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I've been a quilter since 1997 when I did a beginners' class and fell in love with it all.

I loved the fabrics, using colour to manipulate the senses, and hand quilting.

I didn't love the precision required to be a quilter, the fact my points never seemed perfect* and the resulting back ache that happened when I sat at a sewing machine too long.



When you become a quilter, you just want to make quilts, whether they be big or small, for yourself, or others, or for your loungeroom wall. You don't need to enter quilt shows to win prizes, but to show other people that you don't have to be perfect to be a quilter. You find yourself constantly inspired by colour combinations, fabrics, designers and other quilters. You are always learning, always wanting to make something beautiful. I love that about quilting.



As a quilter, you adapt. Since I started quilting, I've experimented with the palest of pastels.



And the boldest of colours.



And lots of Japanese prints.





But over the last couple of years I have only made a couple of quilts, even though I've been working on the Monster of the Deep, also known as the 2010 Canberra Quilters Exhibition Quilt, since March 2005.



It might be finished by August 2011. Yes, I missed the 2010 exhibition.

I wanted to get back to quilting. I missed my quilting friends, and I missed guild meetings. So I went back last week. And I've already thrown myself in the deep end with a Kaffe Fassett quilt from a book I borrowed from the guild library.



I have the fabric. All I have to do is remember how to do foundation piecing, and I'll be on my way.


* as for those perfect points, I learned to get over myself and just enjoy the process. Best lesson learned ever.