Why do
I quilt?
This
question is asked of me all the time.
I
have come to quilting entirely through my own volition. Whilst my family members are into sewing,
crochet, knitting, candle making, photography, art teaching and writing … none
have quilted. The ‘traditional’ handing
down of quilting techniques and process did not occur in my learning of
quilting. I have come upon my skills
through the internet, books, magazines and good old give it a go! Social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram,
Flickr and the many blogs written by passionate, creative and very experienced
quilters, have inspired and driven my learning, to where I am today.
I can’t
really say where the desire to make my first quilt came from. When my girlfriend asked me, “Why don’t you
make a quilt?” I remember laughing and replying with my own question, “Why
would I want to do that?” I am still
asking myself this.
What I
do know is I am drawn to the colour play of fabrics. The shapes and patterns when putting
different pieces of fabric together makes my head spin with inspiration. The hum of the machine is hypnotic as it empties
spools of delicious thread, piecing and then quilting what was once just a seed
of an idea. Watching it all come
together through sketches, plans, test blocks, on the design wall, and finally
through my fingers as the final threads are buried, is something akin to giving
birth. Let’s face it; I am sure many of
us have projects which we have been working on, far longer than 40 weeks!
The joy
experienced when gifting a quilt is something to be savoured. I love that my children drag their quilts all
over the country. Visiting Nanny isn’t
the same without one of mum’s quilts to wrap themselves in when I need to work
while they sleep. The random pictures,
friend’s share of their children where my quilts are being used, always make me
smile. There are also the connections
these quilts bring for me. An early
quilt I made, wrapped a very special man on his final journey. I can’t even comprehend losing my children to
cancer, yet am humbled that the quilt my son sent to his friend has been able
to warm in the coldest of places.
I was
thinking during the early hours about my
motivation to make quilts and it struck me as interesting, that my current activities
reflect my final year subjects in high school, Biology and Art. Midwifery and Quilting seem to have many
practitioners that dabble in both. I can
chat quilting most nights at work, with one midwife or another. Quilts are quite common in hospitals; special
care nurseries often gift long term residents with a quilt of their own. It may have been seeing these during my
student years, which subconsciously led me to making my first quilt.
Of all
the processes in making a quilt, the quilting is by far my favourite part. The quilting, while servicing the most basic
of functions, holding the quilt top, batting and backing together, also brings
another dimension to a quilt top through both visual and tactile texture. Inspiration for free motion quilting fillers
and motifs are everywhere, and watching these brought to life on a quilt top,
can add so much to the finished quilt.
It is this part of the process I am now committed to persuing, in a big
way.
Taking
the leap, from domestic to longarm, machine is full of delicious possibilities,
and I am sure it will also be one fraught with both profanities
( I reckon
there could be a quilt in there) and setbacks.
Still, I will not bow to any fear.
I am so excited to start this new part of my quilting journey. I am just glad I haven’t had to sell an arm
and a leg to get started. I am also glad to be part of the conversation about quilts and making shit!!
So, why
do I quilt?
I love
it, and I can’t stop myself. But if I
find a more definitive reason, I’ll be sure to let you know!
Now to share a WIP. Destined to be a queen size and a practice quilt for the longarm, it is coming together nicely.
