Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Krakat.
Hi Heather, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been a maker for as long as I can remember. When I was little, my mom would settle me into my high chair with magazines and a pair of scissors, and I’d happily snip away. To this day, I still find comfort in cutting and pasting.
My grandmother—Nana—taught me to knit when I was about eight. I learned the basics, but I didn’t stick with it then. Years later, as an adult, someone showed me again, and the muscle memory came right back.
In 2012, a friend asked if I could make a t‑shirt quilt using her son’s college shirts. I said yes, and that project became the beginning of my quilting career. I’ve been quilting ever since.
The foundations of my creativity—and the women who came before me—have shaped who I am today. I feel deeply that I’ve been given a gift, one I can share with others. Through the quilts I make, I’m able to tell stories of love.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My biggest obstacle is that I don’t “math” easily. A lifelong quilter once told me she’d never heard anyone use math as a verb before—but it fits me perfectly. Quilting and math go hand in hand, as does geometry, which I never took in school.
But I am stubborn. I’ll work, rework, and work a project again until I figure out exactly how all the pieces fit together. Thankfully, I’m surrounded by a wonderful community of quilters and friends who help me brainstorm through tricky projects. I also rely on a quilt‑design program for sizing and layout, and I’m grateful to have my own studio space outside my home where I can focus for a full workday.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
When I first began making t‑shirt quilts, they were mostly for high school and college graduates. Over time, I discovered another, more tender purpose: helping people hold their loved ones close after they passed away. Creating quilts from a person’s clothing offers a kind of comfort that words simply can’t. It gives my clients something tangible to hold, something they can hug as they remember happier times.
I love the creative process of taking a mixed up bag of loved shirts and turning it into something with order, continuity and connection.
Another aspect of my business is quilt repair. I enjoy the puzzle of figuring out the best way to bring a quilt back to life—whether it’s an antique that needs a bit of TLC so it can be displayed for years to come, or a well‑loved quilt that a puppy adored a little too much, or simply one that has worn down from time and use.
For a quilter, it’s a true joy to see a quilt that needs repair. It means the quilt has been loved, used, and cherished—not tucked away on a shelf, but part of someone’s everyday life.
When you work with fiber, it’s never just one medium. My business tagline is Quilts, Knits, and Creative Bits because that’s truly what I do. Yes, I quilt, knit, and crochet—but I also help clients finish projects that may be outside their comfort zone or beyond their skill level. It’s a joy to bring their pieces to completion when they can’t quite get there on their own.
What were you like growing up?
I was the child who could happily get lost in cutting and pasting, listening to records, making crafts for presents, and devouring books.
As I got older and started our family, I learned how to problem solve and how to keep going when things got tough. As a sole proprietor, that kind of persistence has become essential—I don’t have the option of stepping away just because something is difficult. I didn’t realize it at the time, but those early lessons became the backbone of my creative life.
So when I finally discovered quilting and fiber arts as an adult, it felt like coming home to a part of myself that had been waiting quietly all along. All those early sparks, all that curiosity, all that determination—they came together in a way that made sense. Quilting didn’t just give me a craft; it gave me a place where both the practical and the creative sides of me could finally meet and thrive.
Pricing:
- Each piece is custom‑made, so pricing varies based on the details of the project.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mamakaycreates.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamakaycreates/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mamakaycreates
