An interview with Cherry Schacher

web site: www.cherryschacherquilts.com

What are you bringing to the Albany Holiday Studio Sale?
Cherry Schacher: I'm currently working on some more hats and scarves to go into the winter with - the Snowball hats are fleece with fabric accents, as are the hat/scarf/glove combination - this is as yet unnamed! But they are warm. I'm also working on some vests and new jackets, branching out from using cotton fabrics into silks, ultrasuedes and anything that seems neat and interesting. Quilt/wallhanging side of things, I'm finally going to do some wall hangings using men's ties - I've been doing them off and on for years as custom orders - it's time to bring them into the booth! And, as usual, I will have several large size bed quilts, including a new Fractured Crystals one in shades of soft beiges and browns. And plenty of placemats, napkins and pot holders for more Christmas gifts.

What is your process and/or inspiration?
Cherry Schacher: Normally I say that my inspiration comes from traveling to Europe - cathedral floors, colors on buildings and in cobblestone streets, the scenery I see, trails I've hiked on, etc., but my most recent inspiration was a jacket I saw at London airport last week - it was made out of a jersey fabric, but by the time my plane was ready to leave, I had redesigned it for a silk fabric I was bringing back from Ireland! You never know where an idea will strike.

Cutting things very, very exactly is the key, and ironing more than I ever want to. The sewing is fairly straightforward - I use an old industrial Singer machine 99% of the time, finishing is always done by hand, usually watching late night tv with a glass of wine, or finishing coffee in the morning - it depends on what colors I'm working with - darker ones need morning light.

What else would you like us to know about yourself?
Cherry Schacher: George and I have been married for 32 years, we have a daughter Darcy, who is 15 and sings beautifully, and I have a son who is in the Navy, a great Spanish daughter-in-law and 3 great grandkids. We also play music in a couple of bands - Aged in the Hills and Coosheen (check out the website www.Agedinthehills.com).
The other big part of our life is the house we inherited from my father in Ireland - it is in a little village called Schull, in West Cork, right on the water facing the harbor. We spend as much time as possible there, but it's getting harder with Darcy's school, plus we rent it out so that it can pay for itself, so that's a problem, too. If you're interested in staying there, speak to me at the show!