Inspired by her work with antique and vintage textiles, Tricia Lynn Maloney decided to make her first quilt in 1996. Although the quilt turned out to be less than perfect, she was hooked. In the next ten years, Tricia worked in a quilt shop, began designing her own quilts and writing the instructions, taught quilt classes, as well as teaching herself to do free-motion quilting. 

She is graduate of Allegheny College with a Bachelor’s degree in history and a Master’s degree in Elementary Education/Early Childhood Education from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Tricia spent more than 10 years working in the early childhood education field and now works as a librarian. That is – when she’s not quilting.

In 2006, Tricia purchased an extensive collection of antique and vintage orphaned quilt blocks, tops, and fabrics from a local garage sale. After cataloging and researching her new purchases, the idea of making new quilts using old blocks and new reproduction fabrics was born. Her first orphan quilt, a small doll quilt with 1930’s four patch blocks, led to another and then another. She was hooked!

In 2007, Tricia met a new local craft author and they began chatting about books and publishing. The author liked her idea and offered to talk to her editor. The editor then called Tricia and Tricia’s childhood dream of being a writer came true. Her first book, Orphan Block Quilts:  Making a Home for Antique, Vintage, Collectible, and Leftover Quilt Blocks was published in September 2010.

Tricia continues writing and designing and her work has been featured in McCall’s Quilting, Quiltmaker magazine, and Quilter’s World. She will have two quilts included in a new book by House of White Birches, which will debut in August 2012. She is also a fabric designer for Northcott Fabrics, with her first collection launching early 2012.