On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about modern quilting with my guest, Porfiria Gomez.
Porfiria is a sewing enthusiast, self-proclaimed designer, and blogger. A native New Yorker, Porfiria learned to sew from her mother and how is a modern quilter, teacher, and author. Porfiria is also incredible at collaborations and has worked together with other quilt designers, craft industry brands, and fashion brands. Brought up in the Bronx, Porfiria is currently working on a book that celebrates her Hispanic heritage through quilting and cooking.
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We begin this interview with Porfiria talking about learning to sew from her mother and grandmother. Porfiria says her mother’s creativity and artistic eye were a big influence on her. Although she enjoyed art in high school, she studied business in college. It was the birth of her first son that made Porfiria return to quilting as a way to make him something that would be infused with love. Porfiria was also a dancer and wanted to become a Rockette. She auditioned only to learn that she was too tall to qualify.
Porfiria didn’t use patterns to make her quilts. Instead, she did what her family did when she was growing up, just finding beautiful fabrics and sewing them together in a pleasing way. It was actually a friend who pointed out to her that she had become a quilt artist and designer. She began blogging in 2004, mostly about her life and creativity as a mom.
Watching Angela Walters on The Midnight Quilt Show inspired her to continue to quilt as a stay-at-home mom expressing herself creatively in the evenings after the kids were in bed, and taught her new techniques to incorporate into her own designs.
In addition, Porfiria has collaborated with many different brands both within the quilting industry and as well as in the fashion world like Gigi Pip hats. We talk about the Instagram tip she uses to invite new collaborators and the ways in which these projects have helped her to build her business. We also talk about Color of Connection, a non-profit she founded with two other modern quilt designers to work towards creating a more diverse community within modern quilting. Porfiria talks about her vision for the future of this organization.
Porfiria is in the final stages of writing a book that incorporates a celebration of her heritage with both food and quilting. Look for her book in the fall of 2023.
And, of course, I ask Porfiria to recommend great stuff she’s enjoying right now. Porfiria recommends:
- quilting tools from Modern American Vintage
- eating popcorn with Tabasco
- Mimi G’s new iron with Oliso
Keep up with Porfiria on her website and on Instagram.