Enjoy your "Quilt Family"

I look at numbers all day long.  Probably to the point that I can’t really see beyond them sometimes and my brain gets fogged out on trying to process everything, often wondering how what I’m doing on a daily basis is helping the world be a better place.  I don’t have an answer, but I do wonder.  At times, I think, I’m making the world a better place by providing beautiful things to use, enjoy, and provide comfort. And maybe that’s just the purpose of creating and creating art – whatever that art is.  Whether it’s comforting or meant to stir emotions or release feelings, it’s all what we need throughout our lives.

I recently received a notice from the magazine, Quiltfolk, that they were searching for stories about “family” as they realized that family was a common thread, especially during this weird time.  I struggled to develop a story idea about family, but couldn’t quite come up with a concrete idea to present.  As I pondered the topic, though, it got me to thinking.  Family isn’t just your blood relatives – family also encompasses your friends and those in the quilting community, whom from which, you draw inspiration.  It’s the people who share the same love you have for the art.  It’s the folks at your local quilt shop who know you because you visit so often.  It’s the guy who comes to service and repair your sewing machines, who you can have political, intellectual discussions with while he’s taking apart your prized possessions to make them purr like a kitten again.  It’s folks in your local quilt guild who make you laugh and smile as you see what they are inspired by and how they put their own love into their own quilts. And yes, it’s your linked family that also quilts – those who you can inspire, and glean inspiration from, or just share the latest “fabric find” with.  That’s family – a quilting family.   And, no, it’s not a glamorous storyline, nor does it make for a fantastic headline.  But, it most likely represents 90% of us who are quilting today.  We love it.  It might be the colors in the fabric.  It might be the pattern design that intrigues us.  It might be the constant complexity of trying something new.  It might be because we can define a little piece of who we are by what we love to do.  And, we can share that love.

Suppose, for me, that’s why I share what I love to do.  Sure, looking at numbers all day provides an income, but it doesn’t satisfy the longing to bring hope and joy into this world.  I hope that by sharing  what I love, and the passion I have for quilting, that you’ll find inspiration – or joy, or hope, or a revelation that “if she can do that, so can I”. 

View from below.  The quilt is approximately 80" x 96" (maybe even larger), and this is at the bottom looking up.

So, this week, I’ll share with you a quilt top I finished setting together.  I never thought I would get it made as this pattern has given me fits for a long time.  I’ve tried several times to make this pattern – all different techniques – to no avail. Finally, I’ve done it! And I told my sister one time, that if I could accomplish this pattern, I’d feel like I was a good quilter.  I’ve put it together and now I want to push even more (that’s my own weird brain).  It’s made with all Kaffe fabrics and I attempted to arrange the pieces by tone (I think that’s right) so it would blend and move. 

I didn’t applique the pattern – it’s all hand-pieced.  All 120 blocks.  I finally decided to trace my seam lines on the back of the fabric and follow them as I was stitching.  

Hours and hours of hand stitching, but it paid off as the middle parts of each block came out great!

Previously, I just cut the pieces – with the allotted seam allowance – and then started stitching and the middles never would work out.  Plus I read something that said, “you’ll be stitching on top of the seam you just made”, and somehow, this time, that sunk in.  I got the centers I wanted, and I can’t wait to quilt this one up.  I think simple rounds will be the pattern, to accentuate the rounds that the blocks made.  I’m quite happy with this one.  I’ve got mistakes in it, but after ripping out one seam three times and getting the same result each time I re-stitched it, I figured, when you look at it in totality, no one is going to notice that flaw. 

Meanwhile, I’ve started another kaleidoscope block.  Yep, I’m nuts.  I like these – they are fun – and a challenge to make.  

It's a start.  Clearly, I'm trying to figure out what to do next; hence the fabric pinned up before I cut anything.

I still have several pieces to figure out, but here’s where I am so far.

I hope you take time to appreciate and enjoy your family – quilting family, too.  We don’t know what this world holds for any of us, but we can enjoy our small slice by doing what we can to keep us happy and feeling like we’re helping out in some, if even small, way.

Cheers!