Wednesday 28 November 2012

My History in Quilts

Yesterday I had a lovely free day to sew - I could have done the housework whilst the boys were are school..... I know that made me laugh too!

So faced with a day at home instead of teaching due to the floods I opted to work on Christmas presents and tidy the studio. One of the quilts that has been sitting on the side half made is this one.


It's name is Pinwheel Perfection and is made using the 1930's reproduction fabric called Chloe's Closet charm squares that I have been hoarding for quite a long time!

It is a present for a friends daughter who I think needs a cuddly quilt to snuggle under whilst she watches TV.

I have posting pictures from Instagram to Twitter for a quite a while, but recently I linked to my personal Facebook account. Which means pictures of the patchwork I have been working on appears on my Facebook page for the first time.

Yesterday I bumped into a friend at the supermarket, who said they loved my recent work. This prompted a response of I have been quilting for a long time you know, it's not a recent thing...

Then I realised that to her it is a recent thing. She hasn't been to my house and had the tour of the 20 quilts that currently reside there, neither have I been sharing photos on Facebook of my work...

It is funny how this complement got me to thinking about the hobby that has been with me for nearly 17 years. A hobby that I now live, sleep and breath - and teach. A fabric obsession that started with one magazine article in Prima magazine all those years ago.

My first ever quilt is sitting on the sofa. It is a king size churn dash design, which is starting to look a bit worn after 17 years of use. The boys now make dens with it or cuddle under it to watch TV.

The whole history of my adult life is right there in the quilts dotted around the house. My first quilt, the quilt made after a relationship split, the pram quilt my middle son had (he wears it as a cape now), the quilt my mum spend her last few day under and the one I made to remember her life...

To anyone who visits, they are just quilts. To me they chart my life from the age of 18 and they each carry a memory, a message and some of them have pain attached to them. They mark important parts of my life.

They are priceless........

2 comments:

  1. I love this post, I am just starting my quilting journey but already I have the ones I made my children as I was learning and they are so special to me. I just wish I had more time to make more.

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  2. Thank you. They carry a memory like music does. I remember where I was when I made them and the time of my life they represent. Going to share a couple of the special ones soon. Thanks again Anna

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