Lisa Filion
Posted By Craft Corps on April 4, 2009
Lisa Filion
Name: “Upstatelisa” aka Lisa Filion
Age: 46
Location: upstate NY (Queensbury)
Profession: SAHM, Landlord, Jack of all trades, a speech-languate pathologist in my former life
Craft(s) of Choice: first passion is quilting but I sew, knit, scrap, stamp…..
Blog: http://www.upstatelisa.blogspot.com
When I was 13, my paternal grandmother gave me $100 (which was a lot of money waaaay back when) to buy my first sewing machine. She did this for all of her granddaughters- I was the third of five. My grandmother was awonderful knitter, smocker, sewer, crocheter!
The purchase of this first sewing machine sparked something in me. Mymother registered me for sewing lessons that first summer at a local Singer Sewing store (mom would later be a sewing class drop out- sorry Mom!- but she knits a mean pair of socks). I was hooked! I think that first project was a bib front sun dress with a ruffled skirt (aww the 70s!).
Then I took Home Economics in 8th grade followed by Family Studies (a new name!) in high school. I sewed mostly clothing for awhile. After I married, I took a quilting class at a local community college and that opened a whole new world for me!!! While I might have been hooked on sewing, I quickly became addicted to quilting! Of course, I had 3 children and for awhile, my productivity was cut waaaay down! But now, I have a sewing room, a wonderfully supportive husband, 3 (usually) great kids, and a whole lot of fabric.
On Thanksgiving Day, 2005, my youngest daughter, 6 1/2 years old at the time, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I was shocked and sad but soon learned that we could deal with this chronic disease. Her life is full and crazy; but diabetes constant vigilance and has just become part of life. I have become involved in raising funds for research to cure diabetes. I don’t have all the money in the world but quilting has allowed me to make a small contribution. I have made two quilts for fundraising events (our local chapter of JDRF hosts a gala each January) which have raised $3600 and $1700 (I have attached photos of those two quilts), as well as a smaller one that was raffled off the day of our annual Walk to Cure Diabetes.
Thanks to my wonderful grandmother who so many (many) years ago provided me with the materials to start creating. I wrote a tribute to her in a blog post this past February.
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