What made you become a quilter?
A question that we rarely ask ourselves as quilters and longarm quilters. For me, I just began quilting and went full speed ahead. It was like I was being driven by a locomotive and there was no stopping me. Everyday trying to improve upon what was done yesterday. The ideas of quilts going around in my head are never ending. Also quilting for me it is an art not just a skill. I feel that with each quilt I'm able to express myself onto the fabric, in ways I've never done before.
Here are a few examples:
This quilt is one of my favorites.
In each square I came up with a different design that used my rulers. While using straight lines in every block as well as curved lines.
This was a very free motion quilt.
My client told me to quilt anything I wanted.
My client told me to quilt anything I wanted.
Then she was going to paint it.
My very first Full Custom quilt.
The quilt definitely did all the talking on this one.
The Raffle Quilt that squared me up and set me free all at the same time.
I was so lucky to be the quilter on this one.
Some non-quilters may laugh but, they don't get it.
I truly quilt for "The Love of Quilting" and "Quilting is My Therapy". The ladies that said these words, nailed it.
I truly quilt for "The Love of Quilting" and "Quilting is My Therapy". The ladies that said these words, nailed it.
So, I ask you to dig deep and ask yourself,
"What made you become a Quilter?"
Go through you photos or pull out the first quilt that you made that blew yourself away. Remember the feeling of becoming excited and the questions you asked yourself as you made that quilt.
If you don't have one of these quilts that amazes you.
Make one.
Go through you photos or pull out the first quilt that you made that blew yourself away. Remember the feeling of becoming excited and the questions you asked yourself as you made that quilt.
If you don't have one of these quilts that amazes you.
Make one.
I think wanting to be a quilter was always in me. Several years ago (15ish) I taught a class in our women's ministry that had to do with expectations on women (and how *our* expectations line up with what we see in the Bible) and I started it with detailed descriptions of quilts I'd made my children, only to tell the ladies that I hadn't actually made the quilts. or even bought the fabric......
ReplyDeleteI loved the idea that a quilt could be a representation of love - both the maker's, and the recipient's (provided it was made especially for them) and I think that is my very favorite part of quilting - being able to take a person's likes and interests and tastes, and put them all together with fabric, and come up with what my husband calls their 'inner quilt'.
That said, my most fun quilts are ones made simply because I want to make them, and I need to make that type of quilt every few years, because the meaningful quilts take a lot out of me.
I made my first quilt a little over 9 years ago right before my youngest was born, using a tutorial by Amanda Jean. I was okay with it, but not thrilled... (I liked her fabric choices waay better than mine) Then I made a quilt to go on the back of a rocking chair that I was going to be looking at for hours, as I sat nursing my baby across the room (one of the spindles had been replaced, and it didn't look like the others, and it drove me bonkers) It was made for a purpose, and not a person, but it was the quilt that sparked my love of quilting.
Like you, I am constantly trying to improve my skills, though for me, it was mostly the piecing, and not the QUILTING. I *love* being precise (but don't love tiny pieces!) Most of the bloggers I followed didn't really seem to be trying to 'up their games' any, so to speak, and it never really occurred to me that I could/should branch out and try more than some basic straight lines, and stippling, flowers, and loopdeloops - maybe adding in fireworks or hearts, should the quilt call for it. I figured that was about all I could do on a domestic machine, and there was no way I would ever be able to own a longarm. I also found 'overquilting' to be distracting, rather than enhancing, and assumed it made quilts stiff and unsnuggly.
Late 2016, though, I decided that I wanted to improve my quilting in addition to my piecing (I guess I was following more bloggers, so was exposed to fancier quilting...)
I was making a quilt for my niece at the time, a gift for graduating with a masters degree, and I really wanted it to shine. (stars for a star, if you want to check it out)
I feel like my quilting improved a ton with that quilt!! Then I went to the Springdale quilt show with a friend, and saw that red and white quilt (a version of Lori Holt's farm quilt) that was gorgeously quilted, and Elizabeth's that you quilted, and I *really* wanted to grow. THEN, I tried out the Innova longarm, and WOW!! I felt it in my bones - I am a longarmer!! I just don't happen to have a longarm..... So operation Up My Quilting Game is in full swing, so that whenever I finally manage to obtain a LA, I would be suitably skillful.
My quilt Sojourner kinda makes me feel like 'holy cow - I MADE that'!! And it's pretty stinkin amazing!! (Actually - I felt that way about Ties that Bind, too. And Poetry in Fabric, though that was due to the piecing and not the quilting) I was pretty pleased with Sparkle, too. And Faith and Freedom... (I guess I feel amazed with my bad self fairly often ;-)
Well - THAT ended up being waaay lengthier than you expected, huh?! :-) Thanks for nudging me down memory lane
~ Tracy
I'm so glad that you did. Hopefully someday soon are paths will cross.
Delete