Hello from the beautiful Pacific Northwest!

I am a military wife, married to James, with 3 grown children and 8 grand kids.  I live in Longview, Washington. That is about 2 hours south of Seattle and 1 hour north of Portland, Oregon.

I have always had a passion for crafting of any kind, but never thought of myself as a quilter, my sewing machine had never left my closet except to sew scrapbooking paper. With some nudging from a friend and after winning some extra play money at bingo I enrolled in my first quilting class. That led to working in the quilt shop 6 months later.

After trying traditional paper piecing a few times, I had my “AHA” moment when I found Judy Niemeyer’s quilts. I instantly fell in love with the step by step directions, well laid out diagrams, and the gorgeous results every time.

I love teaching, especially beginners. It is so wonderful to see the pride in a student’s face when they have completed their project. Fire Island Hosta, Vintage Compass, Prismatic Star and Cactus Flower Table Runner are my most popular classes. Please feel free to contact me anytime to book some classes or retreats!

Melanie Castle cell: 360.608.4982 email: redpoppyquilts@gmail.com