Personal Background
Libs, as we dive into your story, could you provide a snapshot of who you are and take us on the journey that led you to where you are today?
I’m Elizabeth Elliott. Most people know me as ‘Libs’. I’m Canadian and I live in Toronto, Canada with my husband, two kids, dog and cat. I grew up in a small town but always knew I wanted to be in the city and Toronto is the biggest one in Canada so I’ve been here for almost 30 years.
Quilting Journey
When and how did you start quilting? What drew you to quilting as a form of expression?
My father was an antique dealer and we had a shop attached to our home. He bought antique quilts for collectors and clients and we had many around our house both as decoration and to keep us warm. I was always drawn to antique textiles as a child. I studied weaving and natural dying in college and, eventually, took up quilting classes starting in 2009. I love the visual impact quilts can make and I’m drawn to their duality between decoration and function.
Pattern Designing
What inspired you to start designing quilt patterns? How do you approach the creative process of designing a new pattern?
In the beginning, I was making a lot of unique commissioned quilts for art and design shows. In 2015, another quilter told me that I should publish a pattern for other quilters. It wasn’t something I’d considered or knew much about. But I took a leap and put The Rebel Quilt out into the world. It was great to see other people making my pattern. Initially, I was using a programming language to randomly sketch unique designs and, from there, I’d make them into quilts or patterns. Now, for most of my patterns, I take basic shapes or traditional blocks and modernize them by playing with negative space, changing scale, repetition and colour palette.
Style and Aesthetics
How would you define your pattern style? Are there specific themes or elements that consistently appear in your designs?
I’m not sure how I’d define my style but overall, it’s definitely a modern aesthetic. I use a lot of half-square triangles, quarter curves or stripes in my designs. I like to build on elements in patterns, like using 8″ orange peels in more than one design. That way, if a quilter makes more than one of my quilts, they can transfer the learned skill from one pattern to the next.
Color
How does color play a role in your pattern designing? Do you have a favorite color? Are there certain color combinations you find particularly appealing?
In addition to designing quilt patterns, I also design fabric collections for Andover Fabrics. I release 4-5 collections a year. Sometimes a quilt design is inspired by a fabric collection and other times, it’s a palette of colours that I’ve used in a quilt mock-up that will drive my fabric design. I work with a whole bright rainbow spectrum of colour and I love to mix that with black and white or neutrals. I don’t have one favourite colour.
Business Activities
Apart from designing patterns, what other activities are integral to your quilting business?
(Membership, notions, courses, etc)
Fabric design, teaching online and in-person, running an online membership community of quilters, being an affiliate for several product companies.
Online Presence
Where can people find your work online? (Website, social media handles, online marketplaces). How do you use online platforms to connect with your audience and fellow quilters?
You can find my website at: www.libselliott.com
You can join my online community – the Sew Squad – at: sewsquad.libselliott.com In this membership-based community, I host monthly workshops with special guest instructors, lectures, virtual sewing retreats, and share free quilt patterns. We do monthly virtual sewcials to get to know one another and we’ve got members from all over the world which is pretty fantastic!
Upcoming Projects
Can you provide a sneak peek into any upcoming projects or designs you’re working on? Any exciting collaborations or events?
I’ve just finished two more fabric collections which you’ll all get to see in March. You’ll be able to play with them here on QuiltInk before they land in stores!
I’m hosting a sew-along for the Electric Pineapple Quilt which starts Jan. 22nd and runs until April 15th. You can get details at www.libselliott.com
In the Sew Squad – on January 24th, we have a workshop ‘Making Space for Creativity’ with Kim Soper and on February 7th, we have a Dresden Plate workshop with Johanna Masko (All our Squad workshops are live on Zoom and then recorded and available to members for 30 days.)
