Meet the Maker: Elizabeth Chappell

The daughter of an award-winning quilter, Elizabeth was introduced to quilting at a young age, though it took many years before she took up the hobby herself. “It wasn’t until 2015 when I attended the Houston Quilt Market that I became interested in quilting for myself,” she says. “Quilt Market was the biggest aha moment for me. If not for that I wouldn’t be a quilter today. I realised the quilting world has fabrics I love, modern designs, and an aesthetic that speaks to me.”

After that fateful Quilt Market, Elizabeth learned to sew with the help of her best friend. Quilting quickly became a business as the pair launched a monthly subscription box. “The two of us started a monthly subscription box for quilters that offered quilt patterns and notions. During our search for items, I was inspired to begin designing and writing quilt patterns of my own. My original business partner moved away and I had to decide what Quilters Candy would look like moving forward. Today I no longer sell a physical subscription box, but I have an online membership where I curate patterns and tutorials for modern quilters. I design my own quilt patterns, and I teach others how to write and sell their own quilt patterns. Additionally, I have a podcast called Craft to Career where I have discussions with other creatives, makers, and entrepreneurs on how to turn your talents into a successful career,”

Like many businesswomen in the quilting world, Elizabeth fell into it a little by accident. “I studied in college to be an English teacher. I never really thought business – or quilting – would be my thing. But that goes to show what our college selves really know,” she says. As well as a great opportunity to support her family through her creative pursuits, quilting has also led to some personal growth. “My quilting career has taught me to be confident, patient, patient, how to care more deeply for others, and how to stop sweating the small stuff.”

Her personal style as a quilter has also taken some time to form, as it does for many of us. “It’s funny, I feel like after five years I am finally comfortable saying that I know my style. I can confidently say that my style is scrappy, I like to use fabrics that are earth tones and muted (purples, browns, pinks, and oranges). I love traditional blocks with a modern spin, but not too modern. I’m not sure there’s a one or two word summary for this, so we’ll call it the Quilters Candy style.”

Like many quilters, Elizabeth loves the process of turning an idea and a stack of fabric into a work of art. “I love picking fabrics for a quilt. I also love cutting and piecing and seeing the fabrics start to form the blocks. It’s like a piece of art coming together,” she says. Her least favourite part of the process is machine quilting, so she opts for a longarming service, or hand quilting her quilts. “I love hand quilting and try to do that on as many quilts as I can.”

When designing new patterns, Elizabeth is always finding a way to make traditional concepts fresh again, with a touch of the earthy tones she’s well known for. “Traditional quilts and quilt blocks inspire me. I have a lot of books with older quilts in them. I love the flour sack fabrics and scrappy vintage quilts. I love quilts that are a little wonky, too.” she explains

While she’s very comfortable in her personal style, and the business keeps her busy, there are always new things to try – and Elizabeth would love the opportunity to dabble in different styles. “I want to explore landscape quilting. This is super artistic and involves using scraps of fabric to make a sort of landscape ‘painting’ quilt. I would love to try that. That and improv blocks… so clearly I am itching for some improv type of quilting!” she says.

Quilting and her business – for the most part – energises Elizabeth. “If I have a deadline, though, I get a little antsy about it and want to rush. But usually it’s calming and is a great outlet for my creativity.” It has also been something that has enriched her life on many levels. “First of all, I love the finished quilts in my home. It adds a handmade, personal touch that I love. Quilting also gives me a creative outlet I was craving. It’s also brought me this amazing career that I never dreamed I’d have. And through quilting I’ve met some of my best friends.”

“I mostly connect with other quilters through my online membership, the podcast, and through social media. It’s crazy to think how much technology has helped people connect in ways never possible before. I absolutely cherish the friends I’ve made online, and I look forward to live quilting events where we can meet in real life. It feels so sci-fi to say this, but really some of my dearest friends are quilters who I’ve met online. We’ve found ways to connect either about quilting or business. And rather than focus on how odd that is, I choose to be grateful that there are so many unique and new ways to make friends,” Elizabeth enthuses.

As for future plans, Elizabeth’s life certainly isn’t getting any quieter! “Oh, do I have plans?! Yes! It turns out we entrepreneurs have a hard time turning off the ideas and letting the brain take a break. I plan to keep all the things I have currently but keep creating new patterns each year. I also have some plans to open a business membership and possibly a mentorship program where I work one on one with creative entrepreneurs to help them grow their business. And depending on the moment you ask, there are about ten other ideas going on in my brain!”