Today is National Quilting Day. You may or may not have known that – if you’re on this page I’m guessing that you did. I’m also guessing you’re on an email list or two from your local quilt shops talking about what they are doing to celebrate.
Yup. I said celebrate!
What’s not to celebrate about quilting?
While I was thinking about what I might want to say on the subject it occurred to me that for me it’s all about the quilting – and I mean everything about the quilting.
The who.
The what.
The why.
Everything.
So I decided I would celebrate National Quilting Day on Quilt It List by asking some questions. Let me know what one, some or all of your answers are – I would love to hear from you!
I have included my answers to get the ball rolling so I hope you play. You never know – you might gain some new friends, (learn something new about old friends), inspire or be inspired!
Let’s have some fun and don’t forget to comment!
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What does quilting mean to you?
Is it a hobby? Is it something you do because it’s useful? Is it a way for you to create cherished memories? Art?
For me it really is a combo of all of these things and more – which is a bit of a cop out but, hey, it’s the truth.
What do you get out of it?
So I get more joy than not, but there are definitely some challenges and those are actually ok too….
What inspires you to quilt?
I am inspired by just about anything and everything. I typically can find inspiration in something on any given day – the trouble comes when I am trying to remember what inspired me.
How did you get started quilting?
Your mom, your grandma, a good friend or just looking for a new hobby?
My mom got me started… I sort of feel like Buck a Block is a gateway drug for quilting.
No regrets 🙂
Do you have quilting buddies?
People you can’t not text the newest edition to your UFO pile? Those you have to consult when you’re not quite sure which direction you want to take your color scheme? People you go shop hopping with? What about sew days? Retreats?
What about fur baby helpers?
One of my fur baby helpers, BB
I definitely have a go to group of people for my quilting friends – both local and not. I have my family – my mom, sister, aunts, and the friend who is more family than friend. I also have a great group of friends I’ve gotten to know through one of our local quilt shops – they are fantastic fun to hang out with to sew. I’ll be honest- it’s more talking than sewing but whatever. 🙂
Of course there are the fur babies that like to help.
Or not.
It’s debatable.
What’s your favorite technique?
Do you like strip piecing or more traditional machine or hand piecing? Paper piecing? English Paper Piecing? String quilts? Applique? All of the above? None of the above because I’ve forgotten something?
So I am definitely always on the hunt for a more efficient way to do, well, anything. I like to streamline stuff where possible – it’s both a strength and a weakness but, hey, it’s me so I will go with it! I am working on learning all manner of techniques and have devoted a section of my Quilt It List just to techniques.
What favorite tips, tricks and/or tools do you like to share with your friends?
Those must have tools and tricks to speed up a process, or those bits of advice you give because you learned the hard way? 🙂
I have all kinds of things I like to share will say this – the one piece of advice I give but don’t always follow… Square up your blocks. You will be happier for it in the end.
What has been your all time favorite project?
Now…. I can’t really answer this question and it isn’t confined to just quilting. I can’t really pick a favorite anything. The answer for me on any “favorite” is it depends on the day, week, month, season, year, sometimes even minute of the day or activity. This is why my favorite technological advancement has been the iPod (or now, iPhone) or whatever your preferred streaming device happens to be. I love the fact that I can essentially carry around my entire music library at all times.
So for right now, my favorite project has been my Underwater Basket Weaving quilt. I love the look- and it was a pattern I came up with originally to make use of unintended scraps. The first time I knew what I wanted it to look like but didn’t know exactly how to execute it – so it was a variation. This time I figured it out, wrote the pattern and there you go. I did it again in Christmas fabrics and I will do it again in some other variations I have in mind. After I scale the pattern so I can put it on our bed though…
What project would you never do again?
Now – this could be for any reason – did you love it but it was too complicated? A quilt you made for a friend and there was a special meaning to it? A quilt that was a straight up pain?
For me, though I love the pattern, I will likely never repeat Day and Night. I do have a post on my adventures with Eleanor if you want to read it here.
Nope. Not likely.
What do you have on your Quilt It List?
Yup. I like colorful pens 🙂
I decided awhile ago that I really needed a separate bucket list just for quilting. There is plenty of stuff on my actual bucket list and I really wanted to separate the quilting stuff. Let’s face it – there’s probably more on my Quilt It List than there is on my bucket list. I’ve done quite a bit of stuff in my life already so I don’t feel too bad.
My Quilt It List is divided into sections – Patterns, Techniques, Colors/Fabrics, and Activities/Places. Though I do love technology for many things, I keep my Quilt It List in a much more old fashioned way- I printed it out so I can write on it.
Not that this is always the most convenient way – I don’t always walk around with it. Sometimes I have to snap a quick picture of something with my phone or whatever. The point is – I try to make note some where so when I’m looking for a project I can pull from there.
I totally just snagged a pattern off my Quilt It List to make for a friend of mine – and though I’ve now completed a Jewel Box quilt, I am leaving it on my list because I want to do it another colorway.
Those are the questions I came up with – did I miss anything that you want to know about your quilting community?
Let’s hear it in the comments and let’s go quilt something today 😊
