Meet Joelle Hoverson, author of Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts, released in September 2007, as well as Last-Minute Knitted Gifts (STC, 2004).

You’ve now written two books, Last-Minute Knitted Gifts and Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts. You also own Purl, a yarn store, and Purl Patchwork, a fabric store. What percentage of your customers are looking for projects that are quick to finish?
About 80 percent. Every knitter and quilter, at some point, looks for a quick project to finish, whether it’s to make a gift for a specific person or simply because they’re excited to complete a project. These same people also like to work on longer projects. Both knitters and quilters are usually looking to diversify their projects. They don’t discriminate on time and are open to making anything.

Before opening your first store, Purl, in 2002, you were a senior style editor for Martha Stewart Living and a freelance photo stylist. What sparked the career change?
I had a great four years working as a senior style editor for Martha Stewart Living. I found it interesting and engaging, but it was also very demanding. I traveled a lot but didn’t like being away from home. Eventually, I began knitting to keep my hands busy during plane rides. At some point, I noticed there weren’t any knit shops in the cute, downtown Soho area. I love the area, so I took a big leap of faith. Enough people were interested in the store so we could pay rent. I’m very fortunate it worked out.

What made you decide to open Purl Patchwork in 2006?
It was more of a personal interest. I love quilting and thought it was a good time to expand our business. I went online to some blogs and noticed many quilters and sewers were looking for fabrics, so it seemed like a natural extension to open the shop.

What are a few of your favorite projects in Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts?
They are all very special, but the Color-Wheel Quilt is my favorite. This project allowed me to evaluate colors and their relationships, and sums up everything that I love about color and texture. I enjoy the geometry of the Puzzle Ball. It’s such a delight to make a dimensional object out of fabric. The Super Quick + Easy Baby Quilt is another favorite. It’s the perfect thing when you’re pressed for time but still want to give a thoughtful gift to a new baby.

Describe your experience creating the projects for Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts.
I was focused on creating a collection of projects that are easy, fun, intuitive, super-literal, and a little more adventurous. After I started working on some of the projects, I noticed I was using a lot of pinks and yellows, and flowery patterns. I decided to balance the effect of these more feminine projects by adding several projects with cooler colors, such as blue, which you can see in the quilts Little Bits and Sweet Dreams Sailboat.

You studied painting at Yale University. How has your formal training as a painter shaped the way you select colors and fabrics for your patchwork and quilted projects?
I find being adventurous is part of creating something. I’ve also learned to trust my judgment. I’m well aware some quilters don’t have a painter’s background, so they feel safe matching and coordinating everything. I don’t find that helpful. I choose fabrics by evaluating how their colors interact. It’s a lot like music. The color combinations have to resonate and harmonize with one another.

Do you have advice for quilters who want to experiment with color or new patterns but lack confidence?
I suggest holding fabrics next to one another and looking at the relationships between the colors and the relative scale of the prints. Are they doing what you want them to do? Are they working with each other?

Many quilters and knitters struggle to finish big projects. Do you have any tips for maintaining the momentum and enthusiasm to finish projects that take more than a few hours to complete?
I almost never finish anything on the first round. Before you finish working on a project for the day, prepare something for yourself to start with on the next day. That way you can enter the process of working right away. For example, I might complete the entire ironing and leave the cutting for when I return to the project. I find this helps me to make a transition into a more creative mind space.

You wrote in your introduction that you are inspired by the quilts of Gee’s Bend, Amish crib quilts, Japanese quilts, and Hawaiian quilts. In what ways are you inspired by them?
These quilting styles were more internal influences than direct influences to the Last-Minute quilting projects. They have affected me, but I can’t say any style is deliberately reflected in my designs. They have, however, inspired me to look at quilting history and the different approaches incorporated into each quilting style.

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