Wednesday, July 18, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 9
Computers and quilting are a perfect match for prolific artist
By Jodi Schneider McNamee
Correspondent
When Mike Denton, fea-
tured quilter in the 2018
machine quilter showcase,
retired in 2009 he decided to
make up a list of activities he
wanted to do to keep busy.
“There’s about, oh, 60
things listed — golf, hik-
ing, boating, painting, read-
ing, camping — they go on
forever.”
And one just happened to
be fabric arts. And his wife,
Sue, a longtime quilter, had
purchased a long-arm quilting
machine in 2006.
“The machine kind of
became a coat rack for a
while because it intimidated
her, and she’s not very tech-
nical,” Denton said. “Neither
of us knew how to use it, but
one of us was going to do it.
So, I began quilting my own
quilts.”
His very first experience
with sewing was on his moth-
er’s treadle machine when
he was in high school. And
then again in the Navy when
he bought a sewing machine
to stitch his patches onto his
uniform.
In 2009 Denton took his
first quilting class at Stitchin’
Post. And he was hooked.
He fired up the long-arm
machine and went to work
on his initial quilts, made for
charitable causes.
“When I was first learning
to quilt, I practiced on quilts
from the Mormon church that
were provided to me by Laura
Simmons in Sisters,” Denton
said. “Then, the Quilts-for-
Kids were provided by Linda
Griepentrog in Bend. I have
quilted several quilts for
the Presbyterian Church in
Redmond, and about 40 quilts
for chemo cancer patients in
Bend and Redmond.”
After practicing by tracing
pantograph designs onto char-
ity quilts, he quilted his first
quilt, and then his second. His
first was 8-1/2 feet by 8-1/2
feet, with 36 blocks!
Denton likes to think of
himself as a computer whiz,
so in 2011, he upgraded to
a computerized long-arm
machine.
“I got my first computer
in 1981. I love computers
and I love the long-arm, and,
poof, it was a match made in
heaven,” he said.
Denton has been keeping
count of his quilts since 2011.
“I had to start keeping
records, because you have to
pay taxes on your income,” he
said.
By the end of June, he
was up to 850 quilts. And 200
went to charities and family.
Denton finds joy in trou-
bleshooting and repair, espe-
cially with quilts.
“I work on a wide vari-
ety of quilts,” he said. “I get
charity quilts, first-quilts from
new quilters, well-pieced
quilts from experienced quil-
ters, and not-so well-pieced
quilts from a variety of quil-
ters, including some who
think they are experienced
quilters.”
All the quilting Denton
does on any quilt is the result
of a computer-guided design
that guides the machine while
it’s stitching.
“I like solving the chal-
lenges that arise when trying
to complete my main goals
of making the quilt square
and flat, and I like designing
and digitizing new quilting
designs,” Denton explained.
“I take almost everything that
comes through the door. I’ve
only rejected two quilts.”
“Each year when quilts are
registered, the person putting
the quilt in the show indicates
who quilted the quilt; we are
never surprised by the quan-
tity of quilts that have Mike
Denton listed as the quilter,”
said Jeanette Pilak, executive
PHOTO BY JODI SCHNEIDER MCNAMEE
Mike Denton has made hundreds of quilts since getting started in 2009.
director of Sisters Outdoor
Quilt Show (SOQS). “Mike
has been a volunteer for the
Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show
and Quilter’s Affair for at
least a decade.
“He sets up tents, tables,
and our volunteer check-in
station and information booth
early on the morning of quilt
show day. All during Quilt
Week (July 9-13) he volun-
teers close to eight hours a
day at Quilter’s Affair — the
classes and workshops out at
Sisters High School which are
produced by Stitchin’ Post.
Basically, we couldn’t pro-
duce Quilt Show Day without
Mike’s efforts,” she added.
Mike prefers the tradi-
tional style of quilting with
symmetrical designs where
the points match.
“I have about 2,000 digi-
tized designs, so I can provide
a variety of nature designs or
shapes for the customer to
choose from.”
Denton’s favorite quilt
is a kaleidoscope quilt that
he completed in a class at
Stitchin’ Post, taught by Judy
Johnson in 2012.
Denton noted, “It’s my
favorite because I thought I
did a really great job on my
third quilt.”
