Why I Quilt

People tell me I should write. I actually did take a writing course but I have no idea what to do with what I've written so I'll share one here. I was reflecting on why, exactly, I started this hobby of quilting and why it has had such a strong grip on me. This is what I came up with.

How Quilting Changed My Life

Why do I quilt? Why does any woman quilt? There are as many different answers to that
question as there are quilters. It’s one of those hobbies that brings something different to each person and at the same has a similarity about it that is undeniable.

My paternal grandmother was a quilter. One of her quilts adorned our parents bed for years. My sister still has it and I recently saw it again in her guestroom. It’s tattered in many places now as a well-loved quilt should be. The pattern, ironically, is called Grandmother’s Fan. It’s a legacy that she unknowingly left behind. Seeing this quilt again after many years drew me into wanting to learn to quilt myself. So as well as being a legacy I discovered that this quilt held a message just for me.

I decided to check out the quilt shop that’s near my home. When I walked through the door I saw a group of women sitting together having tea and laughing. Some were stitching by hand and others were just chatting. The atmosphere felt warm and welcoming. When I said I was a new quilter they all wanted to see the pattern I’d chosen and asked me to bring the quilt back when it was finished for Show and Tell. When I took the finished quilt to the shop I had five or six women surrounding me looking at it and purring over it as if it was the most wonderful quilt they had ever seen. It was an incredible feeling having this group of women who didn’t even know me admiring my first attempt at something they were already adept at.

I decided to take a class at the shop. I was amazed at how different all of our quilts looked even though we had used the same pattern and techniques. Because of different fabric choices many of them didn’t resemble my quilt at all. In addition to learning how to make a quilt I learned that everyone has their own style and color preferences. Mine are earth tones, someone else’s was florals and another’s were bright funky fabrics. I began to see why they say that every quilt is a signature of the person that made it.

I took more classes and I often found myself with the same people that I’d taken classes with before. The more I got to know the other quilters the more I liked them and the more comfortable I became. I’m actually quite shy and friendships have never been easy for me. To my surprise I discovered I was developing real friendships among these women. Eventually I felt that I really did fit in and was an accepted part of a group for the first time in my life. I also discovered that most people who quilt have faced or are facing challenges in their lives. I’ve had a turbulent life myself but the minute I enter that shop everything melts away and I relax. If I’m having a hard time there’s always a caring ear to listen. If someone else is having a hard time I become one of those ears.

Quilting at home has its merits. Many women treasure this time spent alone surrounded by their stashes of fabrics crying out to be used in new and creative ways. I do find it a nice way to relax but I began to realize how much more I preferred to be with other quilters. I may not be working on the same thing as the woman beside me but it’s the connectedness that matters. It’s the words of encouragement and the suggestions of others when I am trying to choose fabrics. There’s always lots of laughter and giggles and at the end of the day we ask each other how soon we can get together and play again. It’s good for the soul.

Another similarity between many quilters and myself is a joy of giving. I’ve faced stumbling blocks in my life because I give too much of myself to others sometimes. This urge to give is satisfied in a positive way when I’m making quilts. I can enjoy thinking about the person I’m making a quilt for as I’m working on it. When I put a label on the back that states the quilt was lovingly stitched for a specific person I mean it.

Our local Quilt Guild meets once a month. It’s a great time to meet with even more quilters. There is always Show and Tell and seeing the work of others is inspiring. The Guild also has ongoing projects that anyone who chooses to can join in on regardless of whether they are a new quilter or one who has been quilting for many years. One of these projects is making quilts for children receiving cancer treatments and for preemie babies at Vancouver’s Children’s Hospital. Other quilts are given to our local Victims Services Unit for children who have suffered living with violence and/or abuse. The latest Guild project was making Christmas placemats to be used by Meals on Wheels. These projects allow for a constant fulfillment of the desire to give. As I learn to give in this way I’m learning to not give so much of myself in a way that is unhealthy. In turn this gives me more self-confidence and self esteem. I can feel good about myself.

I’ve had lots of hobbies in my life. I’ve also done lots of volunteer work. But I’ve never felt as good as I do being able to call myself a quilter.