“When I first started quilting, I really didn’t want to do it,” Josie Valdez said. With some convincing from her sister, the New Mexico native gave it a try, encountering minor friction along the way—namely, what to do with all the quilts she was making.
After gifting a few quilts to seniors through a Christmas charity in town, Josie realized she actually enjoyed giving her work away. She began donating to cancer centers and programs for young mothers and veterans. “I really like giving [quilts] away. It’s the look on people’s faces when you say, ‘Here, you can have this.’ It’s just nice to see people happy,” Josie said.
The baby quilts in particular, she’d like to give to the recipients personally. Currently, they’re given to representatives, who in turn bring them to the hospitals where the staff distributes them to babies who will most benefit from the extra comfort. “But that’s okay. As long as the babies are warm,” Josie said.
After her quilting journey took off, Josie’s sister boosted her once more by teaching her how to use a longarm. This inspired Josie to purchase her own a few years later. It lived in Josie’s living room, until some serendipitous moves in the family made property available. Her husband, Floyd Romero, suggested they build her a quilting studio with the extra space and set to work. Now, the space Josie affectionately calls her “she shed” is home to quiet reflection, quilting, and occasional lunches throughout the week with Floyd.
“He’ll bring me lunch, and we’ll sit there and eat. Or we visit for a little bit while we rest. It’s really nice,” Josie said.
The studio is completed by a few futons and a coffee table also built by Floyd. A rescued glass lampshade that Josie calls her “crystal chandelier” hangs above the scene.
The studio is where Josie does her philanthropic quilt work, as well as her longarm orders. Members of the quilting community across Northern New Mexico will come to Josie for her services, despite her distance from more bustling places like Taos or Santa Fe.
Born and raised in Dixon, an unincorporated community located in Rio Arriba County, Josie now lives just a few minutes south with Floyd. The small seasonal pleasures of New Mexico keep her feeling at home—spring blossoms, summer fruit trees, fall vegetable stands at the markets, and snow dusting the surrounding mountains. For Josie, it’s hard to imagine home anywhere but New Mexico.
“Northern New Mexico is just so beautiful, and the people are so nice. It’s just a very comfortable place to be,” Josie said fondly.
Mel Burke is a culture writer in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she lives with her husband and dog. When she’s not writing, she loves complaining about hiking and visiting cities with historic libraries. You can find her online everywhere as @melburkewrites.
