TERRY: Kimberly, how did you get started quilting and when?
KIMBERLY: Well, the honest truth is that I started quilting when I was about 15 years old and bought a package of 6" squares from the local variety store and sewed them all together. I had always been fascinated with quilts, even though we had none in our family. Well, I had a top and no idea what to do after that. Fast forward about 16 years, in 2000 (that original top was later used by a brother as a oil cloth when I went away to college and left it behind!) I really got the quilting bug. A girl I worked with made some simple quilts for a few colleagues and I begged her to show me how. With basic instructions, and a trip to Joann's, the quilting bug was born in me. I had no idea what the heck I was doing back then, but I learned quickly and absorbed everything I could. As I tend to not stick with things, I only bought a cheap Brother sewing machine, which I quickly broke and then evolved to my first mechanical Viking. Fast forward 7 years and I now have a Husqvarna Viking Lily 555, a Brother PQ1500, and a Bernina 180e.

TERRY: I have seen your hand-dyed fabrics both online and in person. They are absolutely gorgeous! What caused you to begin hand-dyeing your own fabrics?
KIMBERLY: While a member of a different quilting forum, one member shared some of her hand dyed fabrics. I had already fallen in love with Bali hand dyes and batiks, by now having graduated to mostly quilt shop only fabric. I was so taken with the hand dyes, that I had to learn myself. So, I got a starter kit from Dharma Trading, and that was all it took. My kitchen isn't set up well for dyeing now so I don't get in as much as I would like, but I love having the opportunity to dye my own color backings.
ADDITIONAL NOTE:  Kimberly taught a hand-dyeing class on QPU and the results were awesome!

TERRY: Do you have any current projects that you are working on?
KIMBERLY: Wow, too many. I have started several and not gotten far, among them, a folded flower wallhanging from Rebecca Wat's book. I also have a hexagon vest in the works using the Quilt Patis. Of course, both of these are labor-hand intensive. Then I have 3 different block swaps that I have participated in that need to be sewn together and quilted. That doesn't include the ideas in my head. They never end.

TERRY: How do you fit quilting and your Web site into your very busy schedule?
KIMBERLY: Well, that is the hard part. I was spoiled, in a way, by working at a help desk, graveyard shift, for many years. I worked 3 - 12 hour shifts so not only did I have time to work on my site from work, but I had lots of days off to work on quilts. Now that I am doing a real 9-5er, I don't have nearly enough time, and can't work on my site from work. I still try to add something new at least once a month or so, even if it is only a new tip or quilting term.

TERRY: How did you come up with the name, "Quilt Pox", and what does it mean?
KIMBERLY: Well, almost as soon as quilting "stuck" with me, I knew being a geekette that I would need a website. Up to this point, I had several playful for me sites. So, when I was coming up with names, many were taken. Then I remembered hearing this term "quiltpox" to describe what happens when quilters get addicted. Surely that name was already taken? But, nope, it was mine for the having. I was so thrilled. What was even more shocking was about 5 months later when I found a LQS (Local Quilt Shop) in my area named "Quilt Pox Shoppe." They have now changed their name, but it was a funny coincidence because I became friends with the owners and even helped them with their website.

TERRY: I have been to your site numerous times and I know that you definitely have the bragging rights to something unique. Will you share with our readers what that is?
KIMBERLY: My quilter's dictionary. It is the largest that I have found on the web. Eventually I would like to move this to a database and have the search function work better but it is quite extensive. I spent many months working on that and I am happy to say that I knew about 75% of them just from my own knowledge and education.

TERRY: Your site continues to grow! What else does it offer?
KIMBERLY: Well, I have quite a number of free patterns. My most popular are Hugs & Kisses (for baby quilts) and the Quick 'N Easy Wallet. Those two patterns alone get as many hits as all of the others combined. I have lost track of how many sites link to them now. I also have some tools and how-to's, including beginning dyeing session. I also host a challenge twice a year in conjunction with Quilting Passion forum, so those are on the site as well. I also have a place for readers to leave their favorite tips, and a large quilting dictionary.

TERRY: What are your future plans for Quilt Pox?
KIMBERLY: I would like to add a few more patterns that I have half-written up, and I have one major addition coming as soon as I get the code written. That will be a surprise.