When Sam saw my latest quilt top he asked “who is that one for?”.
Silly man!
Do people ask an artist when they finish a painting, who’s it for?
It’s for me.. of course. Whether I keep it or give it away is always secondary.
I quilt for myself.
I secretly think he asked because he wanted me to keep this one.
“Art is to console those who are broken by life”. ~ Vincent Van Gogh
That makes every quilt – art.
What you just read above is another Facebook memory – from a little over a decade ago. I promise not to keep sharing them but this one really hit home today.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about quilting and where it plays a part in my life going forward. As much as I enjoy gifting and donating quilts, I still quilt for myself because it’s what I love doing. I realize how incredibly fortunate I am to have something to do that I absolutely love. ♥
My quandary lately is…
Do I take on the work and responsibility of leading a group of quilters to make and donate quilts – or not?
My doctor says “no stress!” for health reasons. My husband asks “how are you going to manage that with after school pick-up?” And, my heart says…. “will trying to lead a group actually strip away the thing I love doing the most?” because I know how super hard it is to both lead and participate. It’s a tough decision and one I’m not taking lightly.
The quilt is still one of my very favorites and from the pattern called Seafarer by Quiltfabrication. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it! If you know me, you’ll know I’ve worn a ship’s wheel and anchor charm around my neck for longer than I can remember. It’s the first thing Sam ever gave me, it’s symbolic of our last name and, my step-dad just so happened to be a ship captain.
I think this pattern is the only one I’ve ever purchased specifically designed for string piecing.
And, today this quilt is for me. A reminder of how much I love to quilt and that no matter how much I love quilting- family will always come first.
Everything else ranks a distant 3rd place. ♥
Time to Quilt 