I remember it very distinctly.
I was wandering the rows at the International Quilt Festival in Houston my junior year in college. I had made my first quilt a few months prior, on a whim, and my mother thought it would be fun to check out this quilt show that was just a short drive from their house.
If you've been to the festival, you know the quilt gallery is huge! Aisles and aisles of masterful quilts, organized, more or less, by styles. I've never been good about sticking to a straight path-- I'd walk up a row, spot something pretty a few isles over, head over to that, turn around, walk up the next aisle. All of a sudden, after about 30 minutes of meandering, I spotted a quilt a couple aisles over that I had to see closer. I bee-lined to it and gasped.
The vibrant color, the texture, the intricacy-- I had never seen anything like it.
It was a garden scene with a bench, a stream cutting around the bench and down the quilt, a tree in the background full of leaves, and a fiery, spiraling sun overhead. I didn't know of the technique at the time, but it was all done in raw-edge appliqué. I could not stop looking at it. I got really close, put my hands behind my back so I wouldn't be tempted to touch -- those women in the white gloves walking up and down the aisles looked ready to scold a handsy college student.
I stood in front of this quilt for at least 20 minutes, trying to figure out how the quilter made this, and marveling at the movement and life she was able to create with fabric!
My mother looked at it for a reasonable amount of time, then moved on to look at others. She came back a while later, insisting we really needed to go, they'd be closing down soon, and she wanted to beat the rush out. She had to practically drag me away.
This was the first time I saw that quilting could be an art form. It could be expressive and evocative. It could be as detailed as a painting, but no painting could ever match a quilt's texture. It went beyond inspiration. My heart was beating quickly, I had a dozen ideas spinning in my head, I could not wait to go buy some more fabric and begin playing.
That quilt changed everything. I had fallen head over heels in love with this craft.
I wish I could find the picture I took of the quilt, or knew the quilter's name, but I am eternally grateful for that piece of art, because it inspired everything I've done since.
What was it for you? What made you start quilting? What made you come to love this craft? Leave a comment below-- I'd love to hear.
P.S. If you think you might know the quilt I'm talking about, I'd love to try to track down the quilt/quilter to thank him or her. It was around 2006.
50 comments
I was a full time nurse in Labor and delivery, taking care of an elderly Mom with dementia and a new blended family when my sister moved to town. She was visually handicapped, not in good health and she asked me if I would take her to quilt guild meetings. I had no intention of quilting but grudgingly said yes. Well it didn’t take long for me to get the bug. So many quilts later I still think of her and love what she shared with me!
My aunt picked up quilting and made me a railfence. Soon after a friend took a class and marveled at how fun and actually easy it can be with modern quilting tools. I was intrigued. For me, the voodoo magic of turning repetitive strip piecing into a beautiful and colorful surface was the hook. I’ve always loved the artistry on display, but it wasn’t until I mastered basic techniques that I began to appreciate the possibilities and think perhaps I had it in me. After 20 years, with a lot of that time on hiatus, I’m back with a passion and excited to expand my possibilities. Thanks for this great opportunity for reflection, Shannon!
From the time I was born and possibly even before my mother has sewn everything from home dec, and apparel to quilts. Every baby got a quilt, or should have. She had made a quilt for my Godmothers first daughter, But two years after her second daughter was born she still didn’t have one, which broke my seven year old heart. So since my mom was lagging I asked if I could make Becky’s quilt. I even made up a pattern. She was so happy when I finally gave it to her, with her name embroidered on it and everything. I didn’t become a quilter just because of their beauty. What made me fall in love with quilts is how they comforted people. And though I also do art quilts now, it’s still the giving love and comfort to people who need it that keeps me quilting more than 4 decades later.
I fell in love with fabric and colorful fabric as a child then made most of my own cloths from age 12 to 25 or 30 when I started making fun baby quilts, then a few larger ones (like Grandma and my mother) then back to a baby quilt or two then I joined a quilt guild to learn more skills and I discovered art quilts. I so enjoy the so emjoy the art of small wall quilts. I have even have made a couple large appliqued Christmas quilts. But mostly now I only so baby qults they are fun and whimical and can be completed quickly so I can move on to my next idea! And will always do smaller wall art quilts, landscapes, abstracts, hand dying some of my own fabris just creating and painting (as Shannon stated) with fabric – my passion is anything with fabric!
I began quilting with a group of gals, who worked at a male, medium-security prison. We all had administrative positions, which put us in touch with classified information that could not be discussed with anyone but us! We decided to learn to quilt so we had an excuse to get together. That was over 20 years ago & we are still quilting.