Thursday, January 14, 2010

Some progress and a quilty question

Hi everyone! Well, first off I am happy to report that the behemoth is BASTED!! Yippee!! It went surprisingly well. And I think I have found my favorite surface to baste on...my comforter covered bed. (Yes, I don't have a quilt on my bed right now...yes, I can hear the audible gasp. lol) Actually the comforter on my bed has velour on both the right hand and left hand side and boy does it GRIP the fabric. I can get the backing nice and tight and it stays pretty darn well. So even though I had to baste this monster in chunks and move it from area to area to do it, it ended up basted very nicely. Now to get to the local Jo-Anns to get some pearl cotton to tie it...I couldn't imagine quilting something this huge and this heavy ;) Now, as I was basting this one the question came to mind, why do I do what I do...why do I quilt. I have had people ask me this before, and since my mind tends to wander when I'm basting or sewing down binding, I've been thinking on it, and have come up with several reasons. First off, I, like I'm sure many of you out there, tend to have a very giving spirit, and quilting allows me to give something from the heart. I have made several gifts for friends, family members, and others I thought could use a lift, as well as for raffles and give-aways. There is nothing like the reaction of when someone receives a quilt and realizes how much time and effort was put into it. It lets them know they are special.
a baby quilt I made for a co-worker

Second, it gives me a sense of healing and sanity. I'm not quite exactly sure how taking a perfectly good piece of fabric, cutting it into tiny pieces, then sewing it back together again can accomplish this...but it does! I guess in my mind, maybe its that is shows that something beautiful can come from something broken and chaotic. And if that can happen with fabric, then it gives me hope that it can happen in life as well. The last bit of my life definitely falls into the "broken and chaotic" category, but I keep working away and slowly but surly it is beginning to look like it is turning into something beautiful once again.
quilt I made and donated for a raffle / fundraiser at work.

Third, I love the feeling of having a connection to the past. Now in the past our grandmothers, great-grandmothers and others may have made them purely for functionality, but in their way, those quilts were still beautiful. I love having something that ties the past and present together, and looking at a quilt covered bed does that for me. I guess another thought I have on that is we live in a world where so many people want instant gratification. So many can't imagine taking months or even years (or heck, even a week) to work on something. They want it NOW. I look at the on-line quilting community, as large as it is, and suppose I still fear that with a younger generation wanting everything instantaneously that quilting will become a lost art. I can happily say I am keeping it alive, and hope to pass that love to my daughter, and even my son! As a matter of fact my little one helped me with the "unpinning" process on the Irish chain quilt, and wanted to know when she could help me with pinning again :D
quilt made for the house I used to live in made especially for the space it occupies.
Finally, quilting just make me happy! I love the feel of fabric in my hands. I love going into a fabric shop and seeing all those colors and textures. Like the old saying goes, I feel like a kid in a candy shop! I love the creative process and being able to express myself in fabric. I love the whole quilting process from creating (or picking out) a pattern to choosing fabrics to cutting and sewing the blocks, to the actual quilting and binding. I feel like I've accomplished something wonderful when I put that last stitch in the binding. It just warms me heart and soul.

Well, it is a beautiful day here in my neck of the woods. Its supposed to warm up into the 30s and the sun is shining. I think I'm going to make my way to Jo-Anns, purchase what I need then drill away at the house work as well as quilting :) I am also going to go check out a blog mentioned in one of my friend's blogs about a quiltathon weekend. I have a good chunk of Saturday off as well as all day Sunday so I may just join in. If not officially, in spirit anyway.
I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday!! Warm country wishes!!
Country Mouse

3 comments:

QuiltedSimple said...

Lovely quilt. I can't wait to see it finished:)I heard 50's on Sunday - won't that be nice?
Kris

DeAnna said...

Great quilt pictures. Great blog entry on your thoughts. I believe most quilters feel the same way. I wish my daughter who is 19 had more of an interest...maybe it can still happen. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Scrappy-Quilter said...

I love the braid quilt. So nice. I so enjoy visiting your blog. I can't ever reply to your comments though. You have your email blocked. Email me please.