element. Some of my quilts may read a little more traditional, some more modern, but generally speaking, they won’t be overly fussy.
And before we get any further, I feel a need for a disclaimer. I am a very open and “real” person and my goal is to bring that voice to this page. I’m not a fan of the superficial “everything is great” look that a lot of websites and blogs have going. I’m like, hello, real person here with struggles and stress and a day job and a budget. None of my quilts are actually perfect, I poke myself with pins and needles, I rip more seams than I care to admit, I cut things incorrectly, and all sorts of other totally human things. Which I think makes me 10 times more relatable and hopefully will make everyone more comfortable in this space.
