You may already know M'Liss Rae Hawley as the author of thirteen best-selling books, or as a fabric designer or world-traveled featured speaker. Along the way, she was crowned Fat-Quarter Queen for her pioneering and original work with these wonderful quarter-yard pieces of fabric. M'Liss's sewing journey began when she was four years old and her mother taught her to embroider on handkerchiefs. By age nine, M'Liss's passion had grown to such a degree that she convinced her father to fib about her age so she could take regular adult sewing classes at the local Singer dealer in Seattle, Washington. (Oh, and it was about that time that she got her first dachshund, Fritzi.) M'Liss's love for fabric and design continued to grow, and in 1983 she began her business, M'Liss's Design & Quilting World, LLC, in the living room of her home. In 1988 the family moved to Whidbey Island, Washington, and her studio was soon shared with a new dachshund, Matilda. In 2003, M'Liss came to C&T Publishing, and to date has released nine books...with more on the way. Shortly after, she began work on her nationally syndicated PBS show, M'Liss's World of Quilts, and became a spokesperson for Husqvarna Viking Sewing Machines; the company features her regularly in its worldwide advertising campaigns. In addition, M'Liss Design Fabric was launched for sale in independent quilt shops. In 2009, M'Liss began her wonderful partnership with Hancock Fabrics, producing dozens of fresh, new M'Liss Design Fabric collections every year, as well as other quilting and sewing products. M'Liss's husband, Michael, is in law enforcement and served three terms as the elected sheriff of Island County, Washington. Their son, Alexander, a staff sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, recently returned from Afghanistan. Their daughter, Adrienne, graduated from Seattle University, served a year in AmeriCorps while also serving as a volunteer firefighter, recently graduated with a master's degree from University College Dublin, in Ireland, and is currently working on her PhD. M'Liss and Michael currently share their Whidbey Island home with five dachshunds and five cats.
