Jacqueline Paton was born a long, long, long time ago with a needle in her right hand, and a spool of thread in her left. Crocheting, knitting, sewing, rug braiding, all forms of embroidery... if it was related to the Needle Arts, Jackie was into it. When it came time to pursue a career, she turned to science, and majored in Biology and Mathematics to complete a Bachelor of Science degree. Yet just after graduation, her passion for stitching prevailed. 

Expecting a daughter, Jackie made her first baby quilt, and quickly developed an obsession for quilt-making. She sewed many traditional patterns before designing her own quilts and competing in shows and "block challenges." It was one of these competitions that led her to invent a technique to stencil pictorial landscapes on fabric using freezer paper and a hot iron. She has taught her innovative "Stencilscape" process to quilters from New England to Houston, TX for the past 30+ years.

In addition to her teaching, Jackie owned and operated a quilt shop that became a destination for quilters from all over the country. She was commissioned to create custom quilt and fabric projects for Country Living Magazine. She explored metalworking, and sold tin and textile creations at Folk Art Artisan shows and museum and specialty shops. 

When Jackie partnered with Valdani Threads to create a line of glorious, hand-dyed, variegated shades of perle cotton in primitive colors, the smash success of this thread line, "Vintage Hues," caught the eye of a fabric house during Houston's Quilt Market. Jackie became a fabric designer for the next 12 years, creating whimsical, folky collections, utilizing her original Stencilscape technique. 

Today, after a 2 year hiatus, Jackie is back to create new designs for Michael Miller Fabrics. "Follow your passion wherever it leads you," she says. "It's been a wonderful, unscripted journey for me, and I'm looking forward to continued success with Michael Miller."