Merry May

Merry May grew up in the small town of Tuckahoe, NJ, and continues to choose to live there with her husband and two spoiled dogs. She began making quilts in the early 1970s, and finally took her first quilting class in 1983 (after making her first bed sized quilt on her own!). Her instructor convinced her to take over teaching the basic quilting classes in the local adult ed program in 1988. Since then Merry has gained a reputation for excellence in teaching, and was nominated for Professional Quilter Magazine's Teacher of the Year award on two occasions (2003 & 2008). She has taught for shows, shops, guilds and private industries throughout the Atlantic coast of the US, including multiple times at the Vermont Quilt Festival and the NJ Quilt Convention.

Merry has first-hand experience in many aspects of the quilting industry, including both buying and selling at Quilt Market (a wholesale trade show held biannually); designing and writing patterns (specializing in mystery quilts under the pen name of Merry Mayhem, and formerly under Inspector Cluesew); selling retail through a local quilt shop, catalogs and online; quilt historian; appraising; mentoring others who are interested in the industry; developing lectures and workshops geared toward the hopeful professional quilter (portfolio building, writing patterns, etc.). In addition, Merry also has an extensive antique quilt collection which was the basis for her adventures in becoming a quilt historian and appraiser. She has been collecting antique quilts since 1985.

Merry's web site may be viewed at www.MerryMayhem.com