Love Quilt

As I thought and thought about what kind of project I wanted to make for our final, I couldn’t get out of my mind all the beautiful images I have seen in these two books we’ve been reading. I just couldn’t decide which topic inspired me the most. All of them seemed so inspiring and interesting. There was one section that kept coming back to me in my mind: textiles.

I kept thinking of when my mom was teaching me to sew a simple hem at six years old. My mom has been a seamstress since she was very young. She instilled in me the importance and tradition of sewing. I always accompanied her to the fabric store to pick out patterns, threads, and styles. I loved going with her and looking through the books and thinking how fun it would be to make one of those styles. Soon after she taught me to sew I began making clothes for my doll. I tried to emulate the patterns my mom was making for her projects. She gave me advice and sometimes taught me to fix the mistakes I made.

When I looked back through my notes and the bookmarks I left on the two books, the one image the stood out to me the most was the Center Diamond Quilt on page 71 of Craft in America. I love the bright colors and the contrast they make between each other. I can’t image the amount of time that was taken to create these beautiful quilts but I decided to get a little practice on it. The quilt I created was inspired by the Amish quilts mentioned in Craft in America. I used simple shapes and contrasting colors. I wanted this quilt to also be a gift for my future baby niece who will be due in July. She will be the first grandchild from my husband’s side of the family so I wanted to create something for her. I took the idea of the square border from Nancy Crow’s Bittersweet XII quilt on page 423 of Makers. I began with sewing the patterns by hand and finished it off by sewing machine on the outside border to secure the edges. It had been years since I last used my sewing machine. I love the sound it makes when I run the fabric through it. The spiral-like patterns spawning from the pure, white, heart in the center represent the radial love that awaits baby Isabella.

As simple as this quilt might seem, I want the love and time put into it to shine the most. I hope that it becomes something of use for the little bundle of joy we all can’t wait to meet. Most of all, this quilt once again brought me closer to my mom. Her advice never fails me and her loving patience was what kept me going with this project. All the times that I was discouraged and wanted to just put it away and make something else that I thought would look better for this class, she encouraged me to keep at it and put to use what she’s taught me. This idea of bringing people together to create and share ideas is what I’m taking with from the readings in this class. I think back on the beginnings of Makers and realize the morals craft artists were so passionate about: being true to materials, creating something of use, and utilizing your innate skills to create works from the heart. I’ll be honest and admit that at first I didn’t understand why I had to read about “crafts” when the idea I had of them was different than from what I know now.  After completing this class, I have gained a deeper appreciation for the things around me. When I go shopping or even just visit my friends’ houses I look around more and appreciate the objects around me. I try to think back on how it must have been an item of creativity and hard work.

I am thankful for this class and for the readings that were chosen for it. I have a new understanding of crafts and the things I can create. I can’t wait to meet all of you and learn more from each of you and the new people I will meet in Junction. See you all soon!