About
My Story: Once upon a time, several years ago, my grandmother "Memere" insisted that I learn how to sew and speak French correctly. So, every summer, when it was too hot to go out and play, between 11:00am and 2:00 pm, my three older sisters and I were commanded to Memere's sewing room. She taught us to make tiny stitches on the seams of the clothes we were making for our dolls, and we had to repeat after her, different French words of all objects in the room that she could point to, as we sewed. She always told us that no child in Pau (France) ever went out in the heat of the day. Memere was a rare breed. All of about 4'11' and a fireball. She insisted that the inside seams had to be as nice as the outside of the garment. Anything you made, first was inspected by Memere and it better be perfect or she would rip it and make you do it again. She always lived with us and was like having another mom around. Every morning before school, she would awaken us with a cup of cafe au lait. Yes she spoiled us, but she also ruled us. Funny thing is, my mom never sewed. Guess she was the spoiled one.
Why I opened a quilt shop? Seems like I have been quilting forever, actually for the last forty years. Funny thing is that I just started using a rotary cutter in 2005 when I took a class from Carol at the Quilting Cottage. I use to cut my squares out with a pinking sheers. Imagine that! I've always just done my own thing and made up my own patterns. Her class inspired me to learn other peoples' methods and patterns. I was originally inspired by one of my sister's mother in law, named Boots. She made the most adorable quilts for my children when they were born. This gave me the idea to do that. From then on, whenever a friend had a baby, I made them a quilt. None of my friends, at that time, sewed, so it was always a special gift to them. Many of them told me years later that they put the quilt up as the child grew out of it, for their own children to have later on in life. That is the best thank you a person can give you. Now, I'd like to share my knowledge with others through my shop teaching classes that I hope everyone will enjoy. I named my store "Mes Amis Quilt Shop" as it translates to "My Friends Quilt Shop", because that is what I hope it to be. A place where friends, who just happen to quilt, come together to "sit and sew" and catch up on old times or plan the next event, maybe even learn a new block pattern. Quilting is synonymous with friendship. I have met many wonderful people through quilting and looking forward to meeting many more at my shop.
Your Quilting Friend,
Denise D. Taylor, Owner
