Our Teacher of the Month: Dominique Ehrmann!
WonderFil Specialty Threads
Lady Gabie
Dominique specializes in 3D quilting and Thread Painting
Dominique Ehrmann
Dominique lives in Ste Sophie Québec in a house she and her husband built surrounded by a pine fôrest. "I was a Chocolateand special event cake makerfor more than 25 years, creating customizedcenter pieces. I discovered quilting and wall hangings in 2005; it was a life changing experience. Since then, I have taught myself to quilt, to draw and to create 3D quilts because it is the way I imagine them. I put my chocolate career behindand started teaching in 2007, at Courtepointe Claire in Laval. I am still teaching mostly there but now I travel to teach and give lectures in Québec, Ontario, and US. My quilts are different and when I enter a contest, I never know if I will win a ribbon or be rejected. Since 2008 I have entered contests and won awards every year. I am known to 'rock the boat' in the quilting world because the show organizers do not quite know where to categorize my work."
Q: What was your first 3D quilt?
A: My first quilt was called Lady Gabie (image above). It was named after, and made for my oldest daughter, who was turning 25 and just graduating from design school. I wanted a gift that would impress her! I was also thinking of the day when she would have children of her own, and wanted them to be able to see the quilt from their level. I first built it in scale out of cardboard, then got to work with my quilt.
Q: Where do you find your inspiration for your quilts?
A: My projects always start with a story. I tend to think in 'cartoons', and I always need the story first. I believe my work with chocolate may have also affected my approach, as I specialized in 3D centerpieces. My father was an architect and I inherited the desire to 'build' ( I used to take my toys apart to see how they were made). My husband and I built our house when we were 22, just the two of us. It took us three years.
Q: What materials do you work with?
A: I work with traditional quilting materials and my 3D quilts are all sewn...I never use glue. I want them to still be soft like a quilt. I do sometimes use foam for structure.
Q: What are your favorite WonderFil threads?
A: I always say that if I were on a deserted island, the one thread I would have with me is InvisaFil ( 100 weight polyester). I use it in the top and bobbin for piecing, in the top for quilting, and I can double it or triple it up in the top, with different colors to create different effects. I use it for hand stitching my binding on, and for hand and machine applique.
