Artist Profile: Nina Lise Moen

Whenever I stumble onto a new blog that I really enjoy, I want to share it with all of you!  Today’s profile is on Nina Lise Moen, from the blog, “Mrs. Moen; The Not-so Secret Life of a Quilter.”

First off, I love blogs that share free tutorials, as I do. (I admit, this is a shameless plug for my free tutorial page)  Here is an example of a free tutorial; how to make a letter:

Here is a heart pattern from her site:

I also love quilty sites that have chicken/bird products to buy, as well.  Combine the two, and you have Mrs. Moen’s delightful Funky Fowl quilt pattern:

With this pattern, you receive 8 birds and 5 quilt designs.  Here are a few more birds:

Here is another birdy:

Be sure to check out her other pattern designs, too.  Here are 2 other bird theme patterns:

This pattern is called, “Sitting There.”  This next pattern is called “Lots of Yellow Ones:”

Q& A with Mrs Moen, aka Nina Lise Moen:

Carla : Tell us a bit about yourself?

Nina: My name is Nina Lise Moen, I’m 48 years old, and live in Stavanger, Norway where I share my life with my husband, our grown up daughter and our soon to be 3 year old grandson. I come from a long line of creative and highly skilled needle workers and seamstresses as both my mother and grandmothers have been avid crafters. I have been knitting, crocheting and embroidering for as long as I can remember, and have made my own designs and knitting patterns since I was a teenager.

Carla:  How long have you been quilting and designing patterns?

Nina: I am first and foremost a quilter and have designed my own quilts since I started quilting a few hundreds of quilts ago. Designing patterns is something I do on the side; I make a quilt and then write a pattern if it’s a design that I think others would like to make. Quilting is my creative outlet, so I try to keep the balance between my art work, quilts I make just for fun, blogging, tutorials, patterns and classes. With a background in finance and the corporate world, my journey into the textile arts has taken my life into a quite different direction.

Carla: What was the first quilt you designed?

Nina: The first quilt I designed for someone else was for a fellow guild member who asked if I could design a quilt for her son’s wedding. Later our guild was hosting a big quilting retreat and I was head of the event. As part of raising funds for the guild, I designed a needle cushion for souvenirs, a small flower bouquet quilt for our teachers and helpers, and a bag block for our raffle quilts. I enjoyed the process, so I designed a few more quilts and wrote patterns that were sold at the retreat.

Carla: How would you describe your style?

Nina: My style is simple, whimsical and fun. Although I use a lot of colour in my work, the designs translate very well into other styles. My patterns are suitable for quilters of all levels, also beginner quilters.

Carla: How long have you been quilting and what attracted you to it?

Nina: I started quilting in December 1998. I found a book about antique quilts while looking for inspiration for my needle point work; my daughter saw the book, wished for “one of those”, and I made one for her that Christmas. I had never seen a quilt before I made that first one. It was love at first try, and with the exception of a couple of breaks, I have been quilting ever since.

What attracted me at first was playing with simple shapes of colours and the soft and comforting result. After I discovered appliqué, I was sold. I love that you can make anything with appliqué, and I do. I took part in an art therapy group in 2002 and learned that I had the ability to express myself through art. Since then I have entered my work into both national and international exhibitions and competitions.

Carla: Besides quilting, what other interests do you have?

Nina: I read books and comics, I exercise several times a week, I still knit, embroider and crochet a little, and I spend a lot of time with my grandson.

Carla: Any other info or tidbits you would like to share?

Nina: After 11 years of quilting, I still find it challenging and fun. There is always something new to figure out and learn. It can be done by anyone anywhere, and you really don’t need much to get started.

I also love the social aspect of quilting, being part of a guild and a small, friendly sewing group, and that we all are connected across ages, styles and level of experience. Teaching classes is also fun; it’s so amazing to see how the different personalities transfer into their work.

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I would like to thank Nina for sharing her patterns and designs with the Feathered Fibers blog readers.  I plan to do a funky fowl quilt in the future, which fits in with my love for whimsical birds and chickens.  LOL!

Regards, Carla