Month: January 2023

(Reposted from archives)

I haven’t worked on my own stuff this week because I’ve been busy quilting and binding some tops for the local small guild I joined last year.

A couple of the tops were really nicely pieced adult quilts. It makes such a huge difference when the borders lie nice and flat rather than trying to ruffle down the sides as you quilt.

The two not in the bags yet were tops that had been made by sewing just three wide fabric strips together. They were identical. As you can see in the photo below, the fabric is really cute and colorful but I felt certain it must have been a backing put in the bag by mistake.. but nope! It was the top.

I quilted a simple wave pattern on both of them using this Urban Elementz design board and opted to bind them by machine.

These type of quilts are not at all enjoyable to work on. While you’re quilting it you’re thinking about how much time and energy it’ taking compared to how quickly it was slapped together. I’m sure my expression gave away my “Are you CRAZY?” thought when someone tried to give me two pieces of fabric to quilt together. What I actually said was “no, I’m not doing that. This isn’t China and I don’t work in a factory.”

It’s a little nutty considering they had just been discussing how many unfinished quilt tops there are as they were finishing these up and bagging them for me to take home and quilt. And, now I know why. Too many piecers, in too big of a hurry, and too few quilters who actually do the quilting.

The one good thing that did happen today – my machine binding is getting a lot better. I tried shifting my needle position one click to the right. Now when I following the center line on my walking foot as I stitch, it’s really close to the edge, just like it should be!


~Time to Quilt!

(Reposted from archive)

I read this quote last year attributed to President Harry S. Truman:

“It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”

After reading it, I spent the next several months making and donating quilts without taking photos of them or even telling my friends. I wanted to see if it affected my enjoyment of the process. Would I still feel excited about the finished quilt and eager to begin the next one? I didn’t know, but I was curious to find out.

We give because it makes us feel good, as it should. I learned that the desire to share a photo of a quilt we chose to give away isn’t to fill a need for validation or, about seeking some sort of arbitrary credit for donating it. Whether I chose to tell everyone, or tell no one, the pride and joy I felt were the same.

It quickly became clear that as quilters, we’ve always shared our ideas and felt proud to show our quilts to others. Blogging is just one of the ways our generation does it. I’m often inspired by seeing another quilter’s photo. Sometimes it’s a pattern I’ve never seen or a color combination that reminds me of something I have tucked away. Other times just seeing something beautiful that motivates me to create too.

Truman was may have been right that seeking credit can affect accomplishment. But, I’m no longer concerned that quilters are seeking recognition when we share our photos.

We share our creations for the same reason a ballerina, an actor, a musician, or a singer steps on stage. Much like those performers, we showcase our quilts with the simple hope that others will enjoy seeing them. ♥

Women of Appalachia posing with their handmade quilts.