Jo Troutner
Quilt Maker / Pattern Designer / Founder of Good Witch Quilts
Austin, TX
goodwitchquilts.com
instagram @goodwitchquilts
Q What do you do?
“I make quilts, which means that I select different fabrics, put them together in a pattern, then sew them together with a backing fabric and batting inside.”
This makes a quilt, which is a multi-layered textile. Quilts are often used as bedcovers and blankets, but they can also be displayed as works of art or used to make quilted robes, jackets, bags and many other items.
In addition to making quilts, I also design quilt patterns and run my business Good Witch Quilts.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
Growing up, I never had a grandmother to show me how to quilt and was often jealous of my friends who learned to sew from generations past. So I taught myself how to quilt as a freshman in college, and made a twin sized quilt for my dorm room bed. Ever since then, I have been making and remaking quilts for myself, friends and family. I have even taught my mother how to quilt, reversing the traditional generational legacy in my own family.
Although I have been making quilts for the past decade, I started my quilting business, Good Witch Quilts, in 2020 when the pandemic pushed me to pursue my craft. Since then, I have completed dozens of commissions for all different kinds of quilted projects as well as have sold pre-made quilts and quilted items on my website and at makers markets.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I take a very spiritual approach when making each custom project. Quilts are very emotional items: we sometimes inherit them from family, they provide us with comfort and they help us rest. They also can be the centerpiece of the bedroom. Because of how emotionally charged quilts can be, I try to understand my clients to make items that are deeply aligned with them and their needs.
Many of my clients want memorial quilts, where they supply clothing or other fabric for the quilt to commemorate a loved one. I love making these quilts because of the meaning behind them.
I don't have a standard quilt that I make; each one is different and created with people in mind. The reason that I make quilts is so people can have more treasures and less stuff.
Q What are you working on right now?
I am making an appliqué quilt that is the tree of life with leaves and roots in greens, oranges and dusty purples. Appliqué requires many steps and usually involves a lot of small pieces, but it provides endless creativity. If you don't know what appliqué is, think paper collage but with cut out pieces of fabric and stitches as glue.
Also, I just completed a successful Kickstarter campaign for a program that I am creating called the Memorial Quilt Donation Program, where I will work with community partners to donate three memorial quilts to grieving families this year. Now, I am working on the cool rewards that I offered in the Kickstarter (lots of mini quilts!) You can find information about that program here: kickstarter.com/projects
Q What’s your style?
Each quilt is so different and made for specific people with specific materials in specific situations. But if I had to describe my style, it would be very detailed with bold, intuitive color palettes and organic patterns and motifs.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I love educating people about quilt making, color choice and pattern design. So it would be great if I could create a quilt making curriculum and teach some classes, or make a series of tutorials and perhaps a booklet and quilt kit to go with it.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Marketing has been hard for me. I'm not particularly interested in learning about SEO or social media trends, and when I try to get into it, I burn out really quickly. I keep asking my dog to help me with my marketing, but apparently she isn't up for the challenge either.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
I would hire someone for $20/hour to do all the work that takes me away from actually quilting. Running a business takes a lot of work, and making a quilt takes a TON of work, so it would be awesome to have a person who could reply to emails, update my website, post on social media and go run and get supplies for me.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
If I could give myself some advice, I would go back to when I was first dreaming up my quilting business and tell myself to think more in terms of the long game as opposed to immediate goals. Establishing and then flourishing as a creative business takes a lot of time and there is a lot of trial and error. When you are in the start-up phase, the idea drives everything you do because you are so excited about it. But I have spent a lot of time banging my head against the metaphorical wall wondering why it wasn't working the way I had anticipated.
I would tell myself to be more compassionate to myself in those moments and try to zoom out of the individual moments to see how I was, in fact, making incremental progress.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
If I had the opportunity to go to a folk school to learn about the quilt craft in its most traditional form, I would love to pick their brains about how people learned to quilt before the internet and how they passed on that knowledge to others.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
If it is quilted, I'm interested. The thing that I love most is working with people to create something super meaningful to them.
Some opportunities that I invite are custom quilts, memorial quilts, wall quilts and quilted clothing (like quilted vests, coats and robes). I love reusing / recycling fabric, so I would love to transform old quilts into new ones or use vintage fabrics in a quilt. I also love teaching quilt making, and would love the opportunity to create quilt kits and teach small groups.
One opportunity that would make me extra giddy would be a project to design and create quilts for a boutique hotel. Maybe they have themed rooms that would benefit from a themed quilt in each or they have an overall motif that they want repeated for each room. That would be so fun!
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
My favorite jobs are ones where the quilt will represent something really important to the client. I'm not interested in making stuff, I am interested in making meaning. Historically, quilts were infused with messages and stories, and passed down from generation to generation. I make my quilts to last generations and my ideal client is interested in creating pieces that help tell the story of their legacy.
I had a client who told me that she was making this quilt for her bedroom (with teal and gold to match her walls and art) but she was also making it for her children to have when she is no longer around. I love that sentiment!
Q What is your rate?
Every quilting project is different, but here are some examples of the prices that I charge for my quilts. All of these prices include design consultation, materials costs, labor and shipping.
A wall quilt (18"x24") starts at $175.
A baby quilt (30"x40") starts at $350.
A throw size quilt (50"x65") starts at $600.
A queen size (90"x100") starts at $925.
There are many other sizes that I offer (like basically, any size you want). I base my prices on the estimated hours of labor and the estimated materials costs for each project.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
I have a form on my website that you can fill out to start a project: goodwitchquilts.com/booking
I also offer a free 30 minute Zoom consultation to get to know you a little bit and discuss your project further.
You can also email me at jo@goodwitchquilts.com.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
My friend Grace Robinson is an amazing illustrator who accepts commissions. Her portraits are really detailed and thought provoking. She is located in NYC. Her website is gracerobinsonillustration.com and her instagram is @grack7.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
I look at trees and feel grateful.
This member profile was originally published in March 2023