Ten Reasons I LOVE Quilting

Quilting! A hobby I never imagined I’d be passionate about. But I love it!  And here is why . . .

1. It’s meditative

When I am quilting I am only thinking about what I am doing. Busy hands with a clear mind. I usually do it after my kids go to bed. I find it’s a perfect way to wind down for the night. Some people put on the TV, listen to music, podcasts or audio books while they quilt. But to be honest, I love the hum of my machine.

2. It’s creative 

I’m not a very artistic person, but quilt design is as much math as it is creativity. I feel like it balances my left and right brain and has them working harmoniously. When designing a pattern,  you do it on grid paper. It expands my creativity by being in the box, as it gives me a starting point. I could never draw, but I can come up with a beautiful pattern and select some wonderful fabrics to put together.

3. There is a sense of community

Something that really surprised me about quilting is how much community there is. Quilters support and encourage other quilters. What I never knew is that there are Quilting Guilds. The one I am interested in joining in Calgary is the Calgary Modern Quilt Guild, but there are others as well. Clubs that get together to talk about quilting and inspire each other. Every other quilter I’ve met, loves it as passionately as me, and will try to help you along the way!

4. It’s modern and cool

If you think quilting is not modern and cool, WAKE UP!  I know little about quilting as a beginner but the ones that tickle my fancy, I think of as textile modern art! It’s definitely not your Granny’s quilts. Check out #quiltsofinstagram,  #modernquilting, #modernpatchwork on Instagram, brands like Culcita, Suzy Quilts, or Modern Patchwork Magazine.

5. Fabrics are amazing!

Fabric lines are so cool. Just since I started quilting in February, so three months, I’ve discovered Tula Pink, Sarah Watts, Cotton and Steel, and Free Spirit Fabrics, among others that make great, fun, modern prints to bring your vision to life. I dare you to look at this Tula Pink Tabby road collection print I’ve stashed away for my sister’s quilt and not love it!

6. I find it so satisfying to make something that can be used

It has purpose. They literally keep you warm, and are the best picnic blanket. When my son asks for the quilt that I made to sleep, my daughter snuggles with hers on the couch or I get to give a one-of-a-kind gift, it gives me great pride and satisfaction. Knowing how much thought and time went in to every detail of the piece makes it priceless.

7. It’s nice to have a permanent object after all that work 

When I cook or bake, after all the hard work is done, it’s just a memory after it’s eaten. After you finish a quilt, it’s permanent. It’s there. And it will probably outlast you. It’s such a nice keepsake and snap shot of that moment in time you had – a baby, or son moves to their big kid bed or someone gets married. As a maker you attach what was going on in your life at that time to the object. It is a memory in a object.

9. It’s time-consuming

Now some people may not understand why I LOVE that it is time-consuming, but I love that it is something that you just have to put the time in to. Any hobby is a way that you fill your time. I’ve replaced much of the time I used to spend watching HGTV and reality shows with quilting, and I am definitely better for it.

10. It’s beautiful 

I explain to people that the type of quilting I enjoy most is definitely not your grandmother’s quilting, but more like graphic art in textile. With so many hours of work  , and a lot of unique details, there is nothing that compares to the beauty or comfort of a handmade quilt. When I was looking at the photos of the quilt entered in the contest at Quiltcon, they are truly art!Jess