Please say “Hello” to Carol Stanek of Stitch with Color! A BeColourful Authorized Teacher, Creative Grids Instructor and Quiltworx Certified Instructor, Carol learned to sew at an early age and spent many years making clothing and home decoration items. Years later, her two youngest children were each gifted with a quilt made by their paternal grandmother. This is when the quilting bug took root! It was at this point she had to learn everything about quilting. Carol has been teaching Foundation Paper Piecing and other quilting classes for over a decade in Georgia, and she has won several awards for her quilts.
Time for a Q&A with Carol!
Island Batik: What inspired you to start sewing or quilting, and how has your passion evolved over time?
Carol: My mom always made sure that during summer vacations we were busy learning new things. My mom only mended and never used a sewing machine, so at the age of 10 my summer vacation included sewing lessons at Singer! I learned how to cut out a pattern and make my own clothes! Later on, in middle and high school, I was earning money babysitting and spending that money on patterns and fabrics! I moved onto alterations and home dec projects and even made custom items for a professional decorator. Quilting came into my life around 1990, and I have not been happier!
When creating a new project, how do you decide on the design or patterns you use?
There’s lot to consider with any new project. Is it for decoration, utility, to go into a quilt show, a gift, etc. Once I know what its purpose is, then I look at the fabrics to give me inspiration. Some fabrics want and deserve to be seen so I would use larger quilt pieces to show them off. Other fabrics like Blenders can be put into blocks as smaller pieces and still shine with their colors. I spend a great deal of time really considering a lot of factors before I start working on a project and I love my process because I believe it leads me down the right path for every quilt I’ve made.
What is the most meaningful or memorable quilt you’ve ever made, and what makes it special to you?
Co-workers asked me to make a quilt for a family with a very young girl who was terminally ill. I spent time talking with the mom finding out what the little girl’s favorite colors were and asked her to send me a dozen of her favorite photos so I could make a memory quilt for the family. The mom must have sent me at least two dozen photos. I could not eliminate any one of them. I made the photo transfer of every single photo onto the prepared fabric and started to work on the layout. This was the most heart wrenching project I ever undertook. This little girl had the most beautiful eyes and through every photo I got to know her. Then the sewing began, and with every single block I could not help crying knowing this family was going to lose their little girl. Lots of tears went into that quilt. It was presented to the family along with a check to help with medical payments. I finally met the mother when she transferred to Atlanta, and we hugged and cried, and she thanked me for that quilt. I will never forget the moments of this project that was near and dear to my heart.
How do you balance creativity and precision when working on intricate quilting projects?
For me it depends on the project. Most quilts I work on I always start with the goal of precision and not wanting to take out stitches and redo anything. That doesn’t typically last long! At some point in the quilt project, I will have to use that trusty old seam ripper. But when I’m working on art type quilts like a landscape, it’s playtime and anything goes, so precision doesn’t even matter.
https://stitchwithcolor.blogspot.com/2024/02/island-batik-log-cabin-challenge-and.html.
Have you ever incorporated personal or cultural stories into your work? If so, how do you convey them through fabric?
I’m working on block of the month Murder Mystery quilt this year. The colorway is all from Peru and their culture. I can’t take any credit for this project but selecting the fabrics from my stash was fun, plus not knowing what the quilt will end up looking like. Plus, we follow a story and try to solve the murder. How fun is that!
What do you think sewing or quilting teaches about patience, resilience, or self-expression?
Wow, it teaches all that and more. When you are a new quilter, you learn a lot of patience. It takes time to build those quilting skills. And you will be challenged through more experienced years to have patience. Resilience comes with every quilt mistake or entering quilts into shows, you learn as you grow. And self-expression is there from the moment you select a pattern, select your fabric, change the pattern, and make it your own. Quilting has been a wonderful life lesson over many decades for me. I enjoy challenges because it helps me grow as a quilter and as a person.
How do you approach the process of choosing fabrics, colors, and textures for your projects?
I have my favorite colors, and they definitely go into quilts I make for my home. When I’m working on a quilt that will be gifted to someone, it must be their favorite colors. So, the type of project plays the most important role in choosing the fabrics.
What challenges or mistakes have you encountered during your work, and how have they shaped your skills or perspective?
There are several quilts I have with mistakes, like the colors don’t alternate as they should, or a block that is upside down. You learn very valuable lessons from every mistake you make. I’ve learned to read pattern instructions several times. When I’m sewing late in the evening and I start getting tired and I make a mistake, I’ve learned to call it a day and start fresh tomorrow. Learning to pay closer attention and double and triple check things is something I now do. Mistakes teach very valuable lessons!
How do you feel when you complete a piece—do you see it as the end of a journey, the start of a new one, or both?
I have to say both! One journey is coming to a close, and a new journey is about to begin. I love starting new projects and having several going at the same time. It’s actually very nice to get them completed. You feel like you’ve accomplished finishing another UFO. It opens up time in the schedule to work on a new project!!
https://stitchwithcolor.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-march-island-batik-ambassador.html.
If you could pass on one lesson or piece of advice to someone just starting to sew or quilt, what would it be and why?
I teach foundation paper piecing and sometimes students struggle with remembering the steps. And they finish the class but not the project and put it away and continue working on it. I always tell my new students that they need to spend time every day, if possible, just sewing a few foundation pieces so the process stays with them. The more they work at it the easier it becomes.
Be sure to follow Carol on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook and subscribe to her blog to see what she’s working on right now!
To see the whole 2025 Island Batik Ambassador team, please visit: https://islandbatik.com/2025-ambassadors/
Is there anything else you want to ask Carol? Leave us a comment below!