Quilt shop offers something for every skill level

Lisa Torgramsen has been crafting fabrics since she learned how to make her own clothes at the age of 12. At the age of 24 she added quilting to her repertoire, and she continued to build her skill for 42 years.

In May, Torgramsen opened Fishwife Quilts, a shop that centers on all things quilting - from selling supplies and custom creations to teaching others everything she's learned in decades of practicing the artform.

She was inspired by her grandmother to learn quilting in the 1970s, so she looked for a book of instruction at the library.

"There were no rotary cutters or quilting rulers or fancy gadgets. There were hardly any books. There was no Google, no computers," Torgramsen said. "So, I found one book at the library ... it had been published in the '30s, and in that book it said that one of the good things about quilting is that there are no rules. Do it as you like. And then I thought, 'Well, then I can't get into any trouble doing this.'"

When she retired from being a ward clerk at Wrangell Medical Center, Torgramsen had a plan to sleep in and travel when she wanted or to do absolutely nothing. She found she couldn't be idle, and quilting was something she could do (and has done) anywhere she went, even on her late husband Paul's fishing boat - hence the name of her shop.

Over the course of her quilting career, Torgramsen has created at least 35 pieces of various sizes, and a quilt can take between four and nine months or more to complete depending on size and intricacy. She's been able to speed up that time using a long-arm quilting machine, but she still hand-sews pieces for family and friends.

She offers quilt kits that include fabric and patterns that customers can use as a template rather than starting without knowing where to start. One example hanging on the shop wall shows a pair of Xtratuf boots with flowers popping out of the top and a butterfly fluttering around.

"You don't have to put flowers coming out of your Xtratufs if you don't want to. You can do anything. You can have puppies coming out of them if you want to," she said.

The kits allow people to get into the artform without "breaking the bank."

She has a couple of finished pieces in her shop which she will put on sale at Midnight Madness at the Nolan Center on Friday. One of those was made with a bargello pattern, which uses various-sized strips of fabric and requires only straight sewing, unlike more traditional quilts which can have swirls, points and most any other sewing pattern.

After the front of the piece is sewn together, it is joined to a single back piece, with either cotton or wool batting (a soft, thin cushion of fluff) in between.

"And that's called a 'quilt sandwich' when you put the top, back and batting all together," Torgramsen said. "And then you quilt it. When you get it all done, you trim all the edges so they're nice and even, then you bind it, which is this piece of fabric that goes around the edge. And then you've just spent nine months of your life making a quilt."

For those who are just beginning or who might want a little more skill, Torgramsen will work one on one with people for free. She will be offering classes in the future as well. Fishwife Quilts is at 1 Mile Zimovia Highway and on Facebook, where she will connect with students and clients.

Torgramsen plans on expanding from her physical shop to an online marketplace, which would cause her to keep ordering new fabrics for the store. Some of those fabrics are sourced exclusively from Alaska. "When my customers come in, they'll expect to see something new every time," she said. "Even though the space is tiny, hopefully the inventory will turnover quickly so there will be new things for them to see."

Torgramsen was diagnosed with cancer a few months back. She will be gone periodically for treatment, but has purchased a portable sewing machine so that she can continue to work while she's away to continue to fulfill her orders. It's her goal to keep working and beat the disease, while focusing on her passion.

"Quality is very important to me," she said.