Lara Wilson, 2022 President

 My parents came to the United States with my sister, and I was born 4 months later. My father was born in South Africa and my mother in Switzerland.  I was surrounded by art, music, and books. We lived in several states along the Eastern seaboard before landing in Utah. 

My first introduction to sewing was at a very young age since my mother made matching clothes for my sister and me. Fast forward to the 1980’s and I was outfitting myself with knitted, crocheted, embroidered and sewn accessories. Not until the 1990’s was I intrigued with quilting when my sister presented me with my first quilt. It was tied with polyester yarn and thick batting. Around that time, I took my first quilting class from Kris Andreason at Mormon Handicraft at its original location at 105 North Main Street in Salt Lake City. I had graduated from the University of Utah and started a career and a family by then. In college, I took extracurricular classes in pottery, drawing and even a semester abroad in Germany. I still enjoy these pastimes today, although I don’t have a chance to speak German that often. 

I met my husband at the University of Utah, and we have three lovely children, ages 29, 26 and 22. I am proud of their accomplishments, for being self-sufficient and keeping family a priority in their life. My parents have passed on, but my husband’s family still lives in Salt Lake City. We get together with his family on the first Sunday of every month for dinner. Over the past 29 years, our family dinners have increased from seven to nineteen people when everyone can attend. 

With all the children out of the house in 2017, my husband and I decided it was time for a change. We built a small modern home in Midway just bordering Wasatch Mountain State Park and now I enjoy spending time pursuing crafts, cooking and the abundance of outdoor recreational activities available in the vicinity. My quilting has progressed from simple blocks to appliqué, and for a short time, hand-piecing. I upgraded from my first sewing machine, an old Kenmore, to a Bernina in 1996, then a Bernina serger, and just bought another Bernina machine this year to expand my sewing techniques to include embroidery. However, sewing on my 1942 Singer featherweight machine is still my preference for straight stitching. 

I joined a chapter of the Utah Quilt Guild called the Millennium Quilters that met at Piper’s Quilts and Comforts in Sugarhouse. Although the chapter has closed, we still continue to meet to sew and chat almost every month. When we moved to Midway, I joined the local guild and have enjoyed learning from the diverse group of women in the area. I gained a broader perspective from a history and antique quilt dating class at the Quilt Museum at This is the Place Heritage Park. Trying new methods and getting a better understanding of fabric has made me appreciate quilting even more. 

Most recently, I took a risk and entered two quilts for judging at the Utah Quilt Fest 2021. The first quilt is one I worked on for three years using a fabric collage method taught by Susan Carlson using a photo I took of my dog, Cooper. To my surprise and delight, I earned first place in the Art Innovation category. The other quilt was a row-by-row style quilt based on a class taught at the USU extension in Heber by Trisha Mathis. This was my first Row Quilt and the math involved to create blocks fueled my innovation. I challenged myself to use all fabric from my stash and integrate sewing themed fabric. My effort was rewarded with second place in the Pieced category. 

Some projects get finished and some remain in a box waiting for a resurgence of interest. My oldest UFO is from a class I took on New York Beauty paper piecing from Sherry Reis in 1999 that will be worked on again someday or be recreated in a new pattern. I encourage everyone to try something new and share your ideas with those around you. I have found that constructive criticism is worth the reward of renewed self-confidence and stronger friendships. 

Chase your Dreams, Lara Wilson

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Adapted and Compiled by Lara Wilson