Quilting 101

I sew a little. I'm not bad at it. Age has contributed to more patience at the hard parts or the parts I just don't understand. And I've made some halfway decent "garments".

You may wonder at the quotations. The Thomas the Tank Engine fleece bathrobe I made for my son took so long that he'd outgrown Thomas by the time I'd gotten it done. I had a needle problem. But it looks really good. Hanging on the hook by his bedroom door.

The knight costume I made for Halloween a few years ago came out really good too. I was a lot of work, but I got it done in a weekend. It looked cool, but it only got worn to a party and not for Trick or Treat. It ended up stuffed into a cubby along with the Clifford the Big Red Dog costume he wore when he was four.

I suppose if I sewed more than just a little I'd be better at it. Trouble is, I have no designated workspace. So when I want to sew it means hauling out the sewing machine, hauling out the tool box, and hauling out the iron and ironing board which never see the light of day except when I'm sewing. They don't get out much and are therefore not always very cooperative.

I am currently unemployed. Not by choice, but by the recession. I've been using some of this downtime to explore creative outlets. In the past I haven't had much time for creative outlets.

However, one morning this week, I creatively explored the art of quilting.

My aunt is a longtime quilter. She is also now a local celebrity having used her quilting skills to help people, and to raise money for the local senior center.  She made this quilt for me for my 18th birthday just three or four years ago:

I called her last week and told her I wanted to explore quilting. I was specific. "I'm not sure I want to quilt, I just want to know how. What do you suggest?"

"Come on over," she said. So I went. We spent a couple of hours in her workroom. A sewer's paradise. Iron and ironing board set up in one corner, cutting/work surface against a wall, sewing machine in front of the window. More shelves over another, cluttered work surface. The shelves overflowing with fabrics.

After looking through her book and having to decide on what to make, and which pattern to make it in (not as easy as you might think) I finally settled on making a "star" square into a pillow. I have a pillow form, and I figured a pillow was a small enough project that I might actually finish it. I then had another decision to make. Fabric. I chose colors to match the quilt she made for us as a wedding gift and we were off.

She guided me through measuring and cutting, sewing and pressing, and before I knew it, I had made this:

Not bad,eh? For a first timer. C'mon, give me a break. (The middle part came out looking blue, but is actually a deep purple.)

I still have to do the "quilting" part which will give it some texture and depth. And then it's just a matter of sewing the back to the front, and stuffing in the pillow form.

I can do that.

I CAN.

And I will prove it. Soon.

But I do have to say I feel a certain sense of empowerment. Even from so simple at thing as my star pillow. It's pretty cool to look at it and say "I did this." I could not have done this without the experience of my locally famous aunt. For which I thank her. I also could not recreate it on my own. At this point in time.

I expect that I'll be heading back to her workroom soon. To start another project. Assuming I'll be able to pick a quilting pattern, decide on what exactly I'll make and then choose the fabrics.

I THINK I can do that.