About bdieges
Even as a small child, Barbara loved playing and working with threads and fabrics. Her grandmother and aunts always found ways to keep little hands busy with needlework. She still cherishes her little Singer Featherweight, but now prefers her Bernina for most of her patchwork and machine quilting.
After graduating from college, Barbara taught kindergarten before starting her family. While raising three children, she designed for Bucilla Yarn, developing her own line of stitchery kits. As an active member of the Embroiderers Guild of America, she taught creative stitchery, cross-stitch, and needlepoint at local needlework shops and various parks and recreation centers.
Barbara made her first quilt in 1969, for the birth of her first daughter, but it was in 1982 that she became a dedicated quilter. She has had several years of in-depth study of quilt history, design, and techniques with some very traditional and non-traditional quilt teachers.
As a member of two quilt guilds, she is involved in all phases of quilting. She has designed three opportunity quilts for these two guilds. Her quilts have won top awards at the annual Glendale Quilt Guild Show and have been exhibited nationally.
Since 1992, Barbara has had eight quilts juried into American Quilter’s Society Show in Paducah, KY, and four into the International Quilt Assn. in Houston, TX. She has also has had numerous patterns and books published, as well as teaching quilt classes online at Quilt University. Her book, A Thread Runs Through It, based on her one-woman play, has brought her great satisfaction.
Barbara is now retired from teaching/lecturing nationally, but still takes time to be involved with her local quilt guild and blogging on her website. She designed several opportunity quilts for her guilds and is willing to share her craft with anyone at the drop of a pin.
In this picture, Barbara is wearing one of her qweaters, which is a quilt-sweater combination. It has a knitted back and sleeves with a quilted front.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Until Today
After 30 years of traveling to teach and lecture, I retired. Now I can present and share on my website Blocks of the Month, quilts, crafts, and projects, as well as having my patterns available as downloadable PDFs.
Still teaching online at Academy of Quilting.
2011
*Presented “A Thread Runs Through it”
at North County Quilters Guild, Yorba Linda CA May 23.
*Taught Sewfasst® at QuiltUniversity.com.
*Taught Victorian Box at QuiltUniversity.com.
*Vendor Tehachapi Mountain Quilt Show, Tehachapi CA
2010
*Featured Teacher and presented “A Thread Runs Through it”
at Cabin Fever Quilt Guild Retreat, Fairbanks, AK in September.
*Taught online at QuiltUniversity.com.
2008
*Featured Teacher and presented “A Thread Runs Through it”
at Battle Mountain Quilt Guild Retreat, Battle Mountain, NV in August.
*Traveled and taught at Oregon quilt guilds.
*Taught online at QuiltUniversity.com.
2007
*Devised a new method of piecing Half Square Triangles and Squares.
*Taught online at QuiltUniversity.com.
2006
*Featured Teacher and presented “A Thread Runs Through it”
at Lighthouse Quilt Show, Crescent City, CA in August.
*Traveled and taught at Colorado and Illinois quilt guilds.
*Taught online at QuiltUniversity.com.
2005
*Presented “A Thread Runs Through it” and taught workshops
at the North Carolina Quilt Symposium in May, as well as at the
*Georgia Quilt Council Conference in October.
*Entry accepted in the Hoffman Challenge.
*Won first place in Best of the Valley, Tulare, CA, for “View of the Lake.”
*Taught online at QuiltUniversity.com.
2004
*Presented “A Thread Runs Through It” and taught workshops
at Quilt Camp in the Pines retreat in Arizona
*Taught online at QuiltUniversity.com.
2003
*”A Thread Runs Through It”, her one-woman play was presented
at American Quilter’s Society Show in Paducah, KY.
*Taught three different workshops during the show.
*Taught online at QuiltUniversity.com.
2002
*A Thread Runs Through It
the book, published by the American Quilter’s Society.
*Taught online at QuiltUniversity.com.
2001
*Taught at QuiltUniversity.com.
*Wild Rose Quilt won the best two-person award at the Glendale Quilt Show.
Appliqued by Sally Fimbres. Pieced and quilted by Barbara.
*Taught at Empty Spools Seminar, Asilomar, CA
*Wild Rose Quilt juried into the International Quilter’s Show in Houston, TX
2000
*Master Quilter award from Glendale Quilt Guild.
1999
*Snow Crystals quilt on the cover of January-February Quilter’s Newsletter,
and in the International Quilt Association calendar.
*Developed her popular website.
1998
*Applique article in Traditional Quiltworks #56
1997
*Lotus Blossom quilt featured in the Fairfield Poly-fil ads.
1996
*Lotus Blossom quilt on the cover of Craftrends.
1995
*Shaded Nine-Patch quilt awarded Honorable Mention at the National Quilting Assn.
Design purchased by Rodale Press.
*Taught at NQA seminar.
1994
*Shaded Nine-Patch quilt awarded Best in Machine Quilting at the Glendale Quilt Guild Show.
*Lotus Blossom quilt awarded an Honorable Mention at American Quilter’s Society Show.
*Featured Teacher in Traditional Quiltworks #33
1992
*Patriotic Celebration book published.
1991
*Christmas Celebration book published.
*Patriotic Celebration quilt featured in Quilting Today.
1990
*Christmas Celebration quilt on the cover of Quilting Today #22.
1989
*Home Sweet Home quilt published in Country Handcrafts.
1981
*Received gold thimble for Best Original Cross-Stitch Design,
at Good Samaritan Hospital’s Biennial Needlework Show.
