Amy Ziehm is a member of the Arlington Church of the Brethren. She love to make quilts! Scroll down to see some of her beautiful creations and to learn more about Amy’s inspirations.

What do you create? 

I love to quilt!  I enjoy the design and color aspect, as well as the precision required to fit it all together.  I also make a lot of quilt-adjacent craft items, like potholders and Christmas ornaments.

When did you first start creating? 

My mother and grandmother taught me to sew as a child, but I learned to quilt from a group of church ladies in the Fellowship Hall at ACOB!  It gave me something fun and beautiful to focus on during a difficult period in my life, and I continue to enjoy it.

Describe how your spirituality connects with your creative process? 

I feel certain that my inspiration comes from God, as well as the ability to put things together.  But it is in the calm I feel when I am quilting that I feel most spiritual.  Also, many of the smaller items I make are for our church’s Soup & Pie Bazaar, so I always have that in mind as I’m sewing.

WHY do you create?

I create because it makes me so happy!  There’s something about watching small scraps of fabric fit together in a way that makes a beautiful whole–it is so satisfying.  A quilt–like a church community–is something far greater than the sum of its parts.

How has the pandemic (if at all) affected your creative process? 

The pandemic has given me much more time to create and much more opportunity to pursue inspiration.  It has given me calm during a stressful time.