I think I learned to quilt by watching my mom. She was always crafting and sewing on something. I learned to sew by taking home ec in school several times and from mom helping. I never did any official learning on how to make a quilt-- I just sort of dove in and started sewing. I have been quilting long enough that I can now recognize my process and the stages of quilt creation. For me quilting is creation.
Step 1: The gift/the project I spot an event which requires a quilted gift. Babies have most often been the recipients of these. There have been multiple jungle animal quilts for my own babes and others, puppies, frogs, and monsters have also made appearances on baby quilts. My parents and D's parents have received quilts for special occassions. My boys have been the inspiration for multiple kid themed quilts (race cars, farm animals, cowboys, and currently Puget Sound). I made a quilt for D and I that was inspired by a chenille coverlet my grandmother used on her bed for years. After the coverlet passed to me I wasn't sure what I wanted to use it for until I thought of using it to back a new quilt. It has been perfect and D and I both think of that as my grandma's quilt.
Step 2: The Design Here is where some official learning may have helped me with quilting. I don't use a pattern. I usually don't even know what the project will look like when I go to look for fabric; only the general size. After I find a few fabrics I draw something. At first quilts were very simple with lots of squares, then I grew comfortable working with triangles. At one point my skills grew ten-fold as I made an octagonal quilt for my parents. Then by the time M was headed into the world I knew I wanted to make a picture quilt. Still no pattern just draw the animals onto newspaper, trace them onto fabric and go. Picture quilts opened up a whole new world in quilting.
Step 3: Work in Progress The past few quilts I have done I draw this crazy awesome fantasy deisgn and then I am struck with fear that there is no way I could make that. And then I get mad at myself and decide I can do at least part of it and the work begins. A piece gets done and I feel overwhelmed at the scope of the project or even worse I think of something even better to add to it. For example, there once was a monster baby quilt I was making that I planned to sew some stuffed monsters to go with it. That sounds simple enough until I realized it would be completely over the top terrific to sew pockets onto each corner of the quilt where the monsters could be buttoned inside and "hide" from the baby. Yeah, that quilt almost took me down. There is a point in every quilt where I look at it and think "This is actually going to work" and then all I want to do is work on it.
Step 4 Final Steps to Completion Once the quilt is together, turned and the machine quilting part is done (not a hand quilter--an art that you could not pay me to try; I can barely find time to machine quilt something much less stitch by stitch hand quilt it). By this time I am usually sick of looking at the same fabric for hours and want to skip tying it, but it does make it stronger-- unless you have tiny fingered children who like to pick the ties out as they fall asleep. Sometimes I can't wait to stick the thing in a box and give it away. Sometimes I complete a quilt and don't want to give it away (a puppy quilt comes to mind and I am glad I can visit the octogon at my parent's house). Sometimes I look at the finished product and wish I had just bought something instead. While the ideas are inspired and very creative I do have to say that without a true pattern the end product can sometimes be crooked or uneven or inconsistent. Sometimes I run out of a fabric and have to rework part to make up for that or run out and try to find more.
Sometimes the recipient doesn't even notice (those babies are very forgiving- my favorite audience).
So here is what brought this whole 'analyzing my process' to mind.
whales.....
otters (OK they look like bears or ewoks but we are calling them otters).....
and not just one seal.....
but a whole family of seals popping up out of the water....
I was very frustrated with how G's quilt was not coming together and not sure if it was going to work until I embroidered that first seal face on and now I am so happy it is supposed to be a rainy weekend so I can work on his quilt the whole time. I will keep you updated on how the quilt turns out. If I am lucky it will get finished soon since the fabric for my next quilt is still calling my name.
love and hugs and thanks for reading my writing exercise,B
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