In 1992, Kris Cook was walking past a Morgan Hill quilt shop, when something in the window caught her eye. According to Kris, that was the beginning of her quilting journey. She had always loved the scrappy quilt made by her maternal grandmother, which covered her parents’ bed and featured a fabric with the likeness of the original Mickey Mouse. Even though they never met, Kris says that she felt a connection to her grandmother through that quilt.

Kris began with Eleanor Burns’ Trip Around the World Quilt and has gone on to develop her skills to award winning level. After winning Best of Show awards at the Pine Tree Quilt Guild shows in 2018 and 2022, for Two Birds and Sweet Dreams, Kris entered her quilts in the California State Fair, winning three First Place ribbons. In 2018 a First Place ribbon went to Two Birds. In 2022, another entry, Summer Breeze (shown at left ) won a First Place ribbon at the State Fair. In the same year, her Sweet Dreams quilt ( shown below) was awarded not only First Place, but Best of Division, Juror’s Choice, and the Jurors Award.

When asked what inspires her, Kris shared that she loves the colors, fabrics, patterns, and the sharing of ideas with friends. Her favorite style is scrappy, using contemporary fabrics, a change from the more traditional ones she has used in the past. She is especially fond of hand appliqué, using a template/ spray starch method. Next on Kris’ bucket list is working on some modern quilts and improving her long-arm machine quilting skills.