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How Quilting Changed My Life

Life's Journey

By Rachelle FosterPublished 3 years ago 5 min read
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First attempt at free motion quilting with new designs

How Quilting Changed My Life

Some of my earliest memories of my mother were of watching her at her sewing machine, the same one she has today at the age of 87. She still has the original set of scissors and other tools that she started with so long ago. She has taught me that this is the essence of buying quality products. They can last a lifetime.

I first started quilting in my 30’s. A local retired lady was teaching classes in her basement, and my first project was a 16-week sampler quilt. We were given the instructions at the onset of the project and came together once a week, each working at our own pace. Not everyone finished by the end of the 16 weeks, but I did. I was hooked.

From then on I made quilt after quilt and gave them away. It brought me great Joy to do so. I coordinated my children’s bedrooms, and had great fun letting them pick their own material and colors.

Eventually life took on new directions and got busy. Quilting was put aside for other things while life unfolded. Over the years I have done a little bit of sewing, but not like before. It was very sporadic and usually filled a specific need.

Some 25 years later, I find myself nearing retirement. The Pandemic has changed the way we live day-to-day. My five day a week job with a one-hour commute is now four days a week from home. I am grateful that I have this opportunity. It has freed up a lot of my time, and life has become much simpler. This was a welcome break from the monotony of working full time, commuting, and the busyness that life often brings. And yet I was forced to spend time in retrospect, evaluating my life by going down memory lane. Many have undergone this process throughout these lockdowns. They are life altering experiences.

I thought of simpler times…when my children were little…and the fun I had making quilts. I recently picked up an unfinished project that I had in a box for decades and started working on it again.

I discovered through conversations with others that many of the quilts I made and gave away are still treasured today by their recipients. They have become family heirlooms. That was a surprising revelation that sparked something deep within me. I am a giver by nature, and love to do for others. But as most people who give and give, we often feel an imbalance in reciprocity that is mostly of our own doing, though we don’t realize it at the time. We don’t always see the love and Joy that others experience, and this is its own reward.

I started watching YouTube videos on quilting and related topics. The world of Quilting has really changed in the last 25 years. With the advent of the internet so much more has become accessible. I am learning and honing new skills I never knew I had. As my mother taught me, I purchase quality materials and tools…because quality cotton and a good pair of scissors or rotary blade makes all the difference in the look and finish of a project.

I spend hours each week researching new patterns and methods of doing things. I research products and fabric lines. Whereas before I was limited to what was available at the local fabric shop that was highly unspecialized, there are now specialized shops catering to the elite quilter with a discerning taste. There is something special about going into a fabric shop and seeing an array of thick quilting cottons and a bright array of colors. Wonderful lines such as Riley Blake, Hoffman, Kaufman, Tula Pink, and Kona, to name a few of my favorites, with vibrant patterns, colors and textures. I never knew about Batiks in my 30's and the wondrous things they could create. It’s eye candy to the addicted quilter whose imagination is inspired by visions of finished projects and the joy of quilt worthy recipients.

With the Pandemic shutting things down it has become difficult to shop because the pictures of products online are often deceiving. I’ve received some layer cakes that were so thin one could see daylight through them. Hardly fit for the level of quilting I want to achieve, but they can be used for piecing squares by sewing strips onto them. This is where knowledge of quality products comes in handy because if you order from a quality line, you know what you will receive will be quilt worthy.

Something else happened as I returned to my passion of quilting. It’s often a meditation process where one can get lost in thoughts and memories. It can have a very healing effect on life’s trauma. Everyone experiences some level of trauma in their lives, some challenging memories they need to process. Nearing retirement, or retiring, also brings about introspection. This is a natural process we all undergo to one level or another.

Quilting has facilitated my ability to sit and ponder while keeping slightly distracted by free motion meandering or focusing vividly on the task at hand to keep memories and thoughts at bay. Sometimes when I cut material, I think of it as being the fabric of life, and the scissors are Saturn’s Blade cutting away that which no longer serves me; I let go of memories and associated emotions. It is very therapeutic. I fill the project with love knowing that the recipient will enjoy it for many years to come…and since the last batch of quilts lasted some 25 years or better, by using a higher quality of fabric for the ones I am creating now, these latest ones will hopefully last for generations and become cherished family heirlooms.

Quilts are also known as “comforters”. This is what they essentially are. The beauty of them is pleasing to the eye, and this elevates the mood. The comfort they bring is soothing to the weary soul, and this is therapeutic.

It all begins with quality products; a good pair of scissors, and high quality cotton fabric.

Rachelle Foster

June 8, 2021

self help
1

About the Creator

Rachelle Foster

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