November 9, 2024 • 28 mins
In this episode, Dusty Allendorf shares personal experiences on how she has grown to be more assertive over time. Highlighting her personal development and creative journey, Dusty discusses how overcoming these challenges have positively impacted her life. We also he discusses innovation in her quilting integrating laser cutting and hand dyed fabrics.
Thanks for joining us at Creative Crossroads! Keep creating and we'll see you again soon!
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Episode Transcript
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Ellyn Zinsmeister (00:00):
Welcome back to Creative Crossroads,
(00:01):
everyone.
Today, we have a special treat.
Catherine and I are going totalk to a long time friend of
ours, Dusty Allendorf, about herquilting process and creative,
process as well.
Dusty does a lot of ice dyeing,makes beautiful fabrics that she
incorporates into her quilts.
She uses a lot of digitaltechnology including laser
(00:23):
cutting and she makes reallyunique modern quilts.
So today we'd like to find outmore about how that works and
what happens in her creativeworld.
Welcome Dusty.
Good to have you.
Dusty Allendorf (00:35):
Hello thank you.
Catherine Dutton (00:38):
Yeah.
We are really excited to talk toyou today, Dusty.
So we're going to throw you acurveball and ask you to begin
with what does it mean to be acreative person?
Dusty Allendorf (00:47):
I don't know,, because I come from a long
family of creative, so it just Idon't know, it's just always
been there.
I don't know any difference.
It's freedom, in some ways it's,I'm not good with words.
You'll learn that.
So I guess it's a.
Easy way to show my words.
Catherine Dutton (01:03):
Hmm.
Dusty Allendorf (01:05):
That things that might be feeling, I try to
keep it on the happier sidesometimes.
Sentimental, but I usually trynot to go too deep into things.
It's just an outlet, most peopleput it, it's just a way to
express yourself.
And that's about it.
Catherine Dutton (01:24):
Okay.
Ellyn Zinsmeister (01:24):
you use a lot of words in your quilts.
Your, many of your
Dusty Allendorf (01:28):
I do, but they're 99 percent of the time
other people's words that havespoken to me in some way.
I try to make sure I credit.
Where it actually comes fromsometimes if it's just some,
random little blurb that showsup on your Pinterest feed, that
I can't really credit them.
But, yeah I do because I'm notgood with it and I know it's
it's not a failing of mine, butit's not my strong suit.
(01:51):
When someone else says somethingthat is oh, that's what I mean,
then I like to take that and.
Whatever it's speaking to me,then I will try to do my best to
portray it.
And if other people like it,great.
If not, it's.
Just for me,
Ellyn Zinsmeister (02:07):
I think that's great.
Catherine Dutton (02:08):
so for you, a lot of inspiration comes from
quotes and sayings.
Is that what we're
Dusty Allendorf (02:13):
yeah,
Catherine Dutton (02:14):
Are there other sources of inspiration?
Oh, sorry.
Dusty Allendorf (02:17):
inspiration, I guess you just get it from
everywhere.
But, yeah, generally, if, aphrase or quote or something I
read a lot.
I'll jot down thingsperiodically.
That's if it makes me giggle outloud, But if it or just really
speaks to me, there's 1 that I'mworking on right now that the
phrase was it was something thatjust popped up on my Pinterest
(02:39):
and it just said, be the womanyou needed when you were little.
But it really spoke to mebecause I feel like I have not
been that to my nieces.
And nephew.
But then it made me realize Ihave a nephew, so it probably
should be more inclusive, so Ijust rephrased it to be the
person you needed when you werelittle.
(02:59):
And that one is really speakingto me right now and it's driving
me nuts that I can't get it.
Out it's, mostly mechanicalissues because my laser is down.
But yeah, that was moretraumatic than I thought it
would be
Ellyn Zinsmeister (03:13):
So can you talk a little bit about that
process and like once you comeup with a quote, then what you
do with it, and I know you workdigitally a lot, how does all
that come
Dusty Allendorf (03:24):
I'm not really a good drawing artist.
Per se so once the quote comesto me, I'll an image usually
follows.
Sometimes the reverse with theDolly quilt, it was her 1st,
then the quote but I can getinto that later.
But as far as this quote goes,it was just I wanted to evoke
something childhood but not beboy girl.
(03:45):
I want to be anything thatanybody could associate with a
child and so I felt in thiscase, I'm going to go with the
dandelion puff.
So I just really, I got on Canvaand from my understanding Canva
when you have the pro it'scopyright.
3, but, I'll just find an imagethat speaks to me and then I'll
go and modify it to what I feel.
(04:06):
And then I'll have a jumping offpoint with that work.
And then I'll just fiddle untilI have the way I want the.
Words to be, I'm trying to getaway from the.
My last few have been the wordswere like, in your face right
there and I want this 1 to be alittle bit more.
Flowy, and I know it doesn'treally make sense in words, but
(04:27):
the words won't be so bold andin your face.
I'm hoping the background thatI've dyed will take up a lot of
that negative space.
And then my dandelion.
Hopefully going to be flowingand everything, but I have a
vision and I will once I getthat finalized on if I end up
drawing it on a piece of paperthen I'll get it scanned in and
digitized and.
Then I have to break it downinto pieces that will fit on my
(04:50):
laser bed.
It basically has to be a fatquarter or smaller and so I'll
have to spend, a few hours,breaking the design down into
its elements and then the funpart of fabric pulling and all
that, then really, most of mywork is away from the sewing
machine once it all gets fuseddown and everything, the fun
(05:12):
part starts with the quiltingand, All that, but it's all fun
to me.
Actually, I couldn't say it'sall the fun part.
Almost every, I can't think ofan element that I.
Do that is sometimes there'ssome things that you just do,
and there's part that you'rejust like, oh, no, I'm sorry
binding that I hate that's thepart in the process.
That I dislike.
But yeah, other than that, thewhole process is it can
(05:34):
sometimes come quickly few hoursto a couple of days and then
other times it's.
Can take forever.
This 1 is taking forever, butpart of that's the mechanical
issues.
Ellyn Zinsmeister (05:43):
And most of your fabric or all of your
fabric is your hand dyed fabric?
Dusty Allendorf (05:47):
That my backgrounds are I generally go
for commercial fabrics for thewords and the design.
Because I just I don't know.
I like Basically, just have ahuge stash
Ellyn Zinsmeister (05:59):
That's what I was going to ask.
Do you have a big stash of handdyes or do you dye them
specifically for each quilt?
Dusty Allendorf (06:06):
As far as the background goes, no, I.
I tend to, if I go in and have aplan to dye something.
For a specific thing, it neverworks.
It never comes out the way Iwant it.
So I find it's best to just goin and I'll take a weekend and
I'll just die 3 or 4 at 1 time.
And then they'll just set thepile until.
(06:28):
I decided to do something withthem, or in the case of the
Dolly quilt the background came1st when it came out, it was
this bright pink with someorange and fuchsias but it had
horseshoes all over it.
that was where that went so thebackground came 1st other ones
my duck, it was the quote.
I've just always loved DouglasAdams and everything Douglas
(06:50):
Adams and hitchhikers guide.
It just sounded fun and so thatthe quote came 1st and the duck
actually the duck was part of ittoo, because I also drive a
jeep.
you have duct so I was like, Iwant to do something with a but
I don't want to do a jeep.
Because I couldn't figure out away to make that fun.
Catherine Dutton (07:07):
When you encounter like a challenge in
that process, how do younavigate that?
Dusty Allendorf (07:12):
I'll probably try to find it out for a little
while.
But then I will just it justgets the points.
Okay, this is just too much.
I just need to stop back away.
Go work on something else.
And then maybe I'll come back toit because it's of those things.
Sometimes if you start doingsomething else you stop thinking
about it.
You stop worrying about it.
Then it'd be like.
Oh, that's how I do that, andthen I can.
Go back, or if I'm just notfinding the right fabric for
(07:35):
some element in it, then dayI'll be in a store and there it
is
Catherine Dutton (07:41):
do you have multiple projects in mind at a
time or multiple projects goingat a time?
Or do you work on one thing andfocus on it at a time?
Dusty Allendorf (07:49):
I have a projects unfinished, it's
because there was an element amoment like that, where I was
just like.
Okay, I can't do this anymoreand then I will move on to
something else.
I like to try to finish thingsnow when I say finish I might
have a stack to be quilted or astack to be bound.
But as far as unfinished, I trynot to I will have several
(08:09):
things in my brain going on at 1time.
But they're all just percolatingback there and waiting for
something to strike.
And then you have other oneslike this 1 that I was talking
about where it's just they'reand it has to come out and it's
just so frustrating because Ican't right now.
Catherine Dutton (08:23):
Do you keep a notebook of those projects that
you have in mind or do you writethem down or do you just keep
them all in your head and theone that surfaces the most is
the one you go to.
Dusty Allendorf (08:33):
a little both.
I actually have severalnotebooks.
Catherine Dutton (08:37):
Okay.
Dusty Allendorf (08:38):
Almost in reach at any given time.
I carry 1 around with me in mybag and I'll just find random
notes sometimes laying around.
There was a scrap.
I found the other day that said,normal is a setting on a washing
machine and I don't know wherethat came from.
I don't remember writing itdown.
It's clearly my handwriting, butit was just this random little
(08:59):
scrap of paper that it's stillsitting over there somewhere
because I didn't want to throwit away because it meant
something at some point.
And maybe something will comeand the other times they just
nothing ever happens.
day.
I'll go through and look at thenotebook and be like, what in
the world was I thinking?
Ellyn Zinsmeister (09:12):
Have you always been creative like this?
Do you remember having thingsthat you needed to get out as a
child that you used creativity?
Or when did that evolve?
Dusty Allendorf (09:24):
looking back on it.
Yes.
In the moment.
I did not know that's what wasgoing on.
I not to get too personal.
I had a.
Rough childhood.
And I know I used to spend a lotof nights at my grandmother's
house.
She lived next door up in hersewing room.
And when I think back on it now,I was there to get away from
what was going on in my house.
(09:44):
And it was just the way I don't,and I just, it was act back
then, I was doing close.
I thought I would be an amazingfashion designer one day.
Life took over.
I discovered quilting and herewe are.
Ellyn Zinsmeister (09:55):
And how long ago was that that you discovered
quilting?
Dusty Allendorf (09:58):
What do we got probably 8, 9 years.
I'd say I discovered it about ayear after that local quilt
shop.
It opened and McKinney and nowthey're closed.
And I think they've been closedfor over a year now.
So I guess probably about 10years.
Nobody in my family quilted.
I didn't really know it was athing until in my mind, I knew
(10:21):
what quilts were, but in mymind, they were the traditional
things, the Amish, those sortsof things that was in my brain.
I was going through a rough timeand sewing with clothes just
wasn't doing anything for me.
My husband said I was obsessingand I need to find something
else.
So I just got on an old website,Meet Up and was trying to find
(10:44):
sewing groups and quiltinggroups started coming up.
I'm like, okay what is this?
And after it's lots of onlinestuff, the websites, the
tutorials, all the free stuffout there.
I found Dallas modern quiltguild.
And went to their meetups andafter talking to some of the
ladies that It was so far for mebeing up where I live and
they're like, Oh, you got tocheck out this quilt shop.
(11:06):
And that's how I found Stitchedwith love.
And it just all snowballed fromthere.
And I've never really gone backto clothes unless there was some
sort of Halloween costume orsomething somebody needed, but
Catherine Dutton (11:17):
for you, quilting was a better creative
outlet.
Whereas sewing was more of afunctional outlet
Dusty Allendorf (11:24):
yeah, I guess that is a good way to put it.
I hadn't thought about it thatway, but, yeah, because I've
evolved and that's what we allhave and discovered what I like
and don't like I still enjoypiecing and I like to do other
people that have already doneall the math their patterns.
Those I enjoy doing.
It's mindless.
I can just.
Do it and have somethingproductive when I hit a
challenge, that is something Iwould break away and do.
(11:46):
I'll just set whatever I wasworking off and then I'll go
find something beautiful thatsomebody else wanted to do.
That will just be a mindless bitof, and I don't mean mindless in
a bad way.
It's just they've already doneall the work for me.
Catherine Dutton (11:57):
I feel like sometimes those are almost
meditative projects where I cansit and it's just the same
action over and over and overagain.
you're not putting all yourcreative juices into it so you
can let them brew for later.
Right.
Dusty Allendorf (12:09):
Yes, that is exactly right.
And it's still fun to pick outfabrics and everything.
And when you ask about,messiness and the creative
process, I find that a littlebit stressful sometimes because
I try to overthink is this colorgoing to go with this.
Catherine Dutton (12:22):
so when you say you find it stressful, is it
the picking the fabrics or thepotential messiness that comes
with picking fabrics?
Dusty Allendorf (12:30):
I was going to say the colors and stuff, but
yeah, I really don't care forthe mess.
Yeah,
Ellyn Zinsmeister (12:36):
the space you create in, is it like neat and
tidy or?
Dusty Allendorf (12:41):
everything's in its place.
It's not like color coordinatedor anything like that.
When you do your reorganization,you try to set it up that way,
but it never stays but yeah, no,it's I got a pile, right?
I got a piece of backing overhere.
This nightly folded up my quilt.
I'm working on is hanging overthe long arm.
And yeah, my table is fairlyclean.
Catherine Dutton (13:02):
So it's a tidy functional space.
Dusty Allendorf (13:05):
Yeah, it can get messy but I generally try to
before I start something new,clean up the old mess.
And then I'll start on the nextthing.
I don't like to have, becauseI'll get confused or I'll grab.
A piece of fabric that was meantfor something else and like
things in their piles.
It's an organized pile, It's apiling systems.
Catherine Dutton (13:24):
You know what?
If it works, that's whatmatters.
Dusty Allendorf (13:26):
I've seen other people's rooms where it just is
chaos in my mind, but it worksfor them.
Catherine Dutton (13:31):
before we started recording, we were
talking a little bit aboutcollaboration and how you're not
a big collaborator with otherpeople, except for your husband.
Can you talk a little bit about
Dusty Allendorf (13:40):
And I don't mean to say that I don't
collaborate.
I have done projects with, theguild and stuff like that, but I
just.
I don't work well with othersand by that, it's not that I'm,
defensive or anything like that.
I just tend to let other peopletake over and I feel like I get
lost somehow.
As I've gotten older, there's alot of ways that I have, been
(14:01):
able to be more assertive andthings, for whatever reason, I
always feel like some sort ofinferiority complex that the
other person knows more or theother person is better.
And so let's just do what theywant to do.
Catherine Dutton (14:14):
In academia, we call that imposter syndrome.
Dusty Allendorf (14:19):
they must have been doing a, even though they
may have only been quilting for5 years or 2 years, but they're
so much more confident at it andthey're so much more.
This is my vision.
This is what I want.
I'm like, okay, that's allright.
Let's just go with that.
and, so I don't really offer uphelp with collaboration things.
I need to get better.
And probably I would get betterif I would do it more often.
(14:40):
And maybe that's something totry to focus on a little bit
down the road, but.
Catherine Dutton (14:44):
you want to, I think that's one of those things
that's like, if that's not yourstyle, that's okay.
Dusty Allendorf (14:50):
Yeah, but I appreciate so much of what other
people do that.
I think you can learn a lot.
In collaborating Learn fromother people and see their
loveliness and everything.
Catherine Dutton (15:02):
it almost makes me think we might look at
different types ofcollaboration, collaborating on
the same quilt, but also like, Ithink even when we sew together,
when we're on retreat together,we have a sew day together,
those still become collaborativemoments, even though we're not
working on each other's quilt,oftentimes we'll ask each other
for feedback.
Dusty Allendorf (15:19):
That is so I am good at that.
Catherine Dutton (15:22):
You are like I've seen that on days when
we've sewn together I've seenthat with you.
You're so good at providingfeedback to others and you know
oh like what if you did this oryou've inspired me with you've
given me so many colorcombination ideas over the years
Dusty Allendorf (15:37):
yeah I hadn't thought about collaboration and
that way in my mind.
It was, as you were saying, as aspecific project.
Working Yeah,'cause I just I hada very unproductive retreat a
couple weeks back.
I had only brought one projectwith me because I was determined
that was what I was going to getdone.
And I knew if I brought anythingelse it was not gonna get done.
(15:57):
And it just wasn't working.
Ellyn Zinsmeister (16:00):
So what do you do when you're uninspired?
what can help you get back ontrack or do you totally shift
gears?
Dusty Allendorf (16:08):
The retreat center had a store we went over
there.
I bought all the supplies.
What's the pattern?
Just so that I could havesomething productive done.
And that gave me a little bit ofokay, this was not as enjoyable
as is to be with friends and tohang out and do the, I was there
to also get something done.
(16:29):
And that let go of a lot of.
Just I wouldn't call it anxietynecessarily, because it's not
like I had to get it done kindof thing.
It's just a personal project.
It wasn't anything for anybodyor anything like that.
But it's just you feel like, whycouldn't I get anything done?
so that it just, as we'resaying, just the monotonous
sewing of somebody else'spattern that had already done
(16:51):
all the math, all the work.
It was just like, I could justsit there.
And so and talk, you I didn'thave to because the project I
had brought was foundation paperfacing and so it was labor
intensive and you had to focusand doing that other project.
Was actually a better planbecause I was able to just so
and talk and we bounced backideas.
(17:14):
Was working on a swap item.
And so I would just glance upand help her do her thing.
And then she'd go back to herthing.
And, it's freedom.
done 1 or 2 commissions forfriends and that was fine
because I knew the people I knewthey were pretty free flowing
and wouldn't be all sticklersfor things and would let me do
(17:36):
what I wanted to do.
And so those worked out fine.
But generally.
I prefer just to work on whatspeaks to me and what I want to
do.
And then if someone likes it,and they want it, or I find it
interesting.
A lot of times I will find apattern or something.
I wanted to do and have no ideaof anybody in my mind.
(17:59):
But at some point during theprocess, all of a sudden.
It'd be like, oh, my God, thiswill be perfect for Kim, or this
will be perfect for Alyssa Andthen I get more motivated to
finally get it finished becauseI have someone they can go to.
But, then I also have a pilethat I keep waiting and I've had
occasion where it's worked outthat because I've had that pile.
(18:20):
That person came to me in mymind and heart that I would be
perfect for this.
Catherine Dutton (18:27):
Mm-Hmm.
Dusty Allendorf (18:27):
And so I know one day they'll all be gone.
I will find a home for all ofthem.
And when you find a home for aquilt, you have to just let it
go and hope it is appreciatedfor what it is.
Ellyn Zinsmeister (18:42):
Do you ever have a lapse like in between
projects where you don't haveanything creative that you're
working on?
Or is there always something?
Dusty Allendorf (18:51):
It's been a long time since it's been a
lapse.
But, yeah, I could seegenerally, it's because I'm out
of town or something, but it'sgoing on in my brain.
We don't have kids.
It's just my husband and I andour birds.
And so I have a lot of free timewhen not working.
So it's easy for me to just popup in what used to be the media
(19:14):
room was turned into my sewingroom and just, Do whatever I
want to work on sometimes I justsit here and watch TV, but I'm
in my room
Catherine Dutton (19:22):
What do you think has shaped your current
approach to creativity the most?
Dusty Allendorf (19:27):
Age.
Catherine Dutton (19:28):
Ooh.
How?
Dusty Allendorf (19:29):
It's I just, as I've gotten older, I've learned
more about myself.
I mean, Everybody talks aboutbeing in your 40s and that being
the time that women findthemselves and stuff like that,
I I guess it was true for me.
It was like, Once I got to mymid 40s and now late 40s I can
look back on other projects thatI did years.
I'm like, oh, that is so not me.
(19:51):
And I really didn't realizeother people in the guild
pointed out that I had a style.
I didn't think I really did.
And Sarah 1 day, she's like, oh,no, I can see when you've done
something if it's yours.
That was before I was evenappliqueing a lot and doing what
I call my giant art quilts.
It's funny how sometimes otherpeople see something in you more
(20:13):
than you do because I didn'tuntil she said that and it
snowballed.
It's okay, maybe I do have avoice.
Maybe I do have and I startedpaying more attention to what I
was doing and the things I wasdrawn to.
Catherine Dutton (20:27):
Mm-Hmm.
Dusty Allendorf (20:28):
And then for instance.
A couple of months back theguild was wanting to do that
talk on technology.
And it didn't even cross my mindthat I would have anything to
say.
It was Chris who was sitting atthe same table with me that it's
you should totally talk.
And then it's just snowballed.
And I was like, I do use thisand this, I spend more time at
my computer and I spend actuallyon the quilting process.
Catherine Dutton (20:52):
I love the idea that it's so important for
us to articulate to other peoplewhat we're seeing in them,
because sometimes like you saidit's hard for us to, to see that
in ourselves.
But when we hear someone elsetell us that.
Dusty Allendorf (21:09):
And I have tried to get better about doing
that for others.
there's been many times in mylife that someone has given me
some sort of positive commentsand I get so uncomfortable with
those and I get very, I justfreeze up and it's just okay,
thank you.
That's why I think this whole bethe person you needed is
speaking to me right now,because I feel like there's so
many people in the world that Ithink we would be, and I don't
(21:32):
mean to get all, deep, but justrandom things on TV or people I
bump into, I'm like.
If they could just have someonethat told them they were special
that they were, great atsomething, and, I worry that I
didn't do that for my nieces andnephew and just random
strangers.
I think it's sad that we tookmore import on what a random
(21:55):
stranger says.
What someone that really knowsyou says, but it does matter.
Somebody says, oh, you have abeautiful smile.
Oh, I love that dress.
it does something.
Ellyn Zinsmeister (22:06):
You mentioned your technology talk and someone
pointing out that that wassomething you were really strong
at and I was there for that talkwhen you shared, and it was
fascinating to me because somany of the things you do and
the ways you explore throughtechnology are so foreign to me,
and part of it is my age, that Ididn't grow up with all this
(22:26):
technology, you know, I came toit very late in the party.
So I'm still a graph paper andpencil girl, but I learned so
much from listening to you talkabout the ways you explore using
technology and the ways youcreate with technology.
And it's great to share thosethings with other people.
That's how we all learn andgrow.
(22:47):
I think
Dusty Allendorf (22:48):
Yeah.
I like with Catherine's AI stuffthat she plays with.
Sometimes I really wanted to tryto get her take on that part of
the technology for that talk,but could never get it because I
just, I think that would befascinating to try to do what I
do and see what the AI could do,but it just takes so much time
that none of us, hard to findthat sit down and.
Catherine Dutton (23:08):
there are only so many hours in the day and we
have to decide how we use them,
Dusty Allendorf (23:13):
my husband was saying something the other Well,
If you want to if you don'tsleep, you can
Catherine Dutton (23:18):
Wouldn't it be lovely if our bodies didn't need
to sleep or eat or go to theLike so much time would be saved
every day.
Well Dusty, I've really enjoyedchatting with you.
you think about like sharingwith our listeners, do you have
any things that you're readingor listening to podcasts or
social media accounts thatinspire you
Dusty Allendorf (23:37):
As I mentioned several times, just the random
algorithm on Pinterest tends toknow what I'm looking for a lot
of times.
which is scary, But, it's stillfun.
But, Yeah.
as far as I listen a lot of truecrime.
I need things that I don't haveto invest in, so to speak, that
if I miss a few sentences, I'mnot going to.
(23:57):
Be like, oh, where am I?
So my audio books tend to bevery horror, sci fi, those types
of genres if I'm reading andwatching I want to be somewhere
else not.
But, yeah the zombie falloutseries.
I know zombies are Overdonenowadays, but I still obsess
over them.
That 1 is a wonderful andactually Mark 2 foes entire
(24:19):
world.
He has they're allinterconnected and they range
everything from the zombies tothe aliens.
It's a fascinating read.
If you are into that
Catherine Dutton (24:27):
Okay.
You talking about zombies, Ijust have to bring up like one
of my favorite quilts that youhave ever made is your zombie
bunny quilt.
Oh my gosh, like that was themoment.
When I saw that quilt, I waslike, this woman is a creative
genius
Dusty Allendorf (24:43):
that actually was probably a very big stepping
off point.
Making things my own.
Catherine Dutton (24:49):
Yeah.
You took this really cutesypattern that was really sweet.
And you turned those cute Easterbuddies into zombies.
And it was magical.
Dusty Allendorf (25:00):
I do love that.
As much as her patterns drive menuts, cause there's so many tiny
pieces.
Catherine Dutton (25:05):
Yeah.
An Elizabeth Hartman pattern is.
a say that.
But they're very well written,which I love.
Dusty Allendorf (25:10):
I love them.
I have several that are in a todo one day.
Ellyn Zinsmeister (25:16):
I have the rest.
I have the ones you don't have.
I have all of them.
Catherine Dutton (25:20):
Yeah, I have several of them too.
They're fun to make.
Dusty Allendorf (25:23):
they are.
And once you get all the piecescut and all the pieces done, if
you're not modifying it to theends of the earth, like I did
with the zombie one.
But that was a fun one.
I still have that one.
Ellyn Zinsmeister (25:34):
Are there any more quilts in your future using
those themes?
Dusty Allendorf (25:38):
Yes, in my brain actually, there was 1 that
I just did.
so I wanted to play with it'snot called resist dying.
It's where you remove the colorI can't remember there is a word
for it, but it's not coming tome.
So I did a black quilt backing,and I use this stuff called out
white.
If you've never used it, it isamazing.
You have to do it outside.
(25:58):
It's a powder and you sprinkleit on and then you hit it with
hot water and it removes theblack I used the Moda Bella
super black and apparently thathas a red undertone.
Ellyn Zinsmeister (26:10):
Interesting.
Dusty Allendorf (26:11):
love this 1 when you do it.
Just right, it turns purple.
Catherine Dutton (26:14):
Fun.
Dusty Allendorf (26:16):
But anyway, what I'm getting at, with the
zombie 1, the 1st time I use theout white.
I get a little overboard and sothat 1 turn this really weird
background.
I came and describe it.
It's like this weird purpley,gray post apocalyptic looking
thing.
So, yeah, I really want to dosomething down that vein, but it
just hasn't come to me yet.
(26:36):
So that has been folded up andput in a little pile for, the
right image that comes along
Catherine Dutton (26:42):
I'm excited to see what you come up with.
Dusty, I have really enjoyedchatting with you today.
Thank you so much for joining uson the podcast
Ellyn Zinsmeister (26:50):
Thanks for sharing with us.
Dusty Allendorf (26:51):
thank you.
Bye.
Welcome back to Creative Crossroads,
(00:01):
everyone.
Today, we have a special treat.
Catherine and I are going totalk to a long time friend of
ours, Dusty Allendorf, about herquilting process and creative,
process as well.
Dusty does a lot of ice dyeing,makes beautiful fabrics that she
incorporates into her quilts.
She uses a lot of digitaltechnology including laser
(00:23):
cutting and she makes reallyunique modern quilts.
So today we'd like to find outmore about how that works and
what happens in her creativeworld.
Welcome Dusty.
Good to have you.
Dusty Allendorf (00:35):
Hello thank you.
Catherine Dutton (00:38):
Yeah.
We are really excited to talk toyou today, Dusty.
So we're going to throw you acurveball and ask you to begin
with what does it mean to be acreative person?
Dusty Allendorf (00:47):
I don't know,, because I come from a long
family of creative, so it just Idon't know, it's just always
been there.
I don't know any difference.
It's freedom, in some ways it's,I'm not good with words.
You'll learn that.
So I guess it's a.
Easy way to show my words.
Catherine Dutton (01:03):
Hmm.
Dusty Allendorf (01:05):
That things that might be feeling, I try to
keep it on the happier sidesometimes.
Sentimental, but I usually trynot to go too deep into things.
It's just an outlet, most peopleput it, it's just a way to
express yourself.
And that's about it.
Catherine Dutton (01:24):
Okay.
Ellyn Zinsmeister (01:24):
you use a lot of words in your quilts.
Your, many of your
Dusty Allendorf (01:28):
I do, but they're 99 percent of the time
other people's words that havespoken to me in some way.
I try to make sure I credit.
Where it actually comes fromsometimes if it's just some,
random little blurb that showsup on your Pinterest feed, that
I can't really credit them.
But, yeah I do because I'm notgood with it and I know it's
it's not a failing of mine, butit's not my strong suit.
(01:51):
When someone else says somethingthat is oh, that's what I mean,
then I like to take that and.
Whatever it's speaking to me,then I will try to do my best to
portray it.
And if other people like it,great.
If not, it's.
Just for me,
Ellyn Zinsmeister (02:07):
I think that's great.
Catherine Dutton (02:08):
so for you, a lot of inspiration comes from
quotes and sayings.
Is that what we're
Dusty Allendorf (02:13):
yeah,
Catherine Dutton (02:14):
Are there other sources of inspiration?
Oh, sorry.
Dusty Allendorf (02:17):
inspiration, I guess you just get it from
everywhere.
But, yeah, generally, if, aphrase or quote or something I
read a lot.
I'll jot down thingsperiodically.
That's if it makes me giggle outloud, But if it or just really
speaks to me, there's 1 that I'mworking on right now that the
phrase was it was something thatjust popped up on my Pinterest
(02:39):
and it just said, be the womanyou needed when you were little.
But it really spoke to mebecause I feel like I have not
been that to my nieces.
And nephew.
But then it made me realize Ihave a nephew, so it probably
should be more inclusive, so Ijust rephrased it to be the
person you needed when you werelittle.
(02:59):
And that one is really speakingto me right now and it's driving
me nuts that I can't get it.
Out it's, mostly mechanicalissues because my laser is down.
But yeah, that was moretraumatic than I thought it
would be
Ellyn Zinsmeister (03:13):
So can you talk a little bit about that
process and like once you comeup with a quote, then what you
do with it, and I know you workdigitally a lot, how does all
that come
Dusty Allendorf (03:24):
I'm not really a good drawing artist.
Per se so once the quote comesto me, I'll an image usually
follows.
Sometimes the reverse with theDolly quilt, it was her 1st,
then the quote but I can getinto that later.
But as far as this quote goes,it was just I wanted to evoke
something childhood but not beboy girl.
(03:45):
I want to be anything thatanybody could associate with a
child and so I felt in thiscase, I'm going to go with the
dandelion puff.
So I just really, I got on Canvaand from my understanding Canva
when you have the pro it'scopyright.
3, but, I'll just find an imagethat speaks to me and then I'll
go and modify it to what I feel.
(04:06):
And then I'll have a jumping offpoint with that work.
And then I'll just fiddle untilI have the way I want the.
Words to be, I'm trying to getaway from the.
My last few have been the wordswere like, in your face right
there and I want this 1 to be alittle bit more.
Flowy, and I know it doesn'treally make sense in words, but
(04:27):
the words won't be so bold andin your face.
I'm hoping the background thatI've dyed will take up a lot of
that negative space.
And then my dandelion.
Hopefully going to be flowingand everything, but I have a
vision and I will once I getthat finalized on if I end up
drawing it on a piece of paperthen I'll get it scanned in and
digitized and.
Then I have to break it downinto pieces that will fit on my
(04:50):
laser bed.
It basically has to be a fatquarter or smaller and so I'll
have to spend, a few hours,breaking the design down into
its elements and then the funpart of fabric pulling and all
that, then really, most of mywork is away from the sewing
machine once it all gets fuseddown and everything, the fun
(05:12):
part starts with the quiltingand, All that, but it's all fun
to me.
Actually, I couldn't say it'sall the fun part.
Almost every, I can't think ofan element that I.
Do that is sometimes there'ssome things that you just do,
and there's part that you'rejust like, oh, no, I'm sorry
binding that I hate that's thepart in the process.
That I dislike.
But yeah, other than that, thewhole process is it can
(05:34):
sometimes come quickly few hoursto a couple of days and then
other times it's.
Can take forever.
This 1 is taking forever, butpart of that's the mechanical
issues.
Ellyn Zinsmeister (05:43):
And most of your fabric or all of your
fabric is your hand dyed fabric?
Dusty Allendorf (05:47):
That my backgrounds are I generally go
for commercial fabrics for thewords and the design.
Because I just I don't know.
I like Basically, just have ahuge stash
Ellyn Zinsmeister (05:59):
That's what I was going to ask.
Do you have a big stash of handdyes or do you dye them
specifically for each quilt?
Dusty Allendorf (06:06):
As far as the background goes, no, I.
I tend to, if I go in and have aplan to dye something.
For a specific thing, it neverworks.
It never comes out the way Iwant it.
So I find it's best to just goin and I'll take a weekend and
I'll just die 3 or 4 at 1 time.
And then they'll just set thepile until.
(06:28):
I decided to do something withthem, or in the case of the
Dolly quilt the background came1st when it came out, it was
this bright pink with someorange and fuchsias but it had
horseshoes all over it.
that was where that went so thebackground came 1st other ones
my duck, it was the quote.
I've just always loved DouglasAdams and everything Douglas
(06:50):
Adams and hitchhikers guide.
It just sounded fun and so thatthe quote came 1st and the duck
actually the duck was part of ittoo, because I also drive a
jeep.
you have duct so I was like, Iwant to do something with a but
I don't want to do a jeep.
Because I couldn't figure out away to make that fun.
Catherine Dutton (07:07):
When you encounter like a challenge in
that process, how do younavigate that?
Dusty Allendorf (07:12):
I'll probably try to find it out for a little
while.
But then I will just it justgets the points.
Okay, this is just too much.
I just need to stop back away.
Go work on something else.
And then maybe I'll come back toit because it's of those things.
Sometimes if you start doingsomething else you stop thinking
about it.
You stop worrying about it.
Then it'd be like.
Oh, that's how I do that, andthen I can.
Go back, or if I'm just notfinding the right fabric for
(07:35):
some element in it, then dayI'll be in a store and there it
is
Catherine Dutton (07:41):
do you have multiple projects in mind at a
time or multiple projects goingat a time?
Or do you work on one thing andfocus on it at a time?
Dusty Allendorf (07:49):
I have a projects unfinished, it's
because there was an element amoment like that, where I was
just like.
Okay, I can't do this anymoreand then I will move on to
something else.
I like to try to finish thingsnow when I say finish I might
have a stack to be quilted or astack to be bound.
But as far as unfinished, I trynot to I will have several
(08:09):
things in my brain going on at 1time.
But they're all just percolatingback there and waiting for
something to strike.
And then you have other oneslike this 1 that I was talking
about where it's just they'reand it has to come out and it's
just so frustrating because Ican't right now.
Catherine Dutton (08:23):
Do you keep a notebook of those projects that
you have in mind or do you writethem down or do you just keep
them all in your head and theone that surfaces the most is
the one you go to.
Dusty Allendorf (08:33):
a little both.
I actually have severalnotebooks.
Catherine Dutton (08:37):
Okay.
Dusty Allendorf (08:38):
Almost in reach at any given time.
I carry 1 around with me in mybag and I'll just find random
notes sometimes laying around.
There was a scrap.
I found the other day that said,normal is a setting on a washing
machine and I don't know wherethat came from.
I don't remember writing itdown.
It's clearly my handwriting, butit was just this random little
(08:59):
scrap of paper that it's stillsitting over there somewhere
because I didn't want to throwit away because it meant
something at some point.
And maybe something will comeand the other times they just
nothing ever happens.
day.
I'll go through and look at thenotebook and be like, what in
the world was I thinking?
Ellyn Zinsmeister (09:12):
Have you always been creative like this?
Do you remember having thingsthat you needed to get out as a
child that you used creativity?
Or when did that evolve?
Dusty Allendorf (09:24):
looking back on it.
Yes.
In the moment.
I did not know that's what wasgoing on.
I not to get too personal.
I had a.
Rough childhood.
And I know I used to spend a lotof nights at my grandmother's
house.
She lived next door up in hersewing room.
And when I think back on it now,I was there to get away from
what was going on in my house.
(09:44):
And it was just the way I don't,and I just, it was act back
then, I was doing close.
I thought I would be an amazingfashion designer one day.
Life took over.
I discovered quilting and herewe are.
Ellyn Zinsmeister (09:55):
And how long ago was that that you discovered
quilting?
Dusty Allendorf (09:58):
What do we got probably 8, 9 years.
I'd say I discovered it about ayear after that local quilt
shop.
It opened and McKinney and nowthey're closed.
And I think they've been closedfor over a year now.
So I guess probably about 10years.
Nobody in my family quilted.
I didn't really know it was athing until in my mind, I knew
(10:21):
what quilts were, but in mymind, they were the traditional
things, the Amish, those sortsof things that was in my brain.
I was going through a rough timeand sewing with clothes just
wasn't doing anything for me.
My husband said I was obsessingand I need to find something
else.
So I just got on an old website,Meet Up and was trying to find
(10:44):
sewing groups and quiltinggroups started coming up.
I'm like, okay what is this?
And after it's lots of onlinestuff, the websites, the
tutorials, all the free stuffout there.
I found Dallas modern quiltguild.
And went to their meetups andafter talking to some of the
ladies that It was so far for mebeing up where I live and
they're like, Oh, you got tocheck out this quilt shop.
(11:06):
And that's how I found Stitchedwith love.
And it just all snowballed fromthere.
And I've never really gone backto clothes unless there was some
sort of Halloween costume orsomething somebody needed, but
Catherine Dutton (11:17):
for you, quilting was a better creative
outlet.
Whereas sewing was more of afunctional outlet
Dusty Allendorf (11:24):
yeah, I guess that is a good way to put it.
I hadn't thought about it thatway, but, yeah, because I've
evolved and that's what we allhave and discovered what I like
and don't like I still enjoypiecing and I like to do other
people that have already doneall the math their patterns.
Those I enjoy doing.
It's mindless.
I can just.
Do it and have somethingproductive when I hit a
challenge, that is something Iwould break away and do.
(11:46):
I'll just set whatever I wasworking off and then I'll go
find something beautiful thatsomebody else wanted to do.
That will just be a mindless bitof, and I don't mean mindless in
a bad way.
It's just they've already doneall the work for me.
Catherine Dutton (11:57):
I feel like sometimes those are almost
meditative projects where I cansit and it's just the same
action over and over and overagain.
you're not putting all yourcreative juices into it so you
can let them brew for later.
Right.
Dusty Allendorf (12:09):
Yes, that is exactly right.
And it's still fun to pick outfabrics and everything.
And when you ask about,messiness and the creative
process, I find that a littlebit stressful sometimes because
I try to overthink is this colorgoing to go with this.
Catherine Dutton (12:22):
so when you say you find it stressful, is it
the picking the fabrics or thepotential messiness that comes
with picking fabrics?
Dusty Allendorf (12:30):
I was going to say the colors and stuff, but
yeah, I really don't care forthe mess.
Yeah,
Ellyn Zinsmeister (12:36):
the space you create in, is it like neat and
tidy or?
Dusty Allendorf (12:41):
everything's in its place.
It's not like color coordinatedor anything like that.
When you do your reorganization,you try to set it up that way,
but it never stays but yeah, no,it's I got a pile, right?
I got a piece of backing overhere.
This nightly folded up my quilt.
I'm working on is hanging overthe long arm.
And yeah, my table is fairlyclean.
Catherine Dutton (13:02):
So it's a tidy functional space.
Dusty Allendorf (13:05):
Yeah, it can get messy but I generally try to
before I start something new,clean up the old mess.
And then I'll start on the nextthing.
I don't like to have, becauseI'll get confused or I'll grab.
A piece of fabric that was meantfor something else and like
things in their piles.
It's an organized pile, It's apiling systems.
Catherine Dutton (13:24):
You know what?
If it works, that's whatmatters.
Dusty Allendorf (13:26):
I've seen other people's rooms where it just is
chaos in my mind, but it worksfor them.
Catherine Dutton (13:31):
before we started recording, we were
talking a little bit aboutcollaboration and how you're not
a big collaborator with otherpeople, except for your husband.
Can you talk a little bit about
Dusty Allendorf (13:40):
And I don't mean to say that I don't
collaborate.
I have done projects with, theguild and stuff like that, but I
just.
I don't work well with othersand by that, it's not that I'm,
defensive or anything like that.
I just tend to let other peopletake over and I feel like I get
lost somehow.
As I've gotten older, there's alot of ways that I have, been
(14:01):
able to be more assertive andthings, for whatever reason, I
always feel like some sort ofinferiority complex that the
other person knows more or theother person is better.
And so let's just do what theywant to do.
Catherine Dutton (14:14):
In academia, we call that imposter syndrome.
Dusty Allendorf (14:19):
they must have been doing a, even though they
may have only been quilting for5 years or 2 years, but they're
so much more confident at it andthey're so much more.
This is my vision.
This is what I want.
I'm like, okay, that's allright.
Let's just go with that.
and, so I don't really offer uphelp with collaboration things.
I need to get better.
And probably I would get betterif I would do it more often.
(14:40):
And maybe that's something totry to focus on a little bit
down the road, but.
Catherine Dutton (14:44):
you want to, I think that's one of those things
that's like, if that's not yourstyle, that's okay.
Dusty Allendorf (14:50):
Yeah, but I appreciate so much of what other
people do that.
I think you can learn a lot.
In collaborating Learn fromother people and see their
loveliness and everything.
Catherine Dutton (15:02):
it almost makes me think we might look at
different types ofcollaboration, collaborating on
the same quilt, but also like, Ithink even when we sew together,
when we're on retreat together,we have a sew day together,
those still become collaborativemoments, even though we're not
working on each other's quilt,oftentimes we'll ask each other
for feedback.
Dusty Allendorf (15:19):
That is so I am good at that.
Catherine Dutton (15:22):
You are like I've seen that on days when
we've sewn together I've seenthat with you.
You're so good at providingfeedback to others and you know
oh like what if you did this oryou've inspired me with you've
given me so many colorcombination ideas over the years
Dusty Allendorf (15:37):
yeah I hadn't thought about collaboration and
that way in my mind.
It was, as you were saying, as aspecific project.
Working Yeah,'cause I just I hada very unproductive retreat a
couple weeks back.
I had only brought one projectwith me because I was determined
that was what I was going to getdone.
And I knew if I brought anythingelse it was not gonna get done.
(15:57):
And it just wasn't working.
Ellyn Zinsmeister (16:00):
So what do you do when you're uninspired?
what can help you get back ontrack or do you totally shift
gears?
Dusty Allendorf (16:08):
The retreat center had a store we went over
there.
I bought all the supplies.
What's the pattern?
Just so that I could havesomething productive done.
And that gave me a little bit ofokay, this was not as enjoyable
as is to be with friends and tohang out and do the, I was there
to also get something done.
(16:29):
And that let go of a lot of.
Just I wouldn't call it anxietynecessarily, because it's not
like I had to get it done kindof thing.
It's just a personal project.
It wasn't anything for anybodyor anything like that.
But it's just you feel like, whycouldn't I get anything done?
so that it just, as we'resaying, just the monotonous
sewing of somebody else'spattern that had already done
(16:51):
all the math, all the work.
It was just like, I could justsit there.
And so and talk, you I didn'thave to because the project I
had brought was foundation paperfacing and so it was labor
intensive and you had to focusand doing that other project.
Was actually a better planbecause I was able to just so
and talk and we bounced backideas.
(17:14):
Was working on a swap item.
And so I would just glance upand help her do her thing.
And then she'd go back to herthing.
And, it's freedom.
done 1 or 2 commissions forfriends and that was fine
because I knew the people I knewthey were pretty free flowing
and wouldn't be all sticklersfor things and would let me do
(17:36):
what I wanted to do.
And so those worked out fine.
But generally.
I prefer just to work on whatspeaks to me and what I want to
do.
And then if someone likes it,and they want it, or I find it
interesting.
A lot of times I will find apattern or something.
I wanted to do and have no ideaof anybody in my mind.
(17:59):
But at some point during theprocess, all of a sudden.
It'd be like, oh, my God, thiswill be perfect for Kim, or this
will be perfect for Alyssa Andthen I get more motivated to
finally get it finished becauseI have someone they can go to.
But, then I also have a pilethat I keep waiting and I've had
occasion where it's worked outthat because I've had that pile.
(18:20):
That person came to me in mymind and heart that I would be
perfect for this.
Catherine Dutton (18:27):
Mm-Hmm.
Dusty Allendorf (18:27):
And so I know one day they'll all be gone.
I will find a home for all ofthem.
And when you find a home for aquilt, you have to just let it
go and hope it is appreciatedfor what it is.
Ellyn Zinsmeister (18:42):
Do you ever have a lapse like in between
projects where you don't haveanything creative that you're
working on?
Or is there always something?
Dusty Allendorf (18:51):
It's been a long time since it's been a
lapse.
But, yeah, I could seegenerally, it's because I'm out
of town or something, but it'sgoing on in my brain.
We don't have kids.
It's just my husband and I andour birds.
And so I have a lot of free timewhen not working.
So it's easy for me to just popup in what used to be the media
(19:14):
room was turned into my sewingroom and just, Do whatever I
want to work on sometimes I justsit here and watch TV, but I'm
in my room
Catherine Dutton (19:22):
What do you think has shaped your current
approach to creativity the most?
Dusty Allendorf (19:27):
Age.
Catherine Dutton (19:28):
Ooh.
How?
Dusty Allendorf (19:29):
It's I just, as I've gotten older, I've learned
more about myself.
I mean, Everybody talks aboutbeing in your 40s and that being
the time that women findthemselves and stuff like that,
I I guess it was true for me.
It was like, Once I got to mymid 40s and now late 40s I can
look back on other projects thatI did years.
I'm like, oh, that is so not me.
(19:51):
And I really didn't realizeother people in the guild
pointed out that I had a style.
I didn't think I really did.
And Sarah 1 day, she's like, oh,no, I can see when you've done
something if it's yours.
That was before I was evenappliqueing a lot and doing what
I call my giant art quilts.
It's funny how sometimes otherpeople see something in you more
(20:13):
than you do because I didn'tuntil she said that and it
snowballed.
It's okay, maybe I do have avoice.
Maybe I do have and I startedpaying more attention to what I
was doing and the things I wasdrawn to.
Catherine Dutton (20:27):
Mm-Hmm.
Dusty Allendorf (20:28):
And then for instance.
A couple of months back theguild was wanting to do that
talk on technology.
And it didn't even cross my mindthat I would have anything to
say.
It was Chris who was sitting atthe same table with me that it's
you should totally talk.
And then it's just snowballed.
And I was like, I do use thisand this, I spend more time at
my computer and I spend actuallyon the quilting process.
Catherine Dutton (20:52):
I love the idea that it's so important for
us to articulate to other peoplewhat we're seeing in them,
because sometimes like you saidit's hard for us to, to see that
in ourselves.
But when we hear someone elsetell us that.
Dusty Allendorf (21:09):
And I have tried to get better about doing
that for others.
there's been many times in mylife that someone has given me
some sort of positive commentsand I get so uncomfortable with
those and I get very, I justfreeze up and it's just okay,
thank you.
That's why I think this whole bethe person you needed is
speaking to me right now,because I feel like there's so
many people in the world that Ithink we would be, and I don't
(21:32):
mean to get all, deep, but justrandom things on TV or people I
bump into, I'm like.
If they could just have someonethat told them they were special
that they were, great atsomething, and, I worry that I
didn't do that for my nieces andnephew and just random
strangers.
I think it's sad that we tookmore import on what a random
(21:55):
stranger says.
What someone that really knowsyou says, but it does matter.
Somebody says, oh, you have abeautiful smile.
Oh, I love that dress.
it does something.
Ellyn Zinsmeister (22:06):
You mentioned your technology talk and someone
pointing out that that wassomething you were really strong
at and I was there for that talkwhen you shared, and it was
fascinating to me because somany of the things you do and
the ways you explore throughtechnology are so foreign to me,
and part of it is my age, that Ididn't grow up with all this
(22:26):
technology, you know, I came toit very late in the party.
So I'm still a graph paper andpencil girl, but I learned so
much from listening to you talkabout the ways you explore using
technology and the ways youcreate with technology.
And it's great to share thosethings with other people.
That's how we all learn andgrow.
(22:47):
I think
Dusty Allendorf (22:48):
Yeah.
I like with Catherine's AI stuffthat she plays with.
Sometimes I really wanted to tryto get her take on that part of
the technology for that talk,but could never get it because I
just, I think that would befascinating to try to do what I
do and see what the AI could do,but it just takes so much time
that none of us, hard to findthat sit down and.
Catherine Dutton (23:08):
there are only so many hours in the day and we
have to decide how we use them,
Dusty Allendorf (23:13):
my husband was saying something the other Well,
If you want to if you don'tsleep, you can
Catherine Dutton (23:18):
Wouldn't it be lovely if our bodies didn't need
to sleep or eat or go to theLike so much time would be saved
every day.
Well Dusty, I've really enjoyedchatting with you.
you think about like sharingwith our listeners, do you have
any things that you're readingor listening to podcasts or
social media accounts thatinspire you
Dusty Allendorf (23:37):
As I mentioned several times, just the random
algorithm on Pinterest tends toknow what I'm looking for a lot
of times.
which is scary, But, it's stillfun.
But, Yeah.
as far as I listen a lot of truecrime.
I need things that I don't haveto invest in, so to speak, that
if I miss a few sentences, I'mnot going to.
(23:57):
Be like, oh, where am I?
So my audio books tend to bevery horror, sci fi, those types
of genres if I'm reading andwatching I want to be somewhere
else not.
But, yeah the zombie falloutseries.
I know zombies are Overdonenowadays, but I still obsess
over them.
That 1 is a wonderful andactually Mark 2 foes entire
(24:19):
world.
He has they're allinterconnected and they range
everything from the zombies tothe aliens.
It's a fascinating read.
If you are into that
Catherine Dutton (24:27):
Okay.
You talking about zombies, Ijust have to bring up like one
of my favorite quilts that youhave ever made is your zombie
bunny quilt.
Oh my gosh, like that was themoment.
When I saw that quilt, I waslike, this woman is a creative
genius
Dusty Allendorf (24:43):
that actually was probably a very big stepping
off point.
Making things my own.
Catherine Dutton (24:49):
Yeah.
You took this really cutesypattern that was really sweet.
And you turned those cute Easterbuddies into zombies.
And it was magical.
Dusty Allendorf (25:00):
I do love that.
As much as her patterns drive menuts, cause there's so many tiny
pieces.
Catherine Dutton (25:05):
Yeah.
An Elizabeth Hartman pattern is.
a say that.
But they're very well written,which I love.
Dusty Allendorf (25:10):
I love them.
I have several that are in a todo one day.
Ellyn Zinsmeister (25:16):
I have the rest.
I have the ones you don't have.
I have all of them.
Catherine Dutton (25:20):
Yeah, I have several of them too.
They're fun to make.
Dusty Allendorf (25:23):
they are.
And once you get all the piecescut and all the pieces done, if
you're not modifying it to theends of the earth, like I did
with the zombie one.
But that was a fun one.
I still have that one.
Ellyn Zinsmeister (25:34):
Are there any more quilts in your future using
those themes?
Dusty Allendorf (25:38):
Yes, in my brain actually, there was 1 that
I just did.
so I wanted to play with it'snot called resist dying.
It's where you remove the colorI can't remember there is a word
for it, but it's not coming tome.
So I did a black quilt backing,and I use this stuff called out
white.
If you've never used it, it isamazing.
You have to do it outside.
(25:58):
It's a powder and you sprinkleit on and then you hit it with
hot water and it removes theblack I used the Moda Bella
super black and apparently thathas a red undertone.
Ellyn Zinsmeister (26:10):
Interesting.
Dusty Allendorf (26:11):
love this 1 when you do it.
Just right, it turns purple.
Catherine Dutton (26:14):
Fun.
Dusty Allendorf (26:16):
But anyway, what I'm getting at, with the
zombie 1, the 1st time I use theout white.
I get a little overboard and sothat 1 turn this really weird
background.
I came and describe it.
It's like this weird purpley,gray post apocalyptic looking
thing.
So, yeah, I really want to dosomething down that vein, but it
just hasn't come to me yet.
(26:36):
So that has been folded up andput in a little pile for, the
right image that comes along
Catherine Dutton (26:42):
I'm excited to see what you come up with.
Dusty, I have really enjoyedchatting with you today.
Thank you so much for joining uson the podcast
Ellyn Zinsmeister (26:50):
Thanks for sharing with us.
Dusty Allendorf (26:51):
thank you.
Bye.
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