80 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM children, as one key factor to her success. “I came home from work one night and the dishes were done and the laundry was folded,” she smiles. Dana knew with his support, she could make a go at her business. Coastside Quilt Studio offers a fabric shop, long arm quilting services and nearly a dozen classes from beginning sewing to quilt pattern-making. The long arm is a computerized quilting machine that stretches 12 feet, which Dana can program to sew intricate designs from swirly curlicues to zippy zigzags. Thanks to this technology, wrestling fabric into place on a Singer sewing machine is a thing of the past. One of the studio’s most unique offerings is a free community sewing day held once a month. The event not only serves to bring quilters together, but also provides a way for the community to give back. With donated fabric, quilters of all levels come together and enjoy camaraderie and music, while sewing baby quilts for low-income mothers of newborns at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. “We spend the day doing something we love, while helping those less fortunate,” Dana shares. “I am energized by bringing a sense of community around quilting.” Dana’s soft spot for sewing was fostered by her mother and grandmother, who both knew the ins and outs of needlework. Her lessons on how to use a sewing machine, read a pattern and construct clothing came with the territory. “It comes very naturally for me,” she confesses. “I can look at a pattern and I don’t really need the instructions.” As a young mother, Dana decided to pursue sewing on her own and signed up for a Joann Fabric and Craft sewing class. “I showed up to the second class and had done some piecing at home,” she remembers. “The instructor looked at me and said I had a talent for this. I was just hooked.” Dana had always gravitated toward art and had taken graphic design classes at the College of San Mateo, but it was sewing that captivated her and eventually transformed from a hobby to a passion to a business. She’s even published some of her own quilting patterns. QUILT CLOSE-UPS COURTESY OF: COASTSIDE QUILT STUDIO
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