Today is National Quilting Day and what a wonderful thing to celebrate! I'm just amazed thinking about all of the wondrous things quilting has brought into my life. Far more than just a soft and cozy quilt to cuddle under each day.
Meeting, talking, emailing and Facebooking with so many of you has been such a fun part of quilting. I enjoy all the ways I get to interact with quilters from around the world, and it bring happiness to my life each day.
To celebrate and give back to the craft and quilters that have given me so much, I thought I'd hold a little give-away! I have several bags loaded with assorted scraps from my past fabric lines, some patterns, and perhaps a surprise or two.
Leave me a comment about how quilting has touched your life.
Comment by midnight, Monday the 17th, and I'll post winners on Tues.
Wishing you peace while piecing!
Quilting has never let me down, it's there through the good times and the bad. And the great thing about this friend is it never tells my secrets. Like how much fabric I've been hiding!
ReplyDeleteQuilting is the only thing that shuts off all the clutter in my mind, so my true self can come out to play! Love your vintage photo. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great picture to show on your post on National Quilting Day! Quilting has touched my life and it has become my life! It has given me a way to chart milestones in our family, taken me from making baby quilts for my children, college quilts when they left the nest, and to making a wedding quilt when my daughter got married last summer. I've made an anniversary quilt for my husband, a 75th birthday quilt for my mom, and quilts or quilted items for family and friends for just about every special occasion. Quilting has also allowed me to give back, by donating blocks, quilt tops, and finished quilts to different organizations over the years. I love quilting!
ReplyDeleteNon sapevo che esistesse un Quilting Day.
ReplyDeleteE' bellissimo. Ho scoperto solo da alcuni anni il patchwork ma ha già occupato la mia vita.
Non devo entrare in un negozio di stoffe perchè divento matta e le comprerei tutte, meglio che andare dal gioielliere.
Non riesco a buttare nessun pezzetto di stoffa: perchè potrebbe servirmi:
Ho già qualche UFO nel mio scaffale, insomma W il patchwork!
Quilting is my sanity. I love giving comfort. It does my heart good.
ReplyDeleteEven though my mom taught me to sew, I caught the quilting bug from my grandmother. To me, quilting means family. I have several quilts made by my grandmother. Most of the quilts I make are gifted to family and friends. Thanks so much for the chance to win.
ReplyDeleteQuilting has given me a community of like minded women, some of whom have become the best friends of my life.
ReplyDeletequilting has given me my greatest friends
ReplyDeletequilting is my creative outlet. I work with numbers all day so this works the other half of my brain. It has brought friendships, a sense of giving and some pride of completion into my life.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a chance at your give-away.
Quilting has eased the transition into the empty nest phase of my life. I finally have time for myself and have joined a quilting guild and two bees. I have made many new friends there and love getting together over a common interest.
ReplyDeleteQuilting is my stress reducer! When I'm quilting, I only think about who I'm quilting for, and try to fill my quilts with nothing but love and good thoughts!
ReplyDeleteI read this quote and this truly states how I feel about quilting; When I quilt I stitch with my heart, but sew with my soul !
ReplyDeleteQuilting is a great stress-reliever. I carry my (heavy) queen-sized quilt top to work every day to piece every lunch hour. It is the best time of day. Everyone around me is surprised at how "quickly" the quilt is coming together. :)
ReplyDeletemjkonkel@tds.net
When moving to not only a new community but also a new state, it brought me new friends. It drew me out of my shell and let my creative juices flow. It also drains my pocketbook! Ha Ha!!
ReplyDeleteQuilting is one way to release my creative juices. It is such fun figuring out what fabrics to use and which patterns. Love the look of scrappy quilts. 24Tangent@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI Absolutely love quilting there is just so much wonderful fabric to play with it just never ends. My sons roommates were giving him a bad time because he was,wrapped up in his quilt & he told them it was like having a hug from his mom. That to me is why I love quilting you are sharing a piece of yourself with someone else.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid, I was never any good in art class and I thought I was just not cut out to be artistic. When I discovered quilting, I knew I had found my creative outlet. Every time I go into a quilt store I'm like a kid opening a new box of crayons. In addition, there's a whole community of quilters that I have come to know through our shared love of the craft. I know that quilting will always be a big part of my life.
ReplyDeleteQuilting has done just that... given me "peace"! :-) It starts with a pattern, then goes to fabric selection, then cutting and piecing... so much creative focus that my mind stays away from the crazy parts of life... I received my Jello Pinkeep kit on Friday and LOVE it!!! I spent some time yesterday going through the scrap bin and today will be for stitching! Thank you for such a unique project!
ReplyDeleteI have always loved fabric and even more since I started quilting. I didn't have much time for it when I was working and raising a family but since I have retired, I am making up for lost time. I love to make quilts for wedding gifts and new babies and any other reason. My house is full of quilts large and small. Quilting brings me comfort, fills my time and keeps me out of other mischief! Thank you for a chance to win some of your beautiful fabric scraps!
ReplyDeleteI love fabric!! the colors, feel, creativity, inspiration! It has been a way to deal with the stresses of my career (nursing) over the past 37 years. But, I think the best part of quilting is the connection it brings me with my mom. I miss her dearly, still, and our shared love of fabric and quilting still keeps her close to me.
ReplyDeleteDiscovering quilting has given me so much ... warm quilts, good friends, a job I love and a hobby that I will enjoy for a lifetime!
ReplyDeletehand piecing and quilting helped me stay centered during the leukemia treatment for my little granddaughter in Houston - without that handwork I would have gone crazy and many other times in my life handwork has smoothed the circumstances of life. What would I do without it? mary in Austin
ReplyDeleteI love quilting. Not only do I have the joy of planning a quilt, deciding on a pattern and matching it up with amazing fabrics but I also have the fun of cutting and piecing. Then I get to quilt it and bind it. Although I love this process the really wonderful thing about quilting is the people I've met. How amazing is it to ask the opinion of another quilter! Being in a quilting group and a quilt guild is so special. It is fabulous to spend time with other quilters sewing, forging friendships and solving quilting problems or world problems! Fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI have met so many wonderful new friends...learned techniques I always thought were impossible..quilting has made me a better person all around. I love all of it!
ReplyDeleteDonna
My mom taught me to sew at an early age. I made most of my clothes as a young adult. Then I tried many different crafts as time went by. I finally gave into quilting about 20 years ago and it is the only craft I've stayed with. I love the fabric, I love the challenge of always learning and striving to get better. I love the community of women and friends it has brought me. My mom passed away two years ago and this year I bought a quilting machine and named her "Lucille" after mom. I will think of mom every time I use it. I am so thankful for the love and joy quilting brings me.
ReplyDeletehello Pam, quilting has brought me so many friends. I started a quilt bee in our neighbourhood which meets every fortnight. If I win your exciting giveaway, I will pay the postage to England :-D
ReplyDeleteQuilting is helping me to create items that will (hopefully) someday be cherished heirlooms to my daughter and her daughter. I have been sewing clothing for 30+ years, and quilting is a new aspect for me. Please enter my name for your giveaway. Thank you. Prim blessings :)
ReplyDeleteQuilting is such good therapy. Whether it is by hand or machine to create with fabric always puts a smile on my face.
ReplyDeleteQuilting has brought so much joy to my life. The friends I've met through quilting has been huge. Not to mention the stress relieve it gave me through the difficult times in my life and being in a demanding job. I always took 15 mins a day to sew when I was working and that's all the time I had. It's surprising how much can be accomplished with a small goal. I can't imagine life without quilting!
ReplyDeleteI found quilting when I went into a quilt shop to buy a gift for a friend and signed up for a class. Have made many friends. These friends and quilting along with blogs, tutorials, and videos are an important part of my retirement days. Looking forward to Market Day Sew Along. Would love to have some of your fabrics to include.
ReplyDeleteMarcia near Toledo
fuzzy9291@yahoo.com
I have a shy, introverted personality, but when it comes to quilting I'm a completely different person. Quilters are such a friendly outgoing community. My only regret is that I didn't find this passion sooner.
ReplyDeletehedgehog52@yahoo.com
Grandmother, Great Aunt, family and great friends started me quilting and enjoy every minute of it and Great stress relieve along the way. A guilting friend are the best in life and I have met great ones along my way.. Thanks for the giveaway, enjoy your day I will.
ReplyDeleteQuilting has given me the opportunity to meet new friends and make wonderful gifts for family and friends. It is also my "quiet time".
ReplyDeleteI am a new quilter and quilting is my therapy....it is a place I can escape to and forget all my troubles for a little while. It has also opened up a brand new world for me. I am a shy person but when I go into quilt shops I don't have any problem talking to other quilters. I never knew what blogging was all about and now I follow so many wonderful blogs. I have always been a crafty person and now I have a new way to express myself....just wish I found quilting sooner. Thank you for sharing your talents!
ReplyDeleteWhen moving one from state to another and no longer working, I had no friends. I had time to quilt and there was a guild in my town. I joined it and found a great Bee to join. Now I have such wonderful new quilt friends. The joy of quilting was passed down by my grandmother. She always made quilts using fabrics scraps and several quilts included scraps from clothes my mother made for my sisters and I. Many years ago when my son was in kindergarten (again moved from one state to another), I joined the PTA. Each year the PTA made a raffle quilt. I joined the group making the quilt and again made some great friends. The newspaper took a picture of us sitting around the quilting frame. I sent a copy of the picture to my mother and she showed my grandmother. My grandmother was excited and gave me some of her scraps. I tried and tried to make quilt blocks with those scraps, but I couldn't do it. I wanted everything to match. The funny thing is that my quilts are mainly scrappy repro one now. Think my grandmother would love my quilts!
ReplyDeleteQuilting has been a real gift to me. My hubby and I both have cancer and quilting has given me something to do besides worry and fret. It also give me a creative outlet that I truly need and it feeds my soul.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was seven years old my favorite aunt tried to get me started on quilting. We cut our own templates out of heavy sandpaper and I did all the marking. With scissors I cut out all the pieces for a large shadow box quilt using two shades of yellow for the block sides and the center squares were all cut from scraps from fabric my aunt had used to make clothing and from my uncle's old shirts. Sadly, I was born a perfectionist so when I tried to sew (by hand) all the pieces together and the points didn't match, I gave up and my aunt finished the quilt for me years later as a wedding gift. My aunt never lived to see me get into quilting, but I know she's somewhere laughing merrily at all my UFOs and the size of my fabric stash. How I would love to sit and quilt with her now! That shadow box quilt is still on display in my home and never fails to bring back happy memories of all the time we spent together. Quilting is not only a creative outlet but also a way to preserve our family history.
ReplyDeleteMy quilting group is an excellent source of therapy and great freindship! I look forward to meeting with them all the time! Always inspiring and supportive!
ReplyDeleteQuilting has saved me from the boredom that retirement sometimes brings. It fills my days (and nights) with creativity, stitches,and all the gadgets I can afford. It soothes my soul and gives me the joy my being craves.
ReplyDeleteBecause of quilting, I have friends around the world and have been fortunate to meet several of them. Social media has shortened the miles between us. Sharing our blocks and quilts is possible with just a few keystrokes. I like to keep my hands busy!
ReplyDeleteI share a great love of quilts and quilting with my Mom~ although 1400 miles separate us, we sew together, plan quilts and discuss ideas regularly. And when I can go home, we have a blast! Thanks for the fun!
ReplyDeleteI , like so many other, have found great friends who share a common goal. They are always full of hints and laughs. Always encouraging when you think you 'can't' do it. It's a whole world brought closer by quilting. You are one of those friends in this quilting world, and I thank you
ReplyDeleteQuilting has been a creative outlet in times of stress, a way to gift and encourage others, a means to meet and enjoy new friends, a way to make good use of down time by keeping my hands busy, and something I enjoy!
ReplyDeleteQuilting has always been a wonderful creative outlet for me, and I love the fact that so many quilters now have blogs that inspire me to try new things.
ReplyDeleteQuilting has introduced me to amazing friends. When I moved to my current home I didn't know anyone here. After attending a couple of classes and sewing sessions at my local quilt shop, I immediately felt like had (and do) have life long friends.
ReplyDeleteHandmade quilts have always been a part of my life as both of my grandmothers quilted as did their mothers. I received quilts to celebrate milestones in my life but also just because. Now I quilt because it brings me joy but also to celebrate milestones in the lives of my children and their children - but sometimes just because.
ReplyDeleteQuilting is a way I unwind from a stressful day at work. Just going in my sewing room helps melt tension. Petting fabric helps lower my blood pressure. Love it.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best things about quilting is the friends I have made along the way - some have become so dear - I can't imagine life without them!
ReplyDeleteQuilting is my relaxation (most of the time anyway), and my therapy. It's also a great source of meeting like-minded friends, be they online or through local guilds and groups. Thanks for a chance to win!
ReplyDeleteI can not imagine what my life would be like right now if I hadn't started quilting. I only started because some ladies at my church twisted my arm (and nagged at me!). And now, I'm lucky enough to own my own business, doing what I love every single day! Not to mention all of the amazing people that I have met along the way. Life is good!
ReplyDeleteI have quilted on and off since the late seventies. Whatever else i did i always created scraps that had to be used up... in quilts. Now in retirement i am concentrating on quilting alone and It has opened up my world , to learning new skills, making new friendships and filling my days creativly
ReplyDeletequilting soothes my soul. it has brought me friendships, comfort, filled my desire to create and brought warmth to my family. I love every minute of it!!!
ReplyDeleteqlt7scrap at gmail dot com
I have been wanting to make a scrappy quilt but since I am new to quilting I don't have many scraps to work with and would love to have a bag of your 'scraps' to see what I can create! Love your blog and thanks for the email updates!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the vintage picture...never seen one of a quilt group...can you imagine their quilt rooms? We as a society do have it made...including myself. Friendships abound in the quilting world...it has taken me many places, met many wonderful people and brought out the creativity that was in me. Not only that, it has been such a therapy through ups and downs. Quilting is my world...and I appreciate people like you that share so much to make us better! Have a Happy Day!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I've been constructing quilts for about 23 years, it's really only been about the past 10 years (most specifically the past 4 years) that I've really been caught up in quilting. Part of the reason for the recent surge is having my own sewing room and the ability to shut the door and not have my quilting mess extend into other rooms of the house. I've had a lot of fun making and giving away baby quilts. I also enjoy the creativity in quilting and challenging myself to learn new techniques and to work with new colors and patterns. I like to think that quilting extends over into other areas of my life, including my quest to be a lifelong learner.
ReplyDeleteHi Pam,
ReplyDeleteI am a self-taught quilter. I learned by reading books and all the wonderful blogs by you experienced quilters. I have made several quilts and given most away! It is a wonderful hobby and I love making quilts for those who don't know how but appreaciate the talent of those who do. I feel that when I have passed on, those quilts will be a way of remembering me and the love I put into them. Thanks for all the talent you have shown us thru the years also!
Quilting brings me peace! It calms me after a bad day!
ReplyDeleteHi Pam, thanks for a lovely giveaway. Quilting has made a huge difference in my life - I realise now I was quite a lonely person, and quilting has brought to my life the most wonderful, close, and very much treasured friendships with the most amazing like-minded people. I feel truly blessed.
ReplyDeleteWarm regards, Tania (east17girl@yahoo.com.au)
I find quilting relaxes me and I'm a much better, calmer person because of it! I travel a bunch and always have a project with me--allows me to make special gifts all year long!
ReplyDeleteWow, my quilting group is one of the most amazing groups of women I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. I am blessed every week to spend an evening with them, and the richness they have brought to my life is a great treasure. The joy of creativity, encouragement and the shared love of the art of quilting is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteQuilting has connected me with my past. My grandmother passed away when my mom was just tiny...and all I ever knew of her was a piece of scrap quilting she had started making from old children's clothing. I had seen that small piece in my mother's cedar chest and knew it was the only thing she had that had touched her mother. As a young adult, while my husband was in the military and I was alone in Wash. DC.....I taught myself how to quilt......not popular then at all. I eventually finished that piece and surprised my mom with it the following Christmas. That was years ago. Now I am retired, my mother too has passed, and that precious quilt has returned to me. But it lit a quilting desire and interest in me that has lasted to this day. It has been my passion and joy. Thank you, Grandma.......your loving hands trying to make something of nothing has touched my entire life and family.
ReplyDeleteI made my first quilt when bb I was 70, now I am addicted
ReplyDeleteQuilting satisfies the need I have to create. So many ways to make a quilt. So many designs. And I have made many, many good friends who also enjoy this same creative process.
ReplyDeleteI cannot imagine my life without quilting! I am one of those "have to keep your hands busy" kind of people. Quilting helps me do that, and, I think has saved my sanity! I love everything about it!
ReplyDeleteQuilting gives me many friends and something to keep me busy in retirement. I love all your lovely fabrics and Folk Art Quilting. I would be thrilled to receive a gift from you.
ReplyDeleteLinda in IN
Quilting has connected me to my past on both sides of the family. I have several quilts that were made from grandparents. I have two that has four generations in them. Now I have meet so many people in groups and on FB and yahoo that have become wonderful friends from around the world.
ReplyDeletesuebennett1975@gmail.com
Quilting has been such a blessing in my life. A fun craft to do during the cold winter months in New England, the ability to relax and get my mind off of stressful situations when life tosses something difficult my way, and I have met some wonderful new friends as a result...both here near home and online. It didn't take long for me to find the love for fabrics too and I am now blessed with a very nice stash. In this day of modern television...much that I don't like.....I am now finding myself enjoying multiple quilt blogs in the evenings also. I could go on and on about the positive ways quilting has affected my life. Thanks for the giveaway....would be fun to go through a bundle of your scraps!
ReplyDeleteaside from the obvious enjoyment, quilting has brought so many wonderful people into my life that i never would have met otherwise...my life is so much richer because of them...
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to fully say how quilting has impacted my life - it's just too hard to imagine my life without quilting! I so enjoy making homemade gifts for special people in my life. I learn so much from others and am always ready to learn something new - keeps my mind active!!
ReplyDeleteTo me, quilting is an expression of love. I remember my grandmother making quilts when she had next to nothing---she would use her scraps and turn them into works of love for us. I want to leave the same legacy of love for my children and grandchildren. It also gives me a creative outlet to produce something beautiful and practical at the same time. "She maketh herself coverings of tapestry..." Proverbs 31:22
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win some of your beautiful fabric!
Quilting is the perfect creative outlet for me because it is a tangible connection to my past (my great-grandmothers) and is something I can share with my daughters and granddaughters. The possibilities are limitless, there are no rules, and the result of quilting is something useful and beautiful. What more could you ask of a craft/hobby/obsession? :)
ReplyDeleteQuilting has taken over my life....but in a totally good way! Blogging about it, and following other's blogs on quilting has changed everything for me, from how I organize my stash, planning/designing quilts, and especially finishing.....so I can blog about it! We even plan vacations now with quilt shops or shows in mind! lol I honestly don't know what I'd be doing these days, if it weren't for quilting! My life just wouldn't be the same!
ReplyDeleteQuilting has been a part of my life from the early days when i played under with my siblings under the large quilting frame that was almost as big as our living room. My mother sat there for days on end stitching away on the quilts she made for all our beds, etc. Oh how I loved to play with her quilting scraps.
ReplyDeleteIt has saved me from getting depressed. It has helped me work through issues as I sat and stitched and thought about how I was going to solve problems. Quilting is my friend, it is my prescription for a healthy mind; it has brought so many wonderful people into my life over the years, and I can't even count. I have connected with so many quilters through the internet, and most recently when we lost our house and my business to fire, several very generous quilters were so thoughtful and sent me little packages containing some of their scraps so I had something to work with. I will quilt until I can no longer hold a needle and thread!
Quilting has brought me many good and close friends. I would be lost without them. Also quilting has joined my love of history with the love of old quilt block and patterns.
ReplyDeleteQuilting is something that has brought me new friendships that are very dear to me. Quilting also gives me a sense of pride in what I can create with my two hands and share with people that are near and dear to me.
ReplyDeleteQuilting for me was and is my therapy after I lost my daddy after taking care of him in my home.
ReplyDeleteQuilting allows me to leave lasting legacies. Memories of events in my life get sewn into each one.
ReplyDeleteQuilting keeps me sane - It takes away the stresses of the world - or at least my little world. I have met so many dear friends through quilting who have enriched my life.
ReplyDeleteQuilting has shown me a world of many wonderful friends who share my enthusiasm for such a creative and addictive hobby. It gives all of us a great deal of satisfaction in our creations and a connection to women of the past!
ReplyDeleteHi Pam,
ReplyDeleteI started quilting after being laid off from my second job. Taking a quilting class in 2008 help me boost my moral and has turned into wonderful pastime. Quilting has brought me much joy and many quilting buddies. I even have a good job to pay for my new passion. Thank you for being an inspiration. Beth K
My mom taught me to sew when I was a young child. When she began quilting in the 1970s, she encouraged me to take it up. Over the years we shared ideas, patterns, and fabric. She is gone now but her love of quilting continues to add to my joy each day.
ReplyDeleteHello, oh quilting has helped me in so many ways other than providing warmth! The work of the hands and mind together is soothing and purposeful. Love sewing, embroidering and quilting!
ReplyDeleteLove your Blog so much>Thank YOU for sharing+for a neat giveaway as well !
msstitcher1214@yahoo.com
Quilting has given me a wonderful reason to enjoy my retirement.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother quilted, my great grandmother quilted and now I quilt. I learned to quilt from my grandma cutting up her old dresses and blue jeans to make pot holders. I don't think she thought much at the time that she was actually "grooming" a future quilter, but I have found that putting those little stitches into fabric, giving me no time to think, has helped eliminate so much stress from my life. AND, quilting has also given me some of the "best friends that I would ever wish for" as we sit and slowly stitch our little squares exchanging little tidbits of our personal lives, solving life's problems together.
ReplyDeleteI am rather new to quilting having started just a few years ago. I have met so many lovely people and have joined a group at the local church helping to make charity quilts. In addition to that, I have joined a long standing quilting group and have learned a tremendous amount from those quilters. Quilting is a happy hobby and affords relaxation while sewing.
ReplyDeletePeg F. in NJ
I have been quilting for about 17 years and I thought about quilting for 10 years before that. I find if I haven't quilted in a few days I get cranky. I especially love to make quilts for others, in my family and in my community.
ReplyDeleteQuilting brings me peace, there's nothing like sitting at my sewing machine and piecing a block together. The best part to me about quilting is the friends that I have made whether they live near or far. I love working on projects with quilters, there is nothing like it.
ReplyDeleteThe thing I most prize about quilting is to remember Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandma when ever I look at their quilts. Right up there is all the great people (mostly women) I have bonded with through our joint love of quilts and quilting.
ReplyDeleteQuilting keeps my sanity. When I have a bad day at work, I can come home and focus on creating something gorgeous and handmade and it soothes my soul. Thanks so much for sharing
ReplyDeleteQuilting fills so many needs for me - the need to create and use my hands and my brain, to connect with the past and the future, to connect with others who also love to do what I do. What a wonderful passion and a wonderful giveaway - Thanks Pam.
ReplyDeleteQuilting has gotten me through a really tough year about 12 years ago. It has also enabled to meet several people that love this hobby as much as I do.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to learn to quilt when my children were young but knew it would be very hard to do. When they got to middle school age I started classes and there began a new part of my life. Now 60 and loving it. I go to two different guilds and go to a Bee on the first, third, and some times 5th Thursdays. On the other Thursdays of the Month 5 or 6 neighbors from the Bee meet at some ones sewing room and spend time working on our projects and quilts. The best time of my life.
ReplyDeleteI remember sleeping under a Sunbonnet Sue quilt as a girl and always dreamed of making a quilt. I have since completed a few quilts and have several UFOs in progress. I just loaves the feel of a quilt!
ReplyDeleteQuilting has become a driving force in my life, especially after my husband passed away..sometimes I would sew until 2 or 2:30 in the morning. And then fall in bed exhausted..Quilting filled many long days for me..Both of my grandmother's were quilters so I am hoping that I inherited my love for it from them, I just wish now that I had asked them many questions about the craft...It is very fulfilling to see a beautiful quilt that you have finished laying on the bed..
ReplyDeleteQuilting is my stress reliever after work.....fabric therapy! I grew up sleeping under quilts my mother made, and am now making them for my grandchildren. It would be great to have some of your fabric to create one with. Ruth in FL
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a little girl, growing up in NY City, a woman lived on our street that pieced and quilted by hand and sent the quilts to her daughter who was a nun assigned to an orphanage in Nova Scotia. I was absolutely fascinated because I had never seen anything like it My mother and her sisters embroidered and crocheted and one of my aunts tatted. They made curtains and some clothing, but no one in my family quilted. I promised myself that someday I would make quilts to send to children who needed them. Sixty years later, that's exactly what I do (although I use my trusty machine). Each time I start on a new quilt to donate, I remember that kind neighbor who patiently explained to me what she was doing. Just like her, I pray for the person who will receive the quilt. My quilts aren't complicated or fancy, but each one is made with love and fills me joy as I work on it.
ReplyDeleteMy only quilting regret is that I didn't discover it before my Grandmother passed (she wad a hand piecer and quilter). Quilting patiently waits, filling up the hours with challenging tasks that can bring such joy to others.
ReplyDeleteQuilting has more than tapped me on the shoulder...I spend a lot of my day (EVERY day) consumed with quilting!! My name is Paulette and I am ADDICTED!! :o))) Thanks for the chance!!
ReplyDeleteP
Quilting for me has gotten me through a few tough times.It is also a hobby that makes me happy. I hope the quilts that I have given away to my children, grandchildren,relatives and friends will make them think of me when we are not together while they are snuggled under them.
ReplyDeleteI began quilting when I was still in high school, back in the early 70's. Since then, I've met new friends, discovered hundreds, if not thousands, of beautiful patterns, become good friends with my sister-in-law (who helped get started quilting again after I married), and gave me the opportunity to help some fellow veterans by making quilts for our wounded vets. It has expanded my life immensely, and given me a craft that I love. I'll be quilting till the day I die!!
ReplyDeleteQuilting has given me confidence. A blessed person told me, when I was just starting and very intimidated, "A quilt is just a BLANKET, made to keep you warm." That made me eager to work on my project and even try some more new things. mamin50@ yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteQuilting has affected every area of my life. I have wonderful quilter friends, it serves as my therapy, I've made some money by sewing for others and my family definitely benefits from this creative outlet!
ReplyDeleteQuilting is a two-fer for me. I had sewn clothing and crafts for many years and finally had time and some funds for quilting which grabbed me on the bi-centennial. I have branched out into the Nterent and made many new friends and have also discovered how I can use my quilting to make a difference with groups like Quilts for Kids and QOV. Pretty good exchange I think. Lucky me to have paid attention to the Bi-centennial and learn how to get on the Net.
ReplyDeleteJane Modjeski
Quilting is my therapy! I have enjoyed it for quite a few years now and it has brought me great comfort. I have made quilts mostly for family members, for new babies, and have brought them around the world on missions trips. I have met new friends throughout the quilting realm and have learned many new techniques from a multitude of wonderful teachers. Quilting has given me inspiration and a great admiration for those who have pieced and quilted with out the "tools" that we have today.
ReplyDeleteQuilting is also my therapy. I retired from my career in Human Services after 34 years to quilt, teach and quilt others quilts. I love the inspiration we can all share via the internet. Thank you for all you share with quilters.
ReplyDeleteMy mother and both grandmothers quilted. I have always loved to sew and quilting is a good way to stay connected to that heritage. Thanks for the opportunity to win some of your lovely fabrics.
ReplyDeleteI have met my best friends through quilting, and I have been able to give truly heartfelt gifts because of quilting, which makes me very happy.
ReplyDeleteI've been quilting for several years and I love to visualize the pioneers traveling across the country in their covered wagons and hand sewing with whatever fabric they had. I like to make small quilts and give them to others whether it be a friend or a child who needs a comfort quilt. I'd love to win some of your fabric scraps.
ReplyDeleteMy only wish is that I would started quilting many years ago, but in the last 3 1/2 years since I retired I have found quilting to be the best therapy. I have been fortunate enough to attend a quilting retreat in St Augustine FL in January with 2 great instructors, so this was like a dream come to. Quilters are always willing to share their shortcuts so there is something new everyday to learn. LOVE IT!!
ReplyDeleteThrough quilt guilds and small quilt groups, I have developed forever friendships. These friends have enriched my life so much!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway. k(dot)castanette(at)hotmail(dot)com
How to put it in words....so much pleasure, stress relief, comradery, connection, fun. Quilting is a huge part of what makes my life happy & let's me be me.
ReplyDeleteI have always loved quilts and have quilts made by my great-grandmother, grandmothers, and mother.
ReplyDeleteSewing in general has given me such satisfaction and allowed me to be creative. Now that I am focusing on quilt making, I am feeling such a connection with these women of my past. And I just love working with and seeing color and patterns in my world.
Throughly enjoy your blog entries and the quilts you have produced. Would love to win some of your scraps. Thanks - Robert, from northern Iowa.
ReplyDeleteThe friends I have made and cherish daily. I am happiest with a needle, thread and fabric in my hands. My family loves what I make them especially my grand children.
ReplyDeleteChristine G yulece1957@yahoo.ca
Quilting makes me happy, especially when I'm piecing a quilt for one of our new family members..a grandchild!
ReplyDeleteQuilting has been a wonderful way for me to develop friendships over the years. I'm in a quilting friendship group that has been meeting for 14 years and love my quilting friends!
ReplyDeleteQuilting is a huge part of who I am. It is one of my favorite things to do. It helps me connect to my inner self and express myself through my quilts. I love making special quilts for others and myself. Each one is different and each one I have a different type of connection to. I sew love into all my quilts. I have also made many new friends though quilting both in person and online.
ReplyDeletetraditionalquilter@gmail.com
Quilting is my escape!! It helps me in so many ways. I have made the best friends through my quilting passion, and shared some very special times with my mom and daughters. Nothing better in the world!! Karen S.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I did some quilting in college, it was really after our last 'big move' with two pre-k children in our life that I went back to quilting as a getaway of sorts. It started with a gift quilt to a friend diagnosed with breast cancer and it hasn't slowed down since. I'm trying to fit in a little more time on todays' "World Quilting Day" to finish the main blocks of a kitchen window valence. "Time for bed kids!"
ReplyDeleteQuilting allows me to be creative, to solve puzzles as I figure out how the pieces will go together, and to give part of myself to others when I give quilts as gifts or donations. Thanks for inspiring me and being a part of my quilting days!
ReplyDeleteQuilting brings me so much comfort, joy and piece and has helped me ease into retirement. I have made so many good friends because I quilt. Quilters are so generous with their time, knowledge, opinions and sharing fabric. I love touching fabric, looking thru my patterns and making that next decision. It is interesting how my 'taste' has changed over the years. My non-quilter friends can't understand how I can spend hours in a quilt store or all day at a show. Thank you for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteGloria
gyates625@bellsouth.net
Quilting helps me relax and is like therapy. As a bonus I am able to make wonderful gifts for family.
ReplyDeleteAs an artist, I loved the aesthetic quality of quilts. I began to learn the techniques and I am getting a lot more enjoyment from the completed pieces than I did from an art piece. People love, hold and use my creations. crystalbluern at onlineok dot com
ReplyDeleteHi Pam,
ReplyDeleteQuilting has touched my life in sew many ways, but one of the biggest ways has got to be how it has connected me with so many wonderful people all over the world. I have many treasured friends that I would otherwise never have met. Quilting gives me purpose and direction and a constant variety of challenges and new skill sets. Quilting for my family, friends and others has been a blessing, an ongoing learning experience and allows me a creative outlet.
Quilting has given me a way to share with others. There are many different places to share a quilt to give comfort to someone in need of a little love.
ReplyDeleteI love to quilt, and give most finished quilts to others, family, as well as two special children's organizations.
What a wonderful, kind gift you share with all of us.
Although quilting is my job, it blesses my life in SO many ways! The people I have met & the stories. Like a young Mum, when her husband got murdered & a group of quilting friends made a quilt from his clothing, I got to quilt this special quilt. The hand written messages of love & hope on the quilt backing was very heart warming.
ReplyDeleteQuilting connects me with previous generations and provides a link to future generations. There's nothing like snuggling in a quilt made by a dear family member...unless it's making a quilt for another family member to snuggle in!
ReplyDeleteSince beginning my journey into the quilting world about six years ago I've found a comfort and peace of mind I didn't have before. I've made so many new friends, I've invigorated my life with color and design, and I've created a sewing space just for me in which to create and relax from the cares of the world. Taking up quilting has been one of the very best healing things I've done for myself....and through donating many of my quilts I have helped to bless the lives of others as well.
ReplyDeleteEvery artist creates using their favorite medium. Some art pieces are decorative such as paintings or sculpture and some are functional such as jewelry. A quilt is like painting with fabric and thread. A quilt can be decorative and functional at the same time. I enjoy the whole creative process of quilting. I give quilts to family and friends as gifts. I have also sold some small quilted wall hangings.
ReplyDeleteI am a relatively new quilter with a lot to learn. your workshop at our guild was the first quilting experience I had. Since then, I've made several quilts with more in progress. I like the recipient's reactions the most.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what happened to my name in that comment. Janet Rice
DeleteQuilting is such good therapy for all the bad things in my life.
ReplyDeleteHi Pam,
ReplyDeleteI've Always been a crafty girl, from clothes making to knitting, cross stitching, you name it I did it. In 2001 I got cancer and that year was surviving with capitol letters, I will Always associate that year with 9/11. After that year I needed to have an outlet that gave me the feeling I was still out there and gave me proof of my survival, quilting did just that. I learned everything from books and the internet and have never looked back. Quilting is still my way to realize life is beautiful and I'm grateful to still walk around. Hug for you from Anita Westerveld.
I have made some great friends through my quilt guild. Great bunch of ladies that embraced me like a long lost friend.
ReplyDeleteIt is fun to take pieces of fabric and make a quilt/blanket out of it..... or a Mini "Wall Quilt"....like a piece of Art. I have made new friends quilting and Love all the different things that can be made. Sewing with the machine and by Hand makes it fun and not boring. Also, I like to see all the New fabrics when they come out.
ReplyDeleteFrom Deb
DeleteI became disabled in '05, I would go insane if I didn't quilt...self taught & a huge fan of yours...you are so inspiring....Debra in Ma..
ReplyDeleteQuilting has been a wonderful creative outlet AND a great way to show and share love with those I care for.
ReplyDeleteI always wondered how did I become a quilter, and realized that was Angels in my path
ReplyDeleteWho shows me the way to our local Museum to checked out all the beutiful quilts, old and new.
I admired all the work of love that was going in the quilts and thought how do they do that? I will never
Have the patients to do all those work! But the Angels lead me all the way... I am a quilter by hart do every thing with my two hands And when my time wil be done on earth me too will leave something behind for maybe one of my quilts will be on a museum wall for somebody to admire..
I retired almost 4 years ago and joined a quilting group at my church. What a blessing my quilting sisters have been to me! We make lots of charity quilts and I have made several for friends and family. Quilts are truly a gift from the heart and bring such warmth and comfort to others.
ReplyDeleteOne of the wonderful things about quilting is that I can create lovely things for myself and my family, and I can create quilts for charity. I get great pleasure creating "comfort quilts" that go to local charities.
ReplyDeleteMy National Quilting Day was my best ever. I was at a 2-day Quilt Expo in Oshkosh, WI meeting wonderful quilt designers and teachers from all over the USA. A 6-hour hands-on of Saturday with Joanie Poole increased my confidence with Free-motion machine quilting. . . That evening the keynote speaker... was Karen Kay Buckley... she is so down to earth for such a superb out-of-this -world quilt designer.... We all fell in love with her and her slide show and personal Quilt-making journey of over 30 years. Then Saturday 5additional teachers shared their quilt knowledge and expertise an hour each and sent us on our way to love our quilting goals and sit at our machines or with our rotary cutter in our hand and create our dreams. . . Renewed enthusiasm... tweeked skills and new friends now brighten our thoughts in our 2014 frozen homes this National Quilters Day..
ReplyDeleteI began patchworking when I had so much time on my hands after I quit smoking 3 packs a day of cigarettes! Now it's been five years and I've made dozens of quilts with the money I saved that used to go up in smoke. And all my quilts smell delightful, too!
ReplyDeleteI am providing care and assistance for my aging father as well as for my daughter and her little ones, I am sometimes overwhelmed ... quilting soothes and restores me. I love, too, knowing that when my loved ones wrap up in a quilt that I've made, they're being wrapped up in my love ... even if I'm not with them, my love is - in the form of a quilt.
ReplyDeleteQuiltmaking has brought creativity into my life. I've always been busy with family and my profession, which were very important but did not address that part of me that wanted to create. Now, the process of selecting fabrics and patterns, designing small patterns and learning more about quilting, are allowing me to feel creative! Woo-hoo!!
ReplyDeleteInternational quilting day was different for me, but I still got to share the art of quilting! I joined my husband at a casino where he attended a conference. I was able to sit in the lobby and applique! I love to quilt and share with others that love. Thank you Pam, happy quilting, Jan Vandermolen
ReplyDeleteScraps from you would be a thrill for this old quilter. Your blog (and Kansas Troubles too) are at the top of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Northern Saskatchewan CANADA! I started quilting when I was pregnant with my first son. Made lots of quilts, taught some classes but then took many years off from quilting to do other crafts but quilting was in my blood so came back to my favorite craft a few years ago. Wow it had changed - things like jelly rolls and fat quarters! That was all it took - a Debbie Mumm flannel fat quarter pack and I was hooked again! I love the friends I have with quilting. We meet every Monday evening to do hand work (and visit!). And also get together to sew one Saturday a month. It makes the long, cold prairie winters go way faster!
ReplyDeleteQuilting has given me the chance to express myself artistically as well as the opportunity to make some wonderful friendships. Making a quilt for someone special in my life is so satisfying. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteMy Grandma was a quilter but she was a hard womon to love. I had to spend a lot of time with her when I was growing up and I was not happy about it. She did take me to her "quilting bees" and I did enjoy that. She has been gone a long time and I have now grown to love my grandma as she passed her love of quilting down to me. She made me a quilt for my doll which I had to redo many years later and when doing so I put my needle and yarn in the holes she had made and reknotted the little quilt. In doing so I felt a love come over me that I did not feel while growing up. I know Grandma was watching. Thank you Grandma for passing this love of quilting down to me.
ReplyDeleteQuilting makes my happy! I love cutting fabrics and stitching it back together to make new shapes. I love the warmth of a quilt on a cold night. I love puzzling over a quilting pattern and feeling the light bulb moment when I think I understand. And, I especially love all the wonderful people I have met through quilting.
ReplyDeleteQuilting started being a personal get away while raising 4 daughters as a stay at home mom.....but more recently since dealing with some on going health issues, that keep me at home most days, quilting as become quilt therapy. Even when I don't feel good, I press fabric, cut scraps, look at quilt magazines to figure out my next project or choosing a quilting motif to finish my next quilt top..... Frankly I don't know how I would cope without quilting in my life, these past 3 years! Keeps me some what productive.
ReplyDeleteQuilting has been my life saver. I started quilting in 2003. I bought a small quilt shop in 2010 but economy forced me to close this February. Without all the friends I made through quilting I don't think I could have survived. I love putting together all the colors and fabric to create a warm cozy quilt for those I love. I pray that I can always quilt.
ReplyDeleteI have made the best friends through quilting, they are a wonderful, supportive group through all of life's events. And they advise me on my quilts!
ReplyDeleteI have made many friends through quilting. I joined a guild in 1997 and my life changed. I had been trying to quilt on my own, but the knowledge that was shared by many generous women opened a new phase in my life.
ReplyDeleteI've met many friends through quilting guilds and retreats. Quilting friends share not only their fellowship but always new tips and tricks they use in their quilting.
ReplyDeleteI quilt with a group, we've been together for 20 years and share all of life's ups and downs. It is so much more fun than sewing alone, to see what each other is working on, go shopping, etc. This week is spring, quilt day and my birthday!
ReplyDeleteI have always felt like the luckiest quilter around...my grandmother stitched quilts, my mother makes quilts, her sister makes quilts, my sister makes quilts and I make quilts...we share a love a fabric and creating, as well as enjoying the peace hand stitching brings...at 90 with Alzheimer's my mother enjoys looking at fabric and quilt books, but no longer wants to pick up a needle...this has happened recently and she stills asks...but when needle and hand meet it's no longer a desire...a lifetime of memories with needle and thread...
ReplyDeleteQuilting is my "me" time. Just me and my fabric. But, quilting is also friendship. I have met such wonderful quilters who have become my friends. They take me for who I am and support me in my all of my efforts.
ReplyDeleteI've not been quilting too long but because of quilting I've joined the local quilt guild and have learned that quilters are the nicest people with generous hearts and fingers. My fellow quilters have enriched my life.
ReplyDeleteI fell in love with quilts as a little girl when we would go to my great grandmothers. I loved the beautiful quilting on the quilts on the beds. Quilts are now my passion. I belong to a wonderful group that meets weekly. I don't get as much done as I would like, but it brings me great joy!
ReplyDeleteQuilting has given me opportunity to develop a deep friendship with someone who is now my best friend and confidant. It has also enriched my time with my husband, as he willingly and cheerfully travels with me to other states for extended shop hops and quilt shows. We enjoy planning our trips and the stops we will make along the way.
ReplyDeleteThe best part of quilting is that I have made many new friends. Plus it has kept me connected with long time friends. I am a person who loves to be "doing" and quilting certainly helps me fill that need.
ReplyDeleteI am so happy that I started on my journey as a quilter.
Charlotte
Quilting has brought such joy to my life. I moved out of state, away from all of my family and was very homesick. I didn't really feel "settled" until I took quilting classes and met such a wonderful group of ladies. Now I not only have a wonderful creative outlet, I also have a group of very dear friends. :o) I am so thankful. bfiresheets@bellsouth.net
ReplyDeleteQuilting for me represents my "me" time. That one part of the day where there are no stresses, no pressure, just relax and enjoy. Don't know what I'd do without it :) Thanks so much for all of your inspiration !!!
ReplyDeleteMerci de penser à nous, j'adore faire du piquage è la main et aussi faire des mod`le ancien.
ReplyDeleteMerci
Gisèle
Quilting is something I'm able to share with my sister and friends. It's also helped to get me through some very tough times. I've always found new inspiration from the quilt-alongs you offer!
ReplyDeleteHi Sweet Pam,
ReplyDeleteQuilting is an evolving experience for me being a "belt and suspenders" kinda person-not daring in the least! Although my true love (besides my hubby!) are reproduciton fabrics, I have actually stepped out of the box and have tried different pattern styles and fabrics - even kinda of funky black, white and green. Quilting has also provided making many new acquaintances and friends and meeting some wonderful, gifted designers/teachers who I love dearly! (Love ya Pam!) - see ya next month. Sue McQuade in IL
There's something about needle and thread. I've been sewing since I was 9 years old, started in 4-H. But I didn't discover quilting until I received a quilt as a wedding gift. That was all she wrote. I've been hooked ever since. Quilting has made me poorer, lol, it has also brought people into my life whom I would never have gotten close too. One of them, I help encourage into making quilting a career. I love seeing it come together and that first throw onto the floor to see it all put together, well, it's like my first date with my husband all over again. I am currently on a fabric diet and this certainly would help me with those cravings. Especially, since I've transferred my fabric buying into looking at vintage sewing machines.
ReplyDeleteI am a farmers wife and we live on a small farm in a very rural isolated community. Quilting first Became a friend and then later Brought me friends. Each time I pick up a needle or sit at my machine, I feel myself smile. I wish EVERYONE in the world could know that joy. I think that is why most of us bloggers blog, is so that we can spread the joy of something we hold very dear!
ReplyDeleteI love play with fabrics and discovering quilting has been awesome .., relaxing sewing and enjoying with it!!
ReplyDeleteI grew up playing under my grandma's quilting frame; a perfect place for a child's imagination. I so wish I could share with her all of the resources and tools available today for we quilters. Quilting is my source of creativity and much like cooking I always have to change the "recipe" to suit myself. I would love to win, thanks Pam, love your stuff!
ReplyDeleteQuilting has kept me sane. I played at quilting quite a few years back, and then stopped for a number of years. After my mom died, I sat back and thought about how I'd done nothing but work for a miserable boss for several years, and realized that I needed to make time for myself, and what better way to do that than quilting. I joined a guild, and did nothing more for about a year than go to meetings and look at the beautiful things the members created. I just needed that beauty and the friendship of those wonderful women. Eventually, I started going to workshops and trying out new techniques and patterns with the other members. I've learned so much about quilting, but more importantly, I've learned about myself. I'm sure I'd survive without quilting, but I'm so grateful for all I've learned.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was 17, I fell in love with quilting, the first time I saw it. I didn't have any idea then that it would be the one thing that would make me feel artistic and creative in a family of real artists. I didn't know the dozens of friends it would bring into my life, including a best forever friend. I had no idea how much I would use all that geometry and trig I was going to learn in college the next year. I didn't realize the connections I would make with the women in my genealogy, or how many times I would comfort others with the warmth of a hugs quilt. Quilting hasn't touched my life, it's made my life. dezertsuz at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteQuilting is a great way to get away from the regular stresses of life. It is my creative outlet and I love making things for my family.
ReplyDeleteHi! I feel I inherited the love and talent for handwork, including quilting from my female ancestors, especially my grandmother. When sewing at my machine, or doing needle turn app,inquest or sewing on binding, I hear the encouraging voice of my grandmother...
ReplyDeleteFabric and pattern designs, the feel of quality fabric, the feel of my rotary cutter or scissors on the fabric are all soothing sounds after a crazy day! Quilting changed my life and gives me sustained e and encouragement every minute! Thanks for the wonderful giveaway! Take care, Leslie
Quilting is something I share with my 83 year old mother, my sister and my daughter. We encourage one another with and through our projects. We inspire one another. And we share our triumphs and mistakes. Quilting has given the four of us a common interest that binds us closer together. I can't imagine my life without quilting. Thank you for the opportunity. And thank you for all of the inspiration you give.
ReplyDeleteI love quilting. Its my source of relaxation. My mother taught me how to quilt pre-printed blocks years ago. I started piece quilting several years ago and always have 2 or 3 quilts going at the same time. (I'm addicted to new patterns and can't help myself). My mother now has some dementia and can not understand the patterns so I cut out her quilt pieces and show her how to sew the blocks. So I not only get enjoyment from the ones I work on but also getting to see her continue to enjoy making quilts too. She always enters one in their local fair and every years wins 1st place.
ReplyDeletegoodbread@cox.net
I learned to quilt by trial and error back when I was a young wife and mother. Came to enjoy the time spent quilting very much. It soothes and distracts a fretful mind. And you end up with a wonderfully useful item :) Now I have the pleasure of teaching my grandchildren to sew.
ReplyDeleteMy journey of quilting has brought so much to my life. The great friends that I have shared this common bond with, the wonderful designers and their amazing leap into the quilting industry, the blogs of the most amazing quilters, the wonderful fabrics and last but not least is the creative that I get to express when I quilt. Life is so good with quilting in it!!!! It is a blessing!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOver the years, I have found that I love the "process" of quilting. And best of all, I have met the nicest people - and made best friends with my quilting companions.
ReplyDeleteI love to do hand quilting as I find it a wonderful way to relax particularly after a busy day. I have also made many great friends through various sewing groups and classes
ReplyDeleteQuilting makes me feel connected to a Grandmother I never knew ( she died before I was born ) I have had many day dreams about my grandmother, wondering what she was like. Holding onto a quilt she stitched. I love that I can carry on & leave my loved ones a piece of my heart. Thanks Pam for sharing your love of quilting with all of us. Please pick me!
ReplyDeleteSandy Royal materialgal@juno.com
You are right that Quilting is more than snuggling under one. Working on projects has kept my sanity
ReplyDeletethrough rough times in my life. It has also allowed me to cross paths with some of the best people I
know. And I am forever thankful.
I'm overwhelmed with trying to simplify my answer....community, support, learning, friendship from others & with the fabric stash I love to look at while running my hand over :), admiring & the strong desire to always buy more fabric/patterns than I could ever cut/sew/quilt.
ReplyDeleteQuilting not only gives me the pleasure of decorating my home with beautiful quilts, it has given me pride in my accomplishments that I never knew I could do. But most importantly, it has brought me a wealth of good friends that I hold dear to my heart.
ReplyDeleteI love so many aspects of quilting, handling the fabric, choosing colors, feeling its thickness when done. I especially love to give quilts to family, friends and donation. As well as all the wonderful people I've meet thru quilting.
ReplyDelete