Who is Tara Faughnan?
I am a professional freelance textile designer and quilter living and working in Oakland, CA. I started to quilt around 2001 or so, using as my guide a book my mother had given to me. This book was a reprint of the 1931 edition of 101 Patchwork Patterns by Ruby Short McKim. I had no idea such things existed as rotary cutters, plastic templates, freezer paper etc. I spent many happy weeks tracing around cardboard templates and cutting out my pieces with a pair of scissors! When I told a woman at my local quilt shop how my first quilt was going, she promptly introduced me to the wall of rulers, cutting mats and gadgets. Thus began a long love affair with my faithful rotary cutter. I still have her, she's worn down and a bit squeaky, but she fits my hand like we were made for each other. Somewhere along the way, my love of quilting led me to school and on to a career in textile design, with clients including Michael Miller Fabrics and Pottery Barn Kids.
I find inspiration in forms, shapes and the place where 2 seams meet. Color interaction is the key inspiration that drives me. It's that intuitive moment when you put two colors together, and then two more, and two more after that that I focus on. The explorations are endless and I strive to try to walk the line of discomfort and still make everything work together as a whole. I draw inspiration from the simple bold geometry of antique quilts, the gorgeous bright colors from textiles around the world, and freedom and spontaneity found in unconventional and improvisationally pieced quilts. When I look at my current work, I see all 3 of these aspects represented. I like to use simple geometry, complex color interaction and find the line the exists somewhere between harmony and discordance.
