Who is Laura Nownes?

Laura Nownes has a passion for making quilts and is an extension of her love of sewing.

She began at an early age, sewing doll clothes and then making her own garments and often working on projects for neighbors. Her early involvement in 4-H provided her first teaching experience to younger members.

While taking a road trip with her family across the country, a stop at a popular handicraft shop along the way inspired her to take her first quilting class - she knew she had found a lifelong interest. Shortly after the class ended, she learned of a new quilt shop opening near her home. Little did she know that walking through the doors of that quilt shop and meeting the owner, Diana McClun, would open so many doors in her quiltmaking career.

Laura's friendship with Diana, who's also the founder of the popular Empty Spools Seminars at Asilomar, allowed her take many classes and share her talents with other students. Laura soon became one of the shop’s leading teachers of quilting for beginners.

In 1986 while Laura was enjoying new motherhood with her first daughter, Diana approached her about co-authoring a how-to book for beginning quilters to use in the shop's classes. The book was then published by Michael Kile of The Quilt Digest Press and shortly thereafter, the first edition of Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!! was born.

The immediate success of this book encouraged Diana and Laura to keep writing together, which led to 7 best-selling books and a highly reputable text for beginning and intermediate quiltmaking. They continued working together for many years on TV and with study groups and seminars. They've given thousands of students across the country a start in the basics of quiltmaking.

Laura is also the co-author of the best-selling quilt pattern company, From Me to You, featuring over 60 original designs presented in a booklet format with easy-to-follow instructions and color diagrams.