Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Get to Know: Veda Wilhite

Today we are kicking off a new series on the blog called Get to Know Us, in which we will be interviewing all the wonderful people who make up Cabbage Rose so that you can get to know a little more about us and why we do what we do!

 First up, we have Veda Wilhite. Veda has been an important part of Cabbage Rose from the very beginning and has been a blessing and an inspiration to all of whom she comes in contact with! Read on to get a glimpse of how awesome this lady is! I'm sure you'll fall in love with her!

Q. Tell us everything you do at Cabbage Rose.
VW. I teach hand quilting and hand appliqué.
Q. What are your crafty specialties?
VW. At this moment in time, quilting, writing, and scrapbooking.

Q. How did you get started with quilting, creating, etc.

VW. I have always been blessed with an eye for color and the ability to use my hands.  I didn’t seriously take up quilting until Jan. 1990 because I thought it took too much time.  Boy, was I wrong!  Needless to say, all the other creative activities went by the wayside when I started quilting.
Q. What inspires you?
VW. I get my inspiration from the Lord.  Every time new fabric arrives at the Cabbage Rose, the wheels start turning in my head.
Q. Your fondest sewing/quilting memory.
VW. My fondest quilting memory is playing under the quilt hanging from the ceiling as my grandmother, my aunts, and their friends quilted.  It was such a wonderful feeling of love and security.  Seeing these beautiful quilts that arose from scraps of fabric instilled in me a love for quilts that never went away.
Q. Your fondest memory of Cabbage Rose
VW. My treasure chest is so full of wonderful memories of Cabbage Rose that it is very difficult to pick the fondest.  We never went anywhere or did anything “normally”.  Therefore, the years were full of so much fun and laughter.  Probably the most memorable was our first trip to the Houston International Quilt Festival.  Picture this…car loaded down…Karen, “Which way to Houston?”…Veda, “South, that’s all I know.”…we head south with no clue how to get there…lose poor Shea, who was driving a truck loaded down, just one block from the store…finally reach Houston after dark…can’t find motel…pull in parking lot to read map…not a good idea…it’s the parking lot of a bar…continue on the road…find phone booth in the middle of nowhere to call motel…finally find motel…forgot to tell Shea which motel.  Need I say more?  I have loved every minute!


Q. Any special “just for fun” projects you are working on…
VW. After making a couple of small albums telling about the inspiration and making of a wedding quilt and a baby quilt to present with the quilts, I was hooked.  Now, I am weeding through my photos and writing about our family history for the generations to come.  Not only will the lessons of life be sewn into my quilts, they will also be in the albums. 
Q.What is your guiltiest pleasure?

VW. CHOCOLATE !

Q. Any words of wisdom for beginning sewers/quilters?
VW. Don’t spend so much time trying to figure out what is right or wrong.  Put your heart and soul into every quilt you make.  With every loving stitch you put into your quilts you are keeping our rich heritage of quilt making alive.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Veda was the first teacher at Cabbage Rose that I had. I had signed up for a class and was buying the "items needed". First the fabrics in small roll of what would be a good starting point. Then I say what else - that Shea says - of this and takes me to the rulers.... so I bought my first 6.5 square ruler. In the end I could not make the class so signed up again when it was offered. Bought small roll of fabrics that Veda had once again chosen for the class. I was truly amazed that both groups of fabrics were perfect for the quilt... Like Vida says - she has an eye for color!

PinkFlamingo said...

I took Veda's hand applique class last month... what a fantastic lady! Not to mention an excellent teacher.

FrancieCapuano said...

Veda taught me how to quilt in the 1990's. I have made several of her designs.
She also taught applique.
Always patient and fun loving

Francie Capuano