As this is my first blog, I figured I would explain how I acquired my quilting habit. I can honestly blame my mother. She wasn’t alone in her influence, my grandmothers and a few good friends ensured I was hooked. Quilting may be therapy (I agree with Angela Walters), but let’s be honest, fabric is an addiction. I am not sure they balance each other out!
So like every daughter, I blame my mother for lots of things, good and bad, including my love of needlework. When I was seven, my mother was a sales representative for Creative Expressions. For those of you who haven’t heard of the company, think of Pampered Chef. Instead of showing how easily you can be a gourmet cook, sales people unleash your creativity with needlework. Mom is very creative and a persuasive sales person, but her arthritis hampers her ability to do hand stitching. So, she taught me how to sew, latch hook, needlepoint, counted cross-stitch, and embroidery to help her with the demonstrations. Then, she cleverly told her clients that if her young daughter could do it, so could they!
From there, my grandmothers taught me to crochet and let me watch their quilting bees. My mom tried several times to teach me to knit, but two needles still confuse me. I studied my mom’s copy of the Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Needlework. That was the start…
After college, my roommate introduced me to quilting. She and her friends talking about quilt blocks, batting, basting, and binding. I was intrigued. When they invited me to go fabric shopping with them. I had no idea what a new world it would open up for me. Some beautiful fabric caught my eye. The Irish Chain pattern seemed perfect for it. It seemed like a simple place to start. So I bought the fabric and the pattern, which was the next major step along my quilting path.
Since then, my stash, skills and desire to design and quilt have grown. Thanks mom for getting me started and encouraging me along the way.