Joyce is a lifelong quilter - she started sewing with her grandmother when she was about six, when they would make doll clothes together. At age 16, she made her first quilt, and she joined our staff in 2016. The rest, as they say, is history!
We asked Joyce to share more about her area of expertise - the Kimberbell Design line.
Above: Two of Joyce’s projects from the Kimberbell Bench Buddies Series.
Q: What initially drew you to the Kimberbell Line?
A: Tammy and Jane went to Quilt Market and came home with this cute bench pillow pattern from a designer. I volunteered to make the sample since it was so cute - if you’re wondering, the pattern was the Halloween bench pillow!
Q: As the resident Kimberbell Specialist, did you go to the Kimberbell Academy? What was it like?
A: Kimberbell announced at market in the spring of 2916 that they were going to certify shops. Kim had seen all my postings on social media and knew I worked at Thimbles, so she told Tammy and Jane that they should send me. I was in the inaugural class in the fall of 2016 - needless to say, it was an awesome experience! We really got the red carpet treatment, and that inspired me to do my best to treat ALL of our Kimberbell customers the same way. The academy was actually very similar to how we host our events at Thimbles: sewing, laughter, food, gifts and all-around fun! 
Q: What are your current favorites from Kimberbell?
A: My favorite Kimberbell project - that is a hard question to answer, since I love them all! But if I had to pick something, the Jingle All The Way Quilt (shown below) is one of my favorites. 
Q: For newbies, where should they start? Is there a specific pattern that's a good introduction to the line, or are there essential skills that should be mastered before diving in?
A: Newbies can start anywhere! We had 6 people that were new to Kimberbell attend our last event, the Spooky Soirée. Two of those students had never embroidered before, and their projects turned out just as great as all of our seasoned embroiderers.
Also worth mentioning, Kimberbell is not just for those with embroidery machines. All of my bench pillows, table toppers and many other projects are appliquéd on my sewing machine.
Above: Joyce’s Think Spring pillow project.
Joyce is always happy to answer your burning questions about Kimberbell Designs, or any other quilting questions you may have. You can contact us online, give us a call at (815) 836 - 8735, or stop by the shop - we’re open 7 days a week for all of your quilting needs.
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