Who is Laura Fraga?
I have cherished childhood memories of watching my Abuelita, my father’s mother, hand quilt traditional quilts with her church group. That inspired me to learn different domestic crafts as I grew up. (You should see how well I can press a dress shirt!) After taking cake decorating, crochet, needlepoint and tole painting lessons, I found my niche in 1990 after taking my first quilting class.
Once I mastered the basics, I defined two great passions: hand appliqué and making “Dear Jane” quilts. Dear Jane is a quilt that Jane Stickle completed in 1863 during the Civil War. Brenda Papadakis discovered it at the Bennington Museum in Vermont and introduced it to the world in 1996. I have been a Janiac (rhymes with maniac, you get the picture) since 2000. To date I have completed five Dear Jane quilts of different sizes and helped numerous other quilters with their Dear Jane journeys.
I was excited when my quilts began winning blue ribbons in national shows. My most gratifying moment was when I was told by a friend of mine, who was a docent at our guild quilt show, that one spectator could not believe my featured quilt was hand appliquéd and not a cheater panel. My friend had to show her the near invisible stitches that I take pride in.
Sharing my passion of quilting through teaching is very rewarding to me. Students from my classes have told me they appreciate my hands-on teaching approach. I strive to ensure that everyone leaves my classes feeling confident and more competent.
