Say hello to the talented Janet Yamamoto from Hamilton, Missouri! Janet has been an Island Batik Ambassador for three and a half years, and we have enjoyed seeing all the beautiful quilts and home decor items she has created with our fabric and products from our generous industry partners, Aurifil, AccuQuilt, Hobbs and Schmetz Needles.

Janet learned to quilt when she was 12 years old and has since then raised a large family who all have quilts! She has loved learning new techniques and perfecting her skills for over 50 years and has a studio in Hamilton, MO, right around the corner from Missouri Star Quilt Co with an endless supply of fabric at her disposal. Janet makes quilts for customers, offers quilting services on her Innova long arm and sells finished quilts as well.

Passages quilt, made for the 2019 December Island Batik Ambassador 3D Challenge. Janet used Island Batik fabric, pattern from The Guilty Quilter, Aurifil thread and batting by Hobbs. To learn more about the quilt, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/WhispersOfYore/posts/1908684815941563

As far as style goes, Janet loves traditional with a twist, although she has lately moved out into more Modern quilting: “There is a freedom with modern quilting that you don’t get with traditional quilts”.

Quilt, made for the 2019 April Island Batik Ambassador challenge, Ready. Set. GO! Janet used Island Batik fabric, AccuQuilt cutter, Hobbs batting and Aurifil thread. To read more about the quilt, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/WhispersOfYore/posts/1673859689424078.

We love Janet’s color choices! When we asked her about her process of selecting colors for her projects, she smiled: “If I think they look good together, they go in the quilt! I don’t usually quilt by color though. I’m a scrappy quilter”.

Table Topper, made for the 2020 April Island Batik Ambassador challenge, Creative Borders and Binding. Janet used Island Batik fabric and Aurifil thread. To learn more about the quilt, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/WhispersOfYore/posts/2035280146615362

While many quilters have a go-to technique, Janet usually tries something once and if it works well it sticks and if not it goes away! After that, it’s hard for her to know if it’s a “technique” or just the way she does things!

Quilt, made for the 2020 March Island Batik Ambassador challenge, One Die Wonder. Janet used Island Batik fabric, AccuQuilt cutter and dies, Aurifil thread, a needle by Schmetz Needles and batting by Hobbs. For more information on the quilt, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/WhispersOfYore/posts/2010701065739937.

Make sure to follow Janet on Facebook for great quilting ideas and inspiration:

Facebook: Whispers of Yore

2020 Island Batik Ambassadors: https://islandbatik.com/2020-ambassadors