Featured quilter grew up with show

Valori Wells’ creativity is in full bloom. She designs cheerful flower fabrics based on her own photographs, is writing another pattern book, runs The Stitchin’ Post with her mother, Jean Wells Keenan, and has been chosen as the Featured Quilter at this Saturday’s Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.

Being chosen by the Quilt Show committee was special since Wells was born just before her mother started the first show and she has grown up behind the scenes of the event.

“It was definitely exciting to be asked,” said Wells.

This whole week will be especially exciting. Wells’ days and evenings are filled with events to meet quilters and teachers, she has a draft due this week of her current book and she is preparing to display a few dozen of her quilts at Ponderosa Properties. She’ll manage this schedule while caring for her new baby daughter.

Wells said her full days are a bit of a blur but she is enthusiastic about all the quilt events.

“You see so many people returning that you’ve seen for years and it’s fun!” said Wells.

Although Wells’ creativity runs from quilting, designing, photography, writing books and painting, she thinks of herself first as an artist with the other labels as subtitles.

“I constantly have to push my creativity to stay interested,” said Wells.

Recently she has found herself drawn to simpler patterns. Now, as a busy mom, she wants her patterns to be attainable to other busy people.

“We all have this desire to create and make things,” she said.

The 32-year-old’s fresh and contemporary fabrics and patterns are appealing to a wide age group. While Wells said “I design what I like,” she is conscious of wanting to appeal to younger quilters. Her underlying goal is for the art of quilting to continue on with new generations.

Wells will be at Ponderosa Properties this Saturday displaying 20 to 25 quilts she has sewn through the years, some made with her own fabric.