Anne Lehmann Gould

I grew up under a quilt frame. When I was little, my job was to measure and cut thread exactly 22" long, thread these lengths into sharps needles and put them up on the edge of the quilt frame. My grandfather cut me a 22" ruler so that I could do it right.

I grew up on a ranch. I had one sister and there were six adults in the family. I was the first grandchild, born on my paternal grandmother's birthday. With a start like that you think you are special.

I did not begin to make quilts until 1960 when I was pregnant with my second child. I've since made about 80 quilts. I have been reluctant to send my work to competitions because I'm not an accomplished photographer. But this year I chose four quilt shows to enter and was accepted to three of them.

Most of the quilts I make are for family weddings, birthdays, graduations and newborns. They are machine pieced and machine quilted to stand up to the laundry. I often run right up to the deadline. I am a "grasshopper." I think quilters who are "ants" plan better.

My biggest hope is to keep my excellent health for another 30 years.