Quilted by Design: Valori Wells

 

Your creative journey is deeply rooted in both family and fabric—how has growing up surrounded by the Stitchin’ Post shaped the artist and entrepreneur you are today?

I truly am the artist I am because of my mom. She always encouraged my creative curiosity - even as a child when I made a mess. Her work and the people in the shop softly, shaped my creativity, even without knowing their lasting impact. Art and creativity have been woven into my exsistance. I knew at a very young age that I wanted to be an artist and that was my deepest desire, over the years I have embraced my art as my opportunity to connect and speak my heart and soul.

 

Your fabric designs are known for their soulfulness and bold individuality—especially your hand-carved block printing. What draws you to this medium, and how does it influence the energy of your work?

Ahhhh, I love block printing for so many reasons. Lately, I’ve been reflecting on why I’m so drawn to layers—why that process, more than any other, lights me up and lets me speak my soul. My style of block printing is all about layering. It begins with a spark of inspiration, which takes shape through the pencil. The lines are just lines until they meet the block—then the true design reveals itself, shaped as much by what is carved away as by what remains.

I have five large flat files full of hand-carved blocks—my personal library. When I’m ready to print, I sift through hundreds of designs to see who wants to help tell the story. The fabric becomes the first printed layer. I choose colors by instinct, and that gut feeling rarely leads me wrong. Each layer is printed in a state of flow—no overthinking, just presence and feeling. As the colors and shapes begin to dance, joy settles in, and I can feel the deeper story emerging.

My blocks are full of symbolism. The colors I use carry meaning. The stories unfold not through words, but through emotion and energy. You don’t need to know the specifics of my story to feel it—you can simply feel the rhythm, the pulse, the invisible melody of life woven into the prints. That’s the magic of block printing—it connects us through feeling, not explanation.

 

From photography to quilting, painting to pattern design—you’re a true multi-disciplinary artist. How do these art forms intersect in your creative life?

I do love a variety of mediums. They all are part of my thread of creativity, constantly influencing each other. I can’t give you a direct route to what influences what, it's like a woven rug where the colors and design look random but they all play off each other and create something beautiful.

 

With decades of designing fabric that’s loved around the world, what advice would you give to emerging artists who want to find their own unique voice in the textile industry?

Go inward and find your voice, let it ebb and flow, grow and expand. Life is always changing as is our creativity and artistic voice. Once we embrace the beauty of this we truly find our style in the outside world.

 

If your artistic style had a personality, how would you describe it in just a few words?

Soulful. Layered. Wild-hearted. Intuitive. Rooted in story.