Bev Stookey
40 years of quilting experience, former fabric and quilting shop owner, BERNINA expert and treasured teacher... that's Bev Stookey, in a nutshell. Bev is one of those rare individuals whose expertise in quilting enables learners at all levels to grow, to enjoy and to build confidence as they attend her classes Bev is a native Californian, born and raised in San Francisco, and makes her home in South San Francisco. She has sewed since she was a child, and says, "I've always sewed, and I still sew every single solitary day. I guess I'm addicted to sewing — I'm doing it whether it's at 5 a.m. or 11 p.m. It's my passion."Bev started out in quilting many years ago, during a time when the Quilting Bee was the only quilting shop on the entire Peninsula. "For a lot of us who started way back when, there were no quilt stores on the Peninsula, and just one class at Canada College. This goes back about 25 years, and a lot of famous quilters got their start at that class." For 11 years, Bev owned her own fabric and quilting shop, but she found that she missed spending time teaching. "It was fun owning a shop, but you are so busy and you can't wear all the hats, so I didn't have time to teach." So, Bev gave up her shop in favor of doing what she loves. She first worked at the Bee as a BERNINA expert, and then began developing classes. Now, she focuses her time on classes that give her students confidence and basic skills in a fun, relaxing environment. "My classes stress fast, accurate piecing and use of the rotary cutter — basic elements to move my students along so they can expand their skills to the next thing they want to learn."
Favorite Quilt Patterns: "Well, I don't really have a favorite pattern because each one I work on is my favorite until I start the next one! I am a real traditionalist, though. I love the traditional patterns because you have to start with basic skills — you have to walk before you can run.
Favorite Notion: "I think one notion that is really underestimated by people is the Wooden Iron. It's really inexpensive — about $4 — and it works really well. In my classes, I'm always telling people how important it is to have flat seams, but sometimes people don't want to get up and down to iron. Well, the Wooden Iron is a little tool that you can use to flatten seams while you're sitting at your machine. It's really great.
Favorite Quilting Story: "The best thing, to me, is to see the growth in quilting over the past 40 years. When I look at what people have done in quilting, I think it is just marvelous. It's similar to the feeling I get from teaching classes — the greatest satisfaction is to see people whose talent has not been tapped, and to see their amazement at what they can do when they get started in quilting."
