Brown gets down to business as Editor-in-Chief from her home office in Castle Pines

(photo by Trish Eberlein)

By Kathy Dunker with photos courtesy of Chris Brown

Chris Brown, resident of Esperanza, loves to quilt. Depending on the intricacy, completing a quilt can take her anywhere from two months to a year. Brown has made many award winning quilts over the years, but her quilting pursuits don’t stop there. Brown is also the Editor-in-Chief of American Quilter magazine.

Brown started working full time from her home in 2004, while living in Keene Ranch . She continued doing so after moving to Castle Pines in 2006 where she lives with her husband, Tom. The Browns’ two children, David and Leslie, are grown and out on their own.

Brown made her first quilt in 1975 after years of sewing garments and as Brown says, “I never looked back! At that age, though, I was sort of a ‘closet’ quilter. There weren’t many young people making quilts back in the ’70’s.”

Brown was designated a certified quilt judge by the National Quilting Association in 1997. There are only about 72 active certified judges in the country, so she is often invited to judge regional and national quilt competitions. Brown only finds time to squeeze in about three or four of these venues each year, in addition to traveling to four quilt shows sponsored by her company.

American Quilter, published by the American Quilter’s Society (AQS) in Paducah, Kentucky, is sold at fabric, craft, book, and grocery stores, including the King Soopers in Castle Pines. In December of last year, Brown’s publisher chose one of Brown’s quilts for the cover of the upcoming March 2012 issue of American Quilter. Brown says, “I have won numerous awards for my quilts, but this is the biggest thrill I’ve had in a long while!”

Brown has numerous responsibilities as editor. She selects articles and patterns for publication, edits them, coordinates photography, writes the editor’s letter, as well as new book and product reviews. This comes hand in hand with other responsibilities such as conference calls via Skype and spending endless hours on her computer. Brown separates her work from the distractions that can accompany working from home and never shows up to her home office in pajamas.

Brown summed up, “In my seven years as editor, I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with some of the most talented quilters and textile artists in the world. Many people don’t realize that quilting is a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States alone. And the industry is filled with people who are not only wonderful artists and successful business people, but also friendly, fun, and generous in sharing their talents.”

Pictured with her husband Tom, Brown has been known to take some time out for fun over the years, which has included many rides on their Kawasaki motorcycles with matching custom paint jobs.