About Me

Born and raised in Asia and the Middle East, I enjoyed a very International upbringing. My adventurous parents (Dutch father and Norwegian/Irish mother) travelled all over the world, with three kids in tow. We were able to experience so many beautiful cultures, languages, and natural landscapes, which is likely why I pursued a masters in anthropology, and eventually became Editor-in-Chief of an academic journal for Asian Studies.
Moving around as much as we did also meant we were fortunate to be inspired by various local arts and artisanal handicrafts. My mother was always in the middle of one creative project or another. If she wasn’t in the bushes fashioning another gorgeous garden feature, she was arranging flowers with her Ikebana expertise, learning calligraphy or embroidering her next Christmas present for one of us. I followed her example and, among others, went through an embroidery, dressmaking, and painting (by numbers!) phase. I even tried my hand at ‘saddle making’ for my Little Ponies :) But when I made my first quilt, that was the one thing that stuck, and it’s been my longest relationship to date!

I was in my early twenties, and I can’t remember how I chose my first pattern or what made me decide to take on a quilt project. What I do remember though, is how much focus and energy it took just to complete the quilt top (for reference, it was only a single bed size), and that eventually I was too mentally exhausted to finish the quilt sandwich and binding. Guess who completed it for me? Yep, my mom.
Luckily it didn’t scare me off trying again once I had regained my composure, and I started to fully appreciate the whole process. I became infatuated with the meticulous cutting and stitching, the freedom of colour use, exploring fabulous fabrics, the repetitiveness actions that were occasionally interrupted by the need to creatively fix mistakes. I learned to see the whole project through until each quilt was complete - no more giving up. I became aware of how every quilt taught me something, and gave me more confidence; it became increasingly easier to deal with mishaps, and I started challenging myself to try new and more complicated projects.

One of the most valuable reasons to engage in creative activities is that exploring your creativity allows you to learn about yourself and discover what you’re capable of, ultimately helping your confidence grow. It allows your mind to wander and puzzle things out, recognize patterns and establish what you do and do not like. Basically, like meditation, a good walk, or a long talk with a best friend, quilting is therapy!

I’ve always enjoyed the solitary nature of quilting, and can spend days in my own little quilty world. But I also love the buzz of quilting communities around the globe. A few years ago, I started travelling to quilt events to learn from some great teachers. Among other trips, I went to an AQS Quilt Week, to Quilt Con and to the Carrefour Patchwork Meeting in the Alsace. I signed up for multiple workshops at each meeting and discovered a whole array of new techniques and styles. I also savoured that feeling you get when sharing space and time with others with the same passion.

Another great reason to take up quilting is its proven ability to lower stress levels. When you quilt with others, you get the added benefit of making new connections and friendships. This inspired me to establish my own studio; I want to invite people into my space to share our quilty interests, and to support each other not only in our creative process, but also in our lives beyond quilting.

After nearly 30 years of quilting as a hobby I now look forward to sharing what I have discovered, and to continue to learn from other quilters. I invite anyone interested, to join the SoGrizz Community, either to start with learning the basics or to build on existing skills. I host various workshops and bees, for all levels and all ages! Everyone should feel welcome.

Grizzly and I hope to see you soon in the SoGrizz Quilting Studio!

About Grizzly

I am the Shih Tzu extraordinaire called Grizzly. Big in name, big in ego. I am always close by my human Sonja and like to oversee everything going on in the Quilting Studio. Apparently, I am quite the muse. I hope I can inspire you too! And don’t worry; I don’t shed or bark or jump up asking for attention. I am super laid back. Unfortunately, I am known to snore quite loudly at times.