Welcome! My name is Mandy Leins, and I am a teacher of all things quilting: longarm and domestic quilting, and piecing. If you’ve found your way here through the BERNINA Ambassador blog hop, please you take a look around! I have tutorials and techniques over here, and my course offerings are here.
“Lovestruck” designed and pieced by Erin Schlosser, quilted by me on the BERNINA Q24.
I was taking one of those quizzes the other day that promises to tell you *all about* yourself using on colors/appealing pictures/cat photos and the like, and I realized I already had a pretty good idea of what it would tell me: I love to learn, I love to find human connections in everything, and I love to share. I’m never happier than when all of these things combine. Making things with the work of our hands is a deep part of what defines the human experience, from our earliest origins. We have always found and made meaning in the material objects of our lives, adding art to our craft.
A customer quilt, quilted using the BERNINA Q24 longarm
It is no surprise, then, that I love quilting as much as I do. Piecing, appliqué, quilting, I love it all! There is nothing so exciting as finding that perfect technique to make the quilt in your head, and then being able to follow through to completion. My philosophy is try everything once, and then twice to make sure! And then, the most important part: to share what I have learned and practiced with others. This is actually the key concept behind my book Wanderlust Quilts, which uses ancient art and architecture to inspire modern quilts that used intermediate and advanced piecing techniques.
“Lovely Fishbourne” from my book Wanderlust Quilts. Designed and pieced by me, quilted by Liz Haskell.
For me, as a “Quilt Teacher”, I think about this long history and its exciting future. I can’t help it, since I was working to get a PhD in Classical archaeology once upon a time. These big questions, like” Where have we come from and what do we look forward to? What will be the new thing we incorporate? What will we choose to honor from the past? What are the connections from here to there?” are always in my heart and mind. In my teaching career, whether it’s Latin or history or quilting, I’ve asked these students from age 5 to 95, and while the questions stay the same, the answers are deliciously dynamic.
Pillows from my book, designed, pieced, and quilted by me as a skill-building lesson.
I’m also a gadget-loving woman. As a BERNINA Ambassador, I love that there are machines and accessories to fit every part of my quilting journey, from piecing to machine embroidery to longarming. I love my fellow Ambassadors are all as committed to the art and craft of quilting as they are to passing on their knowledge and experience, and that they are passionate and happy to do so. It’s a group I am honored to be a part of. With examples of quilting found in cultures around the world, it is a celebration of making, and part of what makes us human beings. Poor and rich, male and female, servant and master, quilts were in homes everywhere. They still are. By hand or machine or a combination of both, as their makers embraced new techniques and tools, people seem to have always delighted in the making.
Mandy Leins, Quilter, Author, Teacher, Encourager
If you’d like to see what I’m up to on a daily basis, make sure to follow me on Instagram @mandaleiquilts If you’ll be in Lancaster next week (3/29-4/1) for the AQS show, I’ll be demoing the Q20 sit-down and the Q24 longarm. Stop by and say hello!
And, please make sure to visit the other Ambassadors participating!
Monday March 20
Lynn Carson Harris harrislc@gmail.com
Kelly Ashton kelly@kellyquilter.com
Diane Doran info@dianedoran.com
Melody Crust melody@melodycrust.com
Tuesday March 21
Kathy Delaney kathy@kathydelaney.com
Christa Watson christa@christaquilts.com
Mandy Leins mandalei@gmail.com
Wednesday March 22
Sandy Fitzpatrick hissyfitz@earthlink.net
Beth Ferrier beth@applewd.com
Cheryl Sleboda cherylsleboda@gmail.com
Thursday March 23
Annie Smith annie@anniesmith.net
Lori Kennedy lckennedy@hotmail.com
Kari Carr kari@newleafstitches.com
Catherine Redford catherine@catherineredford.com
Friday March 24
Joanne Sharpe jzsharpe@yahoo.com
Cherry Guidry cherry@cherryblossomsquilting.com
Jenelle Montilone jenelle@trashn2tees.com
I admire you so very much Mandy!
Thank you for your encouragement! Love your Craftsy class and I have Lori Kennedy also…so much inspiration.
Hi Janet, thank you so much! That means a lot to me. Lori is great, isn’t she?
What a beautiful post (and studio!). I’ll definitely stop by next Friday to say “hi” in Lancaster.