The Quilting Craze

What is so addictive about making quilts? I really wish I could say. Some would say that we quilters are crazy, taking perfectly good fabric and then cutting it all up before stitching it back together again. Others look at quilting as a quaint, old-fashioned hobby and dont have much use for it. Anyone who doesnt make quilts cant understand everything that goes into it.

Then, there are those of us who do quilt. We dream of patterns and colors, collect fabrics and quilting-related knickknacks, and dream of adding a quilt to every room in our home. We happily shop for quilting supplies and patterns, look for sales or coupons for batting, and cant understand why anyone would want a store-bought comforter. We find endless discussions about needles and thread absolutely fascinating.

I began quilting for a very particular reason; I had lots of scraps from sewing my own clothing. At one point, I couldnt afford any fabric for a new project and I was bored, so I looked into making quilts as a way to use up the fabric that I had. Of course, fashion fabrics arent the best possible fabric for quilting, but it was an honest mistake!

My first quilt stitched up well and was a big hit. However, it was also a big eyesore! Blue, red, green and yellow solids; all bright. While it was perfect for the new big-boy-bed in my sons room, it truly was ugly. Doing my research, I realized that I should choose a variety of tones of fabrics (darks, mediums, and lights) and that patterned fabric can hide a multitude of mistakes.

Not to be outwitted by mere fabric, my second quilt was created with a myriad of shades of blue, purple, gold, green, and more; all patterned. This quilt almost doomed my goal of making quilts! The colors, along with natural muslin, were beautiful and rich together. However, I chose a quilt block that was much too difficult for me. Because I didnt understand the technique for stitching triangles and squares to one another, I lost a lot of my triangle points. It has been 20 years since I started this quilt. It still isnt finished.

With my third quilt, I felt like a very accomplished quilter! I created an appliqu baby quilt for a friend, complete with a bunny that had 3D floppy ears. This quilt turned out so well that I knew I would be making quilts for years to come. Unfortunately, we moved and all of my quilting supplies got buried and lost for several years.

Then, we got internet at our house. An online search for quilting patterns one morning got me hooked for life! Not only could I find hundreds of free patterns and ideas, but I also met many women, and some men, that shared the same passion for this unusual hobby of quilting! It was a glorious time!

Since then, Ive progressed in my quilting to the point of teaching and winning a few awards. Ive never gotten a first-place ribbon, but those second-place awards are just as exciting! I have such a huge stash of fabric and so many quilting supplies that I doubt Ill ever need to buy anything else.

Still, I find the idea of a new quilt so exciting! Picking out the perfect fabrics to compliment a pattern is always a challenge, no matter how proficient I become with color theory. Choosing the perfect batting and thread colors feels like painting in the style of one of the great masters. Every finished quilt feels like a blessing.

Making quilts is obviously not a quaint, old-fashioned hobby to me! I am quite addicted to the excitement of creating beauty and the passion of mastering tools and techniques! Im inspired by the opportunity to teach and awed by my students talents.

For me, quilting is love.