Quilting is a Journey

Every quilters journey is different. Here is an overview of my journey. You have the right to enjoy your journey, your way.

1. I had my first taste of sewing at age 9. My family moved the a new small town, and I quickly found two wonderful friends, Kari and Melanie. Melanie's mother, Shirley, was very involved, being the 4H leader and Girl Scout leader. Lucky me, I joined both. The cherry on top was they had horses, I was born horse crazy! Needless to say I was at Mel's house nearly every weekend. At some point, it was time to earn our sewing badge for scouts. We each made an out fit, I made hammer pants and a vest. I remember picking out the fabric, it was teal with small black arrows. I enjoyed the process. When it was done, the sense of accomplishment I felt was huge. But I know it was only possible because Shirley was such a patient and devoted teacher. I would occasionally sew something when I was there, just small 1-2 hour projects.

2. As much as I wanted a sewing machine, it was just not something my mother could afford as a single mom of two kids. At the end of the year we moved again, as we did every year. Kari is a friend of mine still to this day. And life is as it is, as we became young adults and then mothers ourselves, Mel and I did not speak as often, she sadly past away from a heart attack a couple years ago. I hugged Shirley at the funeral and I could have hugged her for hours! I did get to tell her about my quilting and the role she played in that.

3. When I was twelve, I lived with my grandparents for a year. In my bedroom there was a sewing machine. I begged my grandma to show me how it worked. She tried a couple times but could never make it run well. My grandmas was a fancy lady, and I swear the only reason she had a sewing machine is because she was a wife and mother and they all should have one. Don't worry, that fantastic Pfaff is now mine, and it sews like a dream! And I now know how to make my heart sing when I use her!

4. Anyway between 12 and 39, I didn't even touch a sewing machine! But my husband and I moved from central East Coast of Florida to the Canadian border on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. I was only working part time and I bought myself a sewing machine. I made a quilt, then a second, and then a third and a fourth. I don't know how many quilts I have made now. I started free motion quilting on that machine. By the fourth or fifth quilt I knew I wanted to longarm. I saved up to get a small 5' frame. It was ok, but that was just not gonna cut it. I eventually graduated to a 12' frame and a longarm with software for computerized quilting.

5. I did go back to working full time and my quilting slowed way down. But when I am quilting, whether it is piecing or long arming, I am full of joy.

6. I am a person who believes life is what you make it. In that same respect, I believe quilting is what you make it. It does not matter if you quilt 16 hours a day, or 2 hours over the weekend. It does not matter if you give every quilt you make away, or keep them all. It does not matter if you only like piecing, or only like long arming. It does not matter if you only use less expensive chain store fabric, or all quit shop fabric. It does not matter if you write all your own patterns, or prefer to buy a pattern. All that does matter is you enjoy it.

7. Enjoy the journey. Happy quilting!