Meet Margaret Willingham | Sole Proprietor. Pattern Designer, Author, National Teacher and Lecturer.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Margaret Willingham and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Margaret, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
Eye of the Beholder Quilt Design impacts the world with beauty and hope with its unique reverse applique patterns, inspiring lectures and empowering workshops, because “Quilting is a creative act of hope”. Our reach is personal: one quilter at a time, one guild at a time as we share our passion for creativity and a touch of elegance. Creating is an act of love which raises endorphins as one participates in making something of beauty. It also stirs up and multiplies the tiniest shred of hope within the maker to sunrises of hope. Quilting may be a commonplace art / craft, but there is nothing common about quilt creativity and the beauty of the quilts.

Each quilt made is as unique as the maker and is actualized hope transformed into quilted beauty that is tangible love that can wrap you up in warmth or crack open your heart to gaze at. Beauty, in all its forms, takes our breath away and feeds our soul. It gifts us with moments of peace, softens us to love and opens the way to a future with hope. It helps put everything into perspective. Who does not feel loved when given a quilt made just for them? Who does not find peace and rest when they know they are loved? Negative voices are stilled and optimism can grow.

At Eye of the Beholder Quilt Design we impact individuals and small groups, who in turn are part of the society as a whole. Through our customers, students and friends we have an impact on society, imbuing them with our passions and ideas on creativity, beauty and hope through our patterns. Beauty can save the world. Specifically quilt beauty can save the world, and our unique quilt patterns and passions are part of that story.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve always been creative. I was a professional dancer, teacher and choreographer for 40 years first. I used to choreograph dances, and now I choreograph quilts. I used to teach students how to dance, now I teach them how to quilt.

My specialty is reverse applique stitched by hand. Basically, an exciting quilt drama created with two fabrics. I developed a method that makes it easier than the traditional method. And then I came up with a method for doing reverse applique by machine. Reverse applique is a small niche market within the quilting world, which is what makes my business unique, but also what makes it difficult for the business. Many quilters say they are “afraid” of applique and doubly “afraid” of reverse applique because the traditional methods were hard and time-consuming, particularly by hand.

I still love seeing a design come to life in my hands as I stitch. I hand stitch 4-6 hours every day creating my designs/ samples. Hand stitching is part of my daily sanity. And once a quilter starts, they understand this. They also discover that a quilt piece gets completed quicker than they think just by doing a little bit everyday.

My pattern designs also make my business unique. I consistently hear from people that no-one is creating pattern designs like I do. They are different than what anybody else is doing. Classic Eye of the Beholder Quilt Design patterns are medallions, table runners and quilts inspired by Victorian architecture and the beauty of the world around us. They have a stencil-style look to them. Some are quite ornate. They look quite challenging, and some are, but the method I came up with makes them doable. Some quilters say, “Your patterns are so beautiful I couldn’t possibly make them”. I haven’t figured out my way through that one yet, other than to demo my technique so they see it isn’t difficult to make. But it still takes time. In this day and age everyone thinks they don’t have enough time.

I see designs everywhere I look, and every design has the potential to be a new quilt pattern. Its then a matter of is it the right time in the life of the business for that pattern idea.

Education of my customers has become the key to success and growth. Education about what reverse applique is and how to do it with my method. I developed a small (7” x 7”) sample pattern to use as a demonstration pattern in my quilt show booth. I worked up step-by-step demo pieces for both the hand and machine methods. The demo takes 5 minutes to run thru, and at a quilt show booth I demo all day long. If a potential customer will give me 5 minutes of their time, they all see how easy it is to do. 90% of the time a demo turns into a sale.

The size of the patterns and the time it takes to make them has been a hindrance to teaching workshops. It became apparent I needed to develop some interesting patterns that were based on smaller blocks so I could book workshops at shops that could be taught in either a half day or one day workshops. Although my method is not hard, the steps take time. These patterns based on a smaller block still needed to honor the character and tone of the business.

I am a designer, but I am also gifted as a teacher. I came to teaching quilting after teaching classical dance for 40 years. As time has gone by I’ve become a national teacher, teaching at shops, guilds, quilt retreats, applique conferences and quilt shows throughout the country. When covid shut in-person teaching down, I transformed to expand into virtual teaching and lecturing. Now that the world is opening back up again, virtual teaching is still with us. It affords possibilities with groups at a distance without incurring travel expenses. As an example, I will teach virtually with a guild in Israel in July. It’s just important for everyone to keep time zones straight so they show up for class on time.

Over time I expanded creatively to mix reverse applique with applique and developed a technique called under-coloring. All these aspects added quilt drama and movement to the pattern designs as well as depth and dimension to the finished works.

The expansion of the business opportunities has been a lot of trial and error. I listened to my customers and those that didn’t become customers. I’ve listened to other business owners and patterns designers, asked questions, and been willing to take a risk to try out an idea.

For example designing patterns for fabric companies: I heard that it happened and I took the risk to talk with a fabric company that I liked their fabric, and found out how it worked for them. After a few successful patterns with them I expanded to another fabric company. Every company’s terms are different. Eventually fabric companies approached me. But it started because I took the risk to go talk to them. The big benefit for me was I got free fabric to design and create with, which cut my costs. The relationship with distributors were built in a similar way. Some have proved fruitful, some have not, but this expanded my marketing reach to shops, although not so much my revenue as distributor pricing gives a very small net.

Finding my market and developing my market has been an on going journey .

I self-produce my patterns locally. As much as possible I believe in supporting my local businesses by my business. I use a graphic designer and printer in Greeley. They have also been the best price for my product.

I’m committed to writing easy to understand step-by-step patterns that include full-size pattern pieces that make it easier for the customer after purchasing the patterns. I stand behind my patterns, fixing any boo-boos that are found, in the next printing. I’m also just an email away to answer questions. Plus, our website is loaded with helpful tutorials and blogs that support the patterns.

The biggest challenge for me is juggling all the hats I wear and keeping up with everything. I still do everything. Inevitably something has to give and it falls through the cracks, particularly when I’m on a deadline. I’m constantly re-evaluating what I need to do compared to what has to be done while trying to get perspective of where something fits with the business’ vision and plan.

Lessons? How I began is how I continue. I follow the desires of my heart. I’m responsive to what I’ve learned along the journey of the past 10 years, but I always need to bring it back to the original idea. And as I create patterns, I need to satisfy myself creatively, no matter the ability level of the pattern I create. Then I can have artistic and business integrity, and be at peace with myself.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Without a doubt I would take them to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. I love the quaint artisan shops in Estes Park, and the hamburgers at Penelopes. In the park itself I’m recharged by nature and I would want to share the majesty of the mountains and the wildlife. Whether a walk around Sprague or Bear Lakes or a hike up to Emerald Lake or to the Falls, it doesn’t get any better for a refreshing taste of Colorado. In Greeley a stop in the Madison & Main Gallery to see the talents of our local artists and a coffee at Margie’s. If we headed to Denver I would see what was exhibiting at the Denver Art Museum, or see if the Hannah Kahn Dance Company was performing. A Trip to Red Rocks might also be on the agenda or the Littleton living Farm Museum, or the streets of old Littleton. If a quilter, I would take them to my favorite local quilt shops, Sew Downtown in Greeley and Quilters Dream in Loveland.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Although the business is a one-woman show, there have certainly been key people who have been vital to the business’ growth and success over the last 10 years. …My sister Barbara Shepler is my #1 fan and supporter. She’s been my “camel” when setting up and breaking down the booth; worked long hard hours beside me selling and demo-ing at many quilt shows; learned how to do my reverse applique method; has attended countless workshops as my assistant and personally made half of my patterns to date; financially invested in the business. Through it all she has loved me, encouraged me and celebrated with me.

…My sweet husband Stephen…Eye of the Beholder’s C.E.O. (Carry Everything Out) He’s my other #1 fan. He’s been my extra pair of hands. He stuffs, prices and stickers the patterns; packs up the inventory for shows & helps me pack the van; does end-of-the-year inventory; sets up my spreadsheets; takes care of all my IT issues; set me up for teaching virtually when covid hit; even helps out at quilt shows when needed. He’s helped with loans for a expensive equipment, too. Through it all he’s always been loving and very encouraging.

…Shari Lafferty. A great friend who was my “clone”. For 5 years she travelled with me and worked at almost every quilt show (She was my “llama”). We had many great times on the road together. She was my extra pair of hands for stitching my hand quilt samples. I couldn’t have grown as fast as I did without Shari’s help, friendship and support. And it certainly wouldn’t have been as much fun.
…my local quilt shop Sew Downtown and its owners, Dana Stencel and Shelly Garcia, have been incredibly supportive of me and my business from the very beginning. They’ve stocked my patterns, engaged me to teach workshops and more.

…Another shop, Quilters Dream has also been supportive, stocking patterns and engaging me to teach workshops.

… Karla Piper of Siesta Silver Jewelry, has been a great friend and creative compatriot. We’ve joined forces on two occasions to collaborate on designs. We’ve also been a phone call away to talk about business ideas and concerns.
….God. At the outset He said to follow the desires of my heart. I’ve been endeavoring to do that, looking for the open doors, since we began this business adventure together. Through it all I have been richly blessed by Him and I offer my thanks beyond words and all that the business is back to Him.

Website: https://www.eobquiltdesign.com/home

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eobquiltdesigns/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-willingham-70865918/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/eobquilt

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EyeoftheBeholderQuilt

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRTqT13eHrwFIxGh10WY89Q/featured

Other: https://www.pinterest.com/eobquiltdesign/the-quilts/

Image Credits
Stephen Willingham