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This is the second in our series of monthly featured quilters detailing a customer's background and interest in quilting. We hope you enjoy and are fascinated by each quilter's work. 



If you were to look up prolific quilters, you might just find a picture of Hazel smiling back at you! We are extremely fortunate to have the pleasure of seeing her weekly at Honey Run Quilters. As she picks up and drops off quilts from our local long-arm quilters, you can always catch a glimpse of her contagious smile.
 
Hazel called Paradise her home for over 40 years. In 2020, she relocated to Chico. Career-wise, she worked for 16 years as a Behavioral Health Counselor specializing in substance abuse.
 
1972 was quite monumental, as it was the year that began Hazel's quilting journey. She dabbled in garment construction, making school clothes for her daughter. Ever resourceful, Hazel gathered the leftover polyester clothing scraps, cut and pieced squares together, and tied them to create her very first quilt.

When it comes to essential quilting tools, Hazel absolutely loves her Martelli rotary cutter and cutting mat. She doesn’t make a quilt without these handy notions!

After practicing this hobby for 51 years, Hazel still enjoys patchwork quilting most of all. Of all of the quilts she’s ever made, her favorite is a pattern known as Hunter’s Star. She enjoys both the technique and skill involved, especially appreciating the secondary pattern that comes through when the quilt is finished. She has made at least four of these quilts, all of which were given away.


Hazel knows that mistakes when making quilts are inevitable. A few of her favorite sayings are "The Irish say you must leave a mistake in your work, so your soul has a way to escape from the finished piece." and "The Amish quilters purposely make a mistake in their quilts as they believe only God is perfect."

Most of the quilts Hazel makes are given away as gifts. Ironically, while she is generous with her quilt giving, Hazel has never had the pleasure of being gifted a quilt herself.


The most memorable quilts she’s made are from her husband’s shirts after he passed away. She pieced together three quilts, one for each of her husband’s daughters, and one for herself to treasure.


She recently gave over a dozen quilts to the employees of the rest home where her husband lived.

Hazel modestly describes her quilting as “simple,” but at Honey Run Quilters, we see her quilting as works of love and gratitude.