I am Nancy Austin Swanwick, mother, Grammie, former high school teacher, and present quilter/teacher/show off.  I grew up surrounded by fabric, in Kirk Austin’s Fabrics in Parsons, Kansas, our family store. I had two sisters, so between us and Mother, there were always two, sometimes three sewing machines set up in the “dining” room, along with an ironing board and various other sewing related items.  Mother and I were enthusiastic about the sewers. My older sister was very frugal, so her main objective was to have clothes without spending money. My younger sister was square shaped, so she sewed to have clothes that fit.  I was the middle daughter, and the one who sewed enthusiastically to see designs and colors transform into wearable art. I have yet to outgrow that feeling, creating a good share of my tops from quilt shop fabric.  And I generally combine several fabrics when they are available, which is also a lifelong joy.  I started to hand quilt when I was 17 as a shop in Parsons carried cross stitch quilts. I made one for my hope chest, and one for each of my siblings, and for my mother. This was in 1967 and I didn’t know anyone who did patchwork, but I did know a lady in town who hand quilted in a frame in her front room. My first, for myself, I had Mrs. Devine quilt. But it cost $17, and I thought since I liked cross stitching so well, I would like to hand quilt. I bought a quilt hoop at June’s shop, then figured out how to quilt. It took me about five years to get the one for my mother finished as I had things like a college education, and a wedding to fill my time, but I did get hers finished before I started my first year of teaching Home Economics at Field Kindley High School in 1972.  In 1980, a lady in Fort Scott was teaching quilt as you go piecing and quilting for a shop in downtown Fort Scott, Country Cupboard. A large group of my friends took the class. I absolutely loved every minute of my time spent, except joining the back when all the blocks were done. The quilter, Hattie Leonard, talked to me after the class and asked me to take her place.  She said she was a quilter, but not a teacher, and she said she’d consider it a favor if I’d take over.  So that’s how I became a quilt teacher.  I have never looked back.  I have made a whole bunch of quilts in the last almost fifty years, and I keep getting excited about how I can do the next one. I’ve taught classes in five states and to more quilters than I could ever imagine.  Nearly all turned out to be friends of mine. The enthusiasm has never dwindled, and in the five years since my dear sidekick passed away, my love of designing, creating, and quilting has kept most of the blues away.  I can’t imagine what people do if they don’t have a burning passion for something.  I’m glad I found out earlier that I’m a quilter, and I can’t do anything about it.