A Quilter's Dream

My adventures in quilting started with a dream. A literal dream. I woke up one morning and wondered what I had eaten to produce a dream about learning to quilt. I've never quilted. I don't have anyone in my family that quilts. Even my grandmother didn't quilt! (Doesn't everyone's grandma quilt?! Apparently not.)

Days later, I was still thinking about quilting. I began to imagine all the little pieces of lovely fabric. Floral, gingham, toile, in pastel pinks and muted greens, vibrant jeweled tones, stripes, paisley...bolts and bolts of luxurious fabrics calling my name...swirling around in my head...pick me...buy me...quilt me!

Maybe my dream wasn't quite as world changing as Martin Luther King's, but I had it nevertheless. So I started to do some research. You really can find everything on the World Wide Web. Tutorials, patterns, videos on youtube. I was armed and ready to go!

Then I broke the news to my family. When I told them I was taking up quilting, one laughed derisively, one asked how long that was going to last, and the other looked at me with a blank gaze. Thanks for the votes of confidence guys!

I turned to my friends for a little support. One told me she was retiring soon and we could quilt together. (I would take that as support, but WOW now we sound OLD!) Extended family piped in: "You can do it!" "Teach me...we can shop for fabric together." And another blank stare, added with a smirk, and a shaking of the head...

In my family's defense, I do have a habit of starting crafts. Go ahead and reread that last sentence before you move on. Notice that one itsy-bitsy, teensy-weensy word. Starts with an "s"...ends with a "g". I have the boxes of craft supplies to prove that I am a craft starter. Maybe what I really love is buying all the cool materials! But I digress...

My blog about quilting will probably be better than the quilts I produce. I'm not sure I even remember how to operate a sewing machine. I can't promise you that I won't put all my quilting supplies neatly in another box and add it to the stack of well-organized items I keep in our "Michael's Closet." But what I can tell you is echoed in the words of one of my friends, who said: "It doesn't matter how long it lasts! It only matters if you're enjoying it while you're doing it." And I intend to enjoy every minute of this new adventure!