Emily Taylor

Out of the Ashes

My journey into the world of textiles began as an effort to preserve my sanity when I was a young mom, home with my children all day. Don’t get me wrong, I love being a mother, but I’m a creative, ambitious person and I needed more in my life besides diapers, cooking and play-dates. I wanted to do something from home so I could still focus on my primary role as a mom. I landed upon the idea that I would like to design quilt fabric (I was a mural artist prior to having children). The only catch was that I first had to develop the skills to create digital artwork, something I never even knew was possible. I bought a computer and design software, and set about teaching myself how to use them. During that period, I would put my kids to bed each night and head to my room for hours of late-night learning. When I had developed just the basic skill set needed to submit a portfolio of design work, I was rewarded with a contract to design fabric with a manufacturer of quilt fabric.