April 12, 2017 Program Presenter - Diane Merritt

Diane Merritt will present "Dresden Plates - Then and Now" at our Wednesday April 12, 2017 meeting.

Diane was the original owner of Cottonwood Quilts in Niwot, CO. The Dresden Plate Quilt block was first seen in 1785 but became very popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Feed sacks and small floral prints gave this block its defining look. It has easily been adapted with today’s fabric to create many different looks, including some that you might not believe are the same old plates. The quilt block has been known by a few different names, but we are sure you will call it fabulous after attending this presentation featuring Dresden Plates. 

Diane got her start in quilting quite by accident.  She wandered into a lecture on quilting while attending a women’s conference in 1992. Two hours later her life had passed before her eyes, not her past life but her future life.  She was hooked! A week later she was attending her first quilting class.

In 1995 she, her family and her quilt tops relocated to Appleton, Wisconsin where in 1995 she went to work for Patchwork Sampler as a store clerk. By 1997 she was teaching quilting classes herself. In 2000 she moved to Longmont, Colorado and continued teaching at Quilting Hands located in Lyons, Colorado. In 2013 Diane was approached by F&W Media who was shifting their focus from print to the web.  She worked from home creating samples for their on-line video series. Not long after Diane was asked to go full-time as the Product Coordinator for their quilting site.  Diane acted as Curator providing the knowledge and experience necessary to provide their customers a quality on-line experience as F&W moves into the digital age. Diane continues to learn through teaching and loves to share her talents.