Mel was born in the Midwest, raised on her grandmother's quilts and watching her hand sew. Her mother taught her to sew on a sewing machine. A third-generation quilter, she has a deep love of vintage sewing machines, including her great-grandmother's. She is passionate about quilt design and history, as well as reading (especially books set in the 1940s) and live tweeting HGTV shows like Fixer Upper or Hometown with her husband from their couch at home!