In this blog I will attempt to talk about why you may want to quilt. In my introduction I talked about quilting being the one thing that that transcends time. Historically I can think of nothing else that has the same enduring quality as a quilt to display love. If a soldier was lucky, he would have one quilt of his own to comfort and protect him. The message and symbols in the quilt may have been stitched for him by his mom, wife or a group of women determined to send the soldier off to war with as much love and caring as they could offer. Wrapped in this quilt the soldier surely never felt alone. The quilt is a hug that endures generations. Quilts welcomes babies, congratulate new brides and grooms, cover sleeping children (yes even the grumpy teenagers), comfort the sick and give us memories of long lost family and friends.
I am certain I am overly nostalgic when it comes to quilts. I do know that quilts were very often made out of necessity. Quilts were a way to use every scrap of fabric possible from flour bags to worn clothing. These quilts kept families warm in the winter and comforted in times of need. And of course the stories continue.
When I am quilting, I find myself relaxed and I take comfort knowing that I am performing a task that has been repeated billions of times throughout history. I am picking fabrics, carefully choosing a design, and putting every bit of love and attention to detail as possible into my creation. Sometimes I am free to splurge and buy everything I need to make an entire quilt, sparing no expense. At other times I am checking my scraps to see what will work together. I want the person receiving the quilt to know that it was made especially for them and that a quilt is made to be used. The wonderful thing about quilts is that the more they are used, the softer they become.
When my daughter and grandson moved away, I took his baby receiving blankets and pieced together a new large blanket for him. This was a practical use of the fabric, and a way to piece together that short period of baby time that goes by so fast. My grandson loved the blanket and carried it to daycare…..a hug across the miles.
Ok, so maybe this does not answer why you should quilt. I guess I can’t tell you why you should. But knowing you are a part of a larger group of strong women sometimes eases the burden of the day. I hope you will want to continue a long tradition. Think about joining centuries of quilters, in my next blog I will talk about basic items you will need to get started.
Gifts by Sheri 