Growing up in south Louisiana it was easy to appreciate my quilting heritage. My great grandmother first influenced my quilting future with her beautiful double wedding ring quilts.
Mother has always sewn and even made my wedding dress when I married my husband, Dusty Knight. Dusty’s family further peaked my quilting interest and patiently taught me how to quilt.
Aunt Quida gave me my first quilt templates- sandpaper cutouts and a handwritten letter of instructions. With this knowledge, my first quilt became a reality.
Hand sewn and hand quilted, it is a sampler in typical 70’s colors. I still have the letter, the cutouts, and the quilt, but my quilting has changed drastically. Bitten by the appliqué bug in the 80’s, I began to take as many classes as possible and started entering my quilts in local competition. I have been blessed to win ribbons and awards for my quilts and wallhangings, including “Best of Fair” at the 2002 Alabama National Fair. My "French Garden" wallhanging was accepted at The Applique Society Annual Show in Sacramento CA. Dusty and I took the “empty nest” syndrome to new levels and moved to Central Alabama in the spring of 2002.
With this move, I have “retired” and get to pursue my love of quilting full time. Hard to imagine when Judy Jensen, co-owner of The Quilt Shop, convinced me to start teaching classes 7 years ago that I would have such a wonderful opportunity. Now, I travel the south teaching classes and workshops for quilt guilds and quilt shops.
Past President - Gulf States Quilting Assoc.
"French Garden" Wallhanging shown in Sacramento, CA
"Jonsey's Jewels" juried to AQS Nashville - 2006/ Best of Fair - 2006
Member - The Applique Society, American Quilter's Society
Best of Fair Special Contest- Alabama National Fair- 2003 "The Birdhouse Quilt"
"French Garden" wallhanging - 1st Place- Gulf Coast Quilt Expo- Panama City, FL
1st Place - Hand Applique – AL National Fair- 2002
Best of Show- AL National Fair- Origami -2002
1st Place - AL National Fair - 2003
Best of Show - Washington Parish Fair
1st Place - Washington Parish Fair
2nd Place - Gulf States Quilt Show- 2001
3rd Place - Gulf States Quilt Show – 2001
Monthly Masterpiece - Quilter’s Gathering Quilt Shop- Pennsylvania
Best of Show- AL National Fair- 2004- Pumpkin Quilt
Best of Fair-2004- Garden of Stitches
Teaching:
Creative Studio Statler Stitcher
Hand Applique - basic and advanced
Origami Hand Applique
Machine Applique – basic and advanced
Hand quilting
Stained glass appliqué
JoAn Knight
2115 Forest Ridge Road
Prattville, AL 36067
jnknight@bellsouth.net
