I was drawn to the Noble and Ancient Art of Quilting by a picture I saw On-line, I can't tell you now what it was or where the web page is that drew me in, but I was very soon immersed in photographs of some of the modern quilts that are quite frankly stunning works of art. Maybe there was a lot of applique on some of them and maybe some of them were created on fancy schmancy machines that can embroider really compex designs, and are all these elements really patchwork?, but Boy oh Boy, even if those machines make you a cup of coffee while they do the work for you, they come up with things that are beautiful to behold. Next thing I know, it's getting dark and I'd managed to while away HOURS, looking at screen after screen of stunning quilts. And so it began......
Through all of my sewing enthusiasms, I'd never been interested in Patchwork, it seemed way, WAY, WAY too much work to me to be cutting up bits of fabric to precise measurements then folding them around bits of paper you'd also had to cut out. I understood where it came from. Some of the States in the USA have long, long, HARD Winters, and when they were first settled, back in the 1800's there was no in-home entertainment that you didn't make for yourself, so this was a way to fill the long, dark and cold nights with an activity that at the end created something functional for the home and if it's going to be functional there's no reason why it can't also be beautiful. And anywhere you have a shared activity, lots of ladies beavering away by the light of their lamps, you will have a shared competitive spirit. Can you imagine how much they looked forward to the days when there was a Fair, if they could drive 4 hours in a horse and buggy to show off their pies, they could also damned well show off their patchwork quilts. I've always 'got' that, and the history of it calls to the romantic side of me, the way that some families have quilts that stretch back over generations. The doing of it just never appealed to me. I'm still a bit stunned that I've become so bloody obsessed with them, my living room looks like a sweat shop for a sewing studio. The only reason I've picked up the iron is to press open seams on my blocks, and I go to bed and pick and worry over why I'm unable to sew the perfect scant 1/4", and why my flying geese units aren't perfect rectangles no matter how closely I sew to the diagonal line, it's bizarre, and the only people who would understand this are the other ladies and gents out there who are also trying to learn.
I want to say GOOD LUCK to you and May Your 1/4" be as scant as possible.
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