'Man-quilter' back teaching at Quilter's Affair

Scott Hansen dubs himself the "Mad Color Scientist," though he is hardly scientific about the rules of designing his bold color quilts. He produces the unique quilt designs in his studio, which he runs from his home in Snohomish County, Washington. Hansen has been quilting for 25 years, and made his very first quilt at home from the skills he learned in Home Economics Class during junior high.

When Hansen was at Washington State University to become an architect, he picked up cross-stitch, a form of counted-thread embroidery, as a hobby.

Hansen switched majors and graduated with an English degree and married soon after. In 1989 he bought his very first sewing machine to piece together a Christmas stocking he cross-stitched for his wife, Linda.

Hansen then started collecting a few vintage Americana quilts.

"I liked them so much that I figured I could sew my own quilts," Hansen said.

Hansen created a lap quilt for his grandmother using the traditional card trick quilt pattern. Then started making baby quilts for friends who were expecting.

Although Hansen had a teaching certificate, he wound up in retail instead of education. But his natural instinct for design stuck.

"Since I never really followed quilt patterns, I started designing my own," Hansen said.

Mostly self-taught, Hansen has found bliss in designing quilts using bold combinations of color in each one. He revels in classic designs with a modern twist.

"I like how color plays off each other and how my design comes together with the color, fabric and pattern," he said. "I draw designs on graph paper and make it work."

He also enjoys scrap quilting using loads of different prints blended in with different colors, vintage pieces and recycled cotton clothing.

Hansen designed quilts for Free Spirit Fabrics and had attended various quilt markets. In 2012, he met Valerie Wells at a quilt market.

"Valerie used to design quilts for Free Spirit too," said Hansen. "We had a lot in common regarding quilting and became friends."

Hanson asked Wells if they needed any new teachers for Quilters Affair, an educational workshop program that happens every July during the five days that precede the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.

And in 2012 Wells asked him to fill one of the teacher spots at Quilter's Affair.

"I was so happy that they gave me a chance, and this will be my fourth year teaching," Hansen said.

Hansen has designed and created quilts for fabric manufacturing companies, and has many of his quilt designs featured in leading quilt magazines. He speaks and teaches locally and regionally at various quilt guilds, sharing his designs and color philosophies.

Hansen's quilting evolved from traditional country roots into more contemporary designs in what he calls "Urban Folk - Modern Designs."

He served as community editor at Generation Q magazine from its inception in 2011 to 2015. Generation Q is a quilting lifestyle magazine that is full of content and modern projects.

"Right now I am doing a yearlong project with the magazine called Patchwork Almanac, which is a series of twelve unique blocks that fit together into one overall quilt or can be used alone," said Hansen.

Hansen will be teaching five classes this year during Quilter's Affair. He will be exhibiting three of his quilts in the teacher's tent - "Christmas, 1964," "Hugs and Kisses # 9," and "Garden Gate."

One all-time favorite, "Christmas, 1964," was inspired during a search for the perfect image to use as a wallpaper on his cell phone a few years ago.

"I searched for a mid-century Christmas and Google came up with some great '50s and '60s images. The trees in Christmas, 1964 are a conglomeration of the best of those images," he said.

"Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show is the highlight of my year, every year. I think of the show as my very own Christmas. It's exciting to be here," said Hansen.