Born in Richmond, Va. to deaf parents, I was raised to believe I could do anything I put my mind to. Never was I told, “you can’t make a living as an artist”. Thank you, Frank and Charlotte Bruce for encouraging me to follow my dreams.

Like many women I know, I began my love of sewing at about age 8 when my mother taught me to use her treadle sewing machine. I got my own machine as a teenager and never stopped sewing. In 1988, while living in the San Francisco Bay Area, I started a quilting “bee” with quilt artist Therese May and discovered the fun of working on collaborative projects. After moving to the Sierra Foothills in 1990 I took my first official quilting class and have been forever hooked.

I began my quilting business in the fall of 2010 to combine my love of illustration, lettering and quilting. I have been an illustrator and letterer for 35 years, and long arm quilting is really just doing what I’ve been doing all these years, but with a different tool. I love incorporating writing into my quilting, and “drawing” images that echo the motifs in the fabrics.

I live in Grass Valley, California with Gary, my partner of 40 years, who is my best critic. Our son, Matteo, is one of my favorite quilt subjects. My Gammill, a 14-foot long arm machine named Dixie, is located in my quilting studio in historic downtown Grass Valley. I belong to the Pine Tree Quilt Guild, Northern California Quilt Guild, and SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) as a JAM member.

I teach workshops and classes, see my teaching, etc. page for more info. Teaching is very rewarding and I love sharing my knowledge of quilting: Material Matrix, Scrap Vortex, Color Dance, and Stitching Words. On that page are resources where you can read about my work and see more photos too. Feel free to contact me for more information.

BIO

© 2024 Sandra Bruce. All Rights Reserved