Images Recreation: My 2010 Quilts and The Story of How I Started Quilting

Saturday, January 1, 2011

My 2010 Quilts and The Story of How I Started Quilting

What a fabulous quilty year 2010 was. But before I show all my 2010 quilts, I thought I should briefly tell the story of how I started quilting. Here goes ...

Spring, 2009. I am at a yard sale. It is the estate sale of a quilter. There is fabric everywhere. I am looking at the fabric and a lady asks me "Are you a quilter?" I say something along the lines of no, but that I really like to look at all the bright fabric. She says well go ahead and fill a box for $5.00. She brings me a box. I fill it.

This is about a month before my daughter's second birthday. I decide to make a quilt for her. I am kind of an artsy sort (although a totally-untrained-just-for-fun-artsy-sort) and I had painted a colourful series of paintings for each of my children's rooms. I figure that a quilt will be a nice compliment to the deco. And I have a sewing machine packed away in a closet that was a gift from my mother-in-law. I can try a quilt. Why not? I mean I took Home Ec back in Grade 9 a few eons ago.

Please don't laugh too much at this next part. I cut a square out of cardboard, probably about 3 inches in size -- of course I don't measure. I trace this square onto the back of the fabric in pen over and over, and cut each square out individually with fingernail scissors. My fingers and thumb hurt. I think of abandoning the idea, but the possibility of a birthday gift is a powerful motivator. I get out the sewing machine. I make nine-patches. There is a lot of frustration. I eventually complete the quilt and even quilt it myself. I am happy to have it finished by her birthday but have no interest in EVER making a quilt again. The quilting was a nightmare. I have no idea how I didn't throw my sewing machine out the window in the process.

The sewing machine gets put away. But then, horror of horrors, my son wants a quilt too. You Moms understand that of course I have to make him one. I use the same cardboard square again to trace the shape. I piece the quilt together. I don't even bother to try quilting it this time, I just tie it. It gets finished. I don't enjoy it. This is maybe July. To my quilting attempts: Goodbye and Good Riddance.

Then, about October a bunch of things happen at once. On Facebook I reconnect with a cousin and an acquaintance from high school who both quilt. They have lots of pictures of their quilts online. It is pretty inspiring to see the great stuff they've made. I meet a new Mom friend whose son starts attending preschool with my son. She quilts and is very enthusiastic about it. Also about this time my agent phones to tell me that my first novel has been accepted for publication and I feel a real boost in my creative confidence.

All this mixes in my mind and I ask for a rotary cutter, cutting board and ruler for Christmas 2009. By January, 2010, I attempt quilting again using proper tools. I read a ton of info online for basic tips. This time it is fun. I almost instantly feel I have found the perfect hobby for me. By March, I start this blog.

And now, here I am a year later. Blogging has added SO much fun to this hobby for me. Thank you to everyone who has stopped by the blog.

So anyway, here's what I made in 2010. I completed 13 quilts. All are my own designs.