Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Return

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.

Nursery Rhymes for Hugo

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.

Susan's quilt

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

The temptation was too much

And the boldest of colours.

Cobargo Square

And lots of Japanese prints.

Japanese Stepping Stones

Zen Garden #2

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.

Hand sewing

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.

Kaffe Fassett quilt I am going to make

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.

5 comments:

  1. wow, your quilts are amazing, i'd be so pleased with myself if i could ever find the patience to make some thing so detailed! they're all stunning.

    x

    ReplyDelete
  2. One day, one day, I will make a quilt. And it will most definitely not be perfect!

    Yours are lovely! And that KF one - love! I don't think you can go wrong with a KF design.

    ReplyDelete
  3. You sound full of hope - your quilting's been very patient. And as for the monster, every time I see it I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. So looking forward to seeing it finished (although perhaps not as much as you?)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love the feel of the post, so relaxed, wonderful. The quilts themselves are gorgeous and the Kaffe Fassett one will look stunning!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by! I love reading your comments, but if you're anonymous please tell me who you are.