Are you following Sarah Pitcher? A member of the Island Batik Ambassador family for the second consecutive year, Sarah owns and operates Pitcher’s Boutique. She enjoys creating unique and detailed foundation paper piecing designs. Sarah also creates custom, one-of-a-kind Foundation Paper Piecing patterns for clients all over the world. She has been quilting for over 20 years and has enjoyed the community so much!
We had the chance to ask Sarah about her creative process, and here’s what she shared with us!
Island Batik: What sparked your interest in quilting, and how did your journey begin? Was there a particular quilt or moment that ignited your passion?
Sarah: I had a high school friend whose mother quilted and I was instantly interested in how she made it and I was so shocked how she took random fabric pieces and made a gorgeous quilt with it. I learned how to sew from her (made a dress or two) and then kind of dabbled in sewing clothing for a bit. I eventually learned how to actually make a quilt from start to finish, a few years later; thanks to my Mother-in-law, who sent me tons of resources to learn from. I learned a lot from books and videos and eventually made my first quilt and then two and then three. I just couldn’t stop after that.
Where do you find inspiration for your quilt designs? Are there specific experiences, places, or memories that influence your work?
Inspiration can be anything or anywhere, at least for me. I typically design my own quilts and patterns from scratch but I find inspiration from life, my kids, other quilters, my friends, books I am reading, or other art. I really love bright bold colors and so I tend to lean more into those colored fabrics as well.
Can you describe your creative process from concept to completion? How do you decide on colors, patterns, and fabrics?
My process is kind of all over the place. I have that very chaotic creative mind. Once I have an idea of what I want to make (ie. a dog or cat, place or image) I typically start looking for images to help inspire me. Once, I find inspirational images or take a photo myself, I then typically use all my different programs to come up with a design. I am well known for my foundation paper piecing designs, so if the quilt can be made from FPP I will start there. I then will pick colors and fabrics based off that design. Once I pull the fabric, I will then print my pattern and start getting to work. I tend to pull fabric and design kind of hand in hand, especially if I have specific fabric in mind (or a specific bundle I need to use). I will then let that bundle tell me what design I should lean towards because it might work for an animal but maybe not a landscape, etc.
How do your quilts reflect your personal emotions or experiences? Do you find that quilting helps you process or express these emotions?
I tend to design for others, so when I design for myself it is usually for a quilt I want to enter into a quilt show or hang on my own wall. When I design for myself, I do typically find that I reflect on my last few months, or current trauma, or something that I am going through to help express or design my quilt. That could be the design itself or the color of the fabrics even. A great example was my Oceanside quilt, that I designed because I was missing home and the beaches of sunny California. It now hangs on my wall in my house and everytime I see it, it puts a smile on my face as it reminds me of home.
What is the most challenging quilt you’ve ever made, and how did you overcome those challenges? What did you learn from that experience?
Oh man, the most challenging quilt I have ever made has probably got to be my Dark Unicorn (see below). That was a HUGE quilt top that I did with foundation paper piecing, and it took DAYS to sew, WEEKS to design and a split SECOND to hang it up, photograph it and fall in love with the symbolism of it. Why was it so challenging? Well, it was a really hard design for me to create. It was one of my first really big designs and I was still learning on how to do those as well as being able to pick the right colors and fabrics that showed depth but didn’t say im fabric too loudly. The patience I had to sew all the sections together was enormous and by the time it was done, I could not have been more proud of the finished top! (I still am pulling the paper from the back of it, so I can quilt it up soon!)
How does your cultural background or heritage influence your quilting? Are there specific traditions or techniques you incorporate into your work?
I grew up in a very simple life. I didn’t have much of a cultural background or religious background. Therefore, a lot of my quilts are more expressive of my current moods, emotions, or mental state. I have more of a darker aesthetic, or spooker vibe, as I am a Halloween/Fall loving kind of girl. I do love designing FPP patterns for others that are inspired by their culture or religion. I always find that I enjoy those so much.
How has your quilting style evolved over the years? Can you identify key moments or pieces that marked significant changes in your approach?
I started out probably like most quilters do, with the typical strip quilts, or square quilts; that then lead into more HST or hour glass style blocks. However, after a few years of those quilts, I wanted to do more picture-like blocks. I learned how to do some appliqué, but eventually got tired of the blocks constantly fraying and falling apart. I learned about foundation paper piecing and quickly turned that into a passion. I have been pushing the boundaries of FPP ever since.
If you could have any superpower to assist you in your quilting, what would it be and why?
If I could have a super power for my quilting it would be able to draw and design art pieces like a true artist. I often work from an image so to be able to design an image from scratch (better than I do now) would be an amazing super power. I often take painting classes to help me with this, but when life slows down a bit I plan to take a drawing class or two.
If you could collaborate with any artist, living or dead, on a quilt project, who would it be and what kind of quilt would you create together?
Oh man, if I could collaborate with Tula Pink that would be amazing! I love her art work and often use it to help inspire me. I love her colors, design, boldness, mixing of all the stripes and dots and other fabrics. She would be amazing to work with and if I could design her a quilt for her fabric it would have to be something bold, bright and completely outside the box. My current BOM is Silly Animals and I think she would get a kick out of designing a piece that maybe had to do with that. I could then create a FPP design to collaborate with that and make a very unique one of a kind quilt. If only dreams could come true.
What are your future goals or dreams for your quilting? Are there new techniques, themes, or projects you’re excited to explore?
Future goals are hard for me as I work with a lot of clients, and design FPP patterns for them, so I tend to design and create for others, but I would love to continue growing my platform. A future goal that I have always wanted to do was publish a pattern or design in a magazine or book, but also now I would love to add collaborating with Tula Pink on my bucket list. I just hope to keep going forward as a small business owner, and maybe someday become a known name. If that happens in 5 years or 10 years, I am okay with that. I have enjoyed my slow growth and would probably be a little overwhelmed if I grew too quickly.
Be sure to follow Sarah on Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok and Instagram and subscribe to her blog and YouTube channel to see what she’s working on right now!
To see the whole 2024 Island Batik Ambassador team, please visit: https://islandbatik.com/2024-ambassadors/
Is there anything else you want to ask Sarah? Leave us a comment below!