Cathy and Sue are sisters who live 20 minutes from one another and share a love of quilts and of designing their own patterns and quilts. Both of them take advantage of the opportunities to attend classes and workshops in their local area as well as national conventions. In 2005, at the request of their local guild, the Olathe Quilters Guild, they presented a trunk show and thus Sisterspeak was begun. For entertaining talks and inspiring workshops, they are the go-to sisters.

Cathy Audley  and   Sue Chaffee

Sue Chaffee

Sue has been quilting since 1989. Since retiring from teaching elementary school, she has devoted her time to quilting and family. She has taught at guilds and quilt shops in Kansas and Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Texas and Arizona. She has been a teacher at Nebraska State Quilters Guild convention several years. Sue is a member of the Nebraska State Quilters Guild, the American Quilt Society, and the Olathe Quilters Guild, where she has served as newsletter editor and as president. Also belonging to the Heartland Guild, a guild comprising professional and guilds in the area, she is a member of the board.
 

Road to California

Weddingflower

With a B.A from Avila University in elementary education, she has not had formal training in art. Nonetheless, she is a quilt artist. Sue is forever learning new techniques and trying out new ideas and passing on that knowledge to others. Her favorite methods right now are printing on fabric , dyeing, screen printing, and using wax batik.

Grandma to 12 , and mom to 6, she finds her days filled to the brim. She and her husband, David, live in Overland Park, KS.

If asked my favorite part, it would have to be the transformation of fabric. I love to print and paint on fabric and to dye it and to make my own batiks. And since last year, I find that I love to do screen printing. Of course there is also my first love, the ever-fascinating thread work in the form of bobbin work, thread-painting and machine quilting.

Dreamflower
 

First Lady Iris

I am retired and quilting has found it way to the heart of my days. I don’t
have a quilt studio in my home so much as I actually have a quilt house
because it extends to every room and surface. I belong to several guilds (Olathe Quilters’ Guild, Nebraska State Quilt Guild, American Quilt Society, Kaw Valley Quilt Guild and the Kansas Quilt Organization) and have a small stitch group that meets in my home twice a month. To share what I have learned, my sister and I do quilt presentations and workshops. I’m glad that in this life I get to be a quilter.