Just as I remember her…always happy and smiling.
I’m sure you all have fond memories of those special people and teachers in your life who have made a difference, or perhaps set you on a new path, simply through who they are and their passion for life.
I was fortunate enough to have worked with Mary Ellen Hopkins, one of the most energetic and inspirational teachers, and am saddened to hear the recent news of her passing. Although I had taken one class prior to hers, I have always considered Mary Ellen to be my first teacher as she is truly the one who set me on fire. How interesting that I mentioned her in a recent blog post while reminiscing on the many milestones in my life!
My early love of sewing, especially dressmaking, brought me to smocking and French hand sewing. When I was first introduced to this style of hand sewing, not only did I fall in love with the overall look, but I was especially taken with the beautiful Swiss batistes and French Val laces. You may recall the photo of my wedding dress which I shared in an earlier post. With less than a year to work, I jumped in feet first by taking a week-long seminar to learn as many techniques as possible in order to make my dream dress.
Front detail of my hand sewn wedding dress. Too bad neither of my daughters will want to wear it.
I remember driving straight from that seminar to another five-day event, a quilting class offered by Mary Ellen. I was a fairly newbie quilter and had the desire to begin teaching. My now co-author, Diana McClun, who owned Empty Spools Quilt Shop where I was working at the time, offered me Mary Ellen’s class in an effort to give me a jump start. I was late arriving at the seminar and had no time to change clothes. I walked into the room wearing a very prim and proper handmade dress accessorized with a freshly starched and pressed collar, also handmade from the previous seminar. Mary Ellen and I laughed about this later as I must have looked quite the novitiate straight from the convent!
Off came the dress and collar and on came the “work/play” clothes. The class of about 30 students all worked from dawn until way too late, sometimes until 2 or 3 a.m., to reach our goal of making every one of the beautiful samples Mary Ellen had shown us that day. I believe Mary Ellen never slept, as she would arrive in class each morning with a new quilt top or tops she claimed to have made the night before. We were all convinced she had little elves locked away in her hotel room!
Each day was filled with more inspiration, more wonderful stories, and more laughter than I can ever remember. We laughed out loud until our cheeks hurt. Not only was Mary Ellen a gifted and prolific quilter, but she was also an incredible stand-up comic. Each lecture was infused with some of the craziest and funny stories about her life and experiences that we had ever heard. Her timing and delivery was spot on. It was clear that she was truly in her element. It’s no wonder her popular quilt shop in Santa Monica, CA (interesting, this also just happens to be my birthplace!), was named Crazy Lady and Friends.
The It’s Okay If You Sit On My Quilt Book” by Mary Ellen Hopkins.
While teaching from her self-published book The It’s Okay If You Sit on My Quilt Book, which she referred to as an “attitude adjustment quilt book,” Mary Ellen shared many of her quick and innovative techniques for cutting, piecing, and assembling a quilt in record time.
I left the seminar exhausted yet so inspired to share my new-found passion through teaching. I will be forever grateful to this delightful woman. She has been a gift to the quilt world and will be truly missed. Her infectious laugh and great sense of humor will live on.
ps – Thank you to Kaye England for providing the following information on the Memorial Service for Mary Ellen.
In Memory of
Mary Ellen Hopkins
1932 – 2013
The honor of your presence is requested at a memorial service to celebrate and remember the life of Mary Ellen Hopkins.
3:00 to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, August 10, 2013
at the home of
Jim & Kim Wooden
1104 Franklin Street
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Our family asks that you kindly RSVP here to better help us in the planning for this special event.
Doors will open at 3:00 and the service with slide show will begin at 3:30 and last approximately 40 minutes. Food, beer, wine and soft drinks will be served. All who were friends, family, and students of Mary Ellen are welcome.
Please forward this email to anyone who might like to attend.
Mary Ellen Hopkins – mother, quilter, speaker, author, shop owner, fabric designer, skier, skater, partier, and world traveler. She was a true woman of the world and lived a full life.
Hoping you find a bit of inspiration in your day!
I attended a lecture by Mary Ellen Hopkins around the year I got married, and had just made my first quilt. I'd just joined a quilting guild, and she helped me in so many ways. Her attitude that each quilt doesn't have to be more challenging than the last, set me free to try things out for myself. She was so funny and knowledgeable, I was blown away. I have at least three of her quilting books and treasure them.