The 2023 Quilt EXPO’s Featured Quilter, Marsha Blom, displayed two of her pieces at the 2023 Faribault County Fair.

Marsha Blom’s first-ever foray into the 4-H Program sparked a lifelong passion for exploration – in the world of textiles, that is.

Years later, the Bricelyn resident is still working in textiles, and she has earned special recognition for her craft at the 39th annual Quilt EXPO.

Blom initially learned to sew from her mother, who was an exceptional seamstress.

“My mom did a lot of sewing,” Blom recalls. “She made most of our garments as we grew up.” 

However, Blom expanded her experience with textiles when she entered her first 4-H project – an apron – in the fair. She was nine years old at the time.

Blom grew up in a sewing-oriented household, and she also grew up in a 4-H-oriented community.

“I was in the Brush Creek Live Wires,” Blom says, with a chuckle. “We had a community where we had a lot of 4-H families.” 

Blom’s mother taught her to sew, but it was 4-H which led Blom to quilting.

“Probably the very first quilt I made was a 4-H project,” Blom says. Her entry was a pinwheel block quilt, pieced together with blue and red bandanas.

After that initial project, Blom’s passion for quilting blossomed into her chief hobby. Her dedication has paid off with the title of 2023 Featured Quilter at Blue Earth’s annual Quilt EXPO.

The EXPO names a Featured Quilter every year, and invites the talented local to select their favorite quilting projects to exhibit in a special display at the event.

This year, Blom’s work will join that of other area textile artists at the EXPO on Aug. 11 through Aug. 13, at Blue Earth Area High School.

Blom says she was taken aback, to say the least, when she learned she had been selected for the honor last spring.

“My original reaction was surprise,” she laughs. “I don’t make quilts that are very difficult.” 

Nonetheless, Blom clearly has an eye for a pattern and she is always eager to exchange new quilting techniques.

Blom joined the Blue Earth Valley Quilters (BEVQ) about a decade ago, and she says her favorite part about being a BEVQ member is having the opportunity to share tips and tricks with other area textile artists.

“It’s a place to meet people with similar interests and try out new ideas,” she explains.

Blom also likes to try her hand at the Quilt EXPO’s annual challenge fabric packets, and participate in block swapping events with BEVQ members.

“It’s always fun to see what people come up with, using the blocks in different ways,” Blom says.

Sometimes, she seeks out inspiration from sources which are less local, too.

Blom credits quilt pattern guru Gudrun Erla as the designer of several of her favorite patterns. In fact, three of the roughly 30 pieces Blom will display at the EXPO were made with the help of Erla’s patterns.

One of Blom’s most-prized quilts – pieced using a Gudrun Erla pattern – is modeled after the lupine flower. Blom was inspired to give the pattern a try after spotting some of the flowers on the northern shore.

Blom’s collection of self-crafted quilts is likely to grow in the future. She currently has several projects on the back burner.

“I think most quilters have some unfinished projects,” she observes.

Her yet-to-be-finished projects include a banner she is making for her church, a challenging and modern pattern set on point, and a collection of seasonal table runners for her family members.

Blom has followed in her mother’s footsteps and shared her love of textiles with the younger generations of her family – both by gifting pieces she has made, and by gifting knowledge.

Blom and her husband have three grown children and five grandchildren, and lately Blom has been passing along some of her textile-related wisdom to her grandkids

“I’ve been teaching my grandchildren a little about sewing, and a couple have made their own quilts with me,” she says.

Blom may be a teacher, but she is also eager to remain a student in the textile world.

“There are a lot of techniques I haven’t tried yet,” Blom says. “And there are so many great patterns and fabrics out there. It’s something to explore.”