Fern Royce grew up surrounded by textiles and what we now call “makers.” She learned to sew when she was very young, but did not begin quilting until the mid 1990’s. She took quilting classes at her local quilting store, learning the basics including the “all cotton” rule. That rule seemed odd when she considered the quilts she grew up with, including the corduroy quilt her grandmother made for her from the scraps of the all the clothes she had made for her grandchildren. In Fern’s experience, quilts meant using what was on hand, using or reusing any type of fabric, including clothing. When you look at her quilts you will see that she often includes repurposed and unconventional textiles in her own quilts, following her own rule: if she likes it, she uses it - from wool to silk, linen, or the unknown.