As I mentioned, I did a few sewing projects as a teen. Mom assisted, and I used a basic long sleeve shirt pattern - which I cleverly shortened to 3/4 sleeves because I preferred that at the time. The fabrics I used were a brown, stetchy, crushed velvet type of material and a gray and white camouflage that looked more like cow spots. I loved those shirts and wore them for years. Mom and I bought patterns for more clothes for me to make, and bought the fabric, but they were unfinished, unstarted actually, projects. I didn't know much about sewing and Mom was working hard to support a household of teenagers. I did sew a dress, which is ironic since I have never been one to wear dresses and skirts. I have tried to be girlie and wear those things, but I'm just uncomfortable in them and prefer jeans. The dress was pretty though. A black fabric with little flowers was used, and the dress had an empire waist which is very flattering on my figure. I'll have to research old photographs at Mom's house to see if any pics exist of these projects or me wearing them.
Then one holiday season Mom decided to make quilted Christmas tree skirts and stockings. I think this is where my initial interest in quilting began. I was talking to Mom about this recently and she said she didn't know what she was doing when she worked on those project, but I have seen the results, every year we use the Christmas tree skirt, and I love them dearly. Mainly because my mom made them, but also because they are pretty and remind me of Christmases of my youth. I think I had intended to learn how to quilt back then, because Mom had a Double Wedding Band template kit that she bought around that time. Nothing came from it though, and she recently gave it to me to use for my new quilting obsession.
In 1996 Mom bought a Double Wedding Band quilt at Mervyn's. I coveted that quilt from Day One, and eventually kleptoed it when I moved out. I love the design, the colors, and the feel of the fabric. I still have the quilt on my bed, but it's become ratty and needs repaired or replaced soon - but it will remain on my bed until it's a single strand of thread because I love it so much!! This quilt is another motivator that lit the quilting fire-bug under my arse.
A major contributor to my actual pursuit of quilting knowledge is that I got a job in July 2010 where I work with Quilting Ladies who are willing to teach me what they know. Jamie prefers to be called a "mentor," but I started referring to her and Marcia as Quilting Ladies and like it. I include myself in that descriptor as well, especially when I post pics of our Quilting Ladies Adventures (field trips to fabric stores) to my Facebook account. I am also an avid Google fan and spend way too much time online researching quilting. I find videos, free patterns, fabric on sale, and other quilters who have similar interests as myself so that I can learn from them vicariously. One thing I have found out during my research is that quilters all have their own ways of doing things. There may be a standard method or technique, but everyone tweeks it so that it works for them and their design. I like that and am open-minded enough to not get set in my ways (just yet) so that I can experiment and figure out what I want to do and which methods work best for me.
Since I have become obsessed with all things quilting, Mom let me pillage her stash of fabric that was intended for clothing. She showed me the quilt she started making out of old clothes that had belonged to her and her sister, and she let me take two 40 year-old quilt tops that were gifted to her and my dad for their wedding. She said the quilt tops were made by my great-grandmother on my dad's side. Mom said that it was "assumed she knew how to quilt" and would finish the quilts but they just sat around all these years. They have damage to them - stains, rips, areas that just need to be replaced - and I intend to repair them and complete the quilts once I have enough expertise to do it without further damaging them. I was so excited to see these quilt tops. One of them is the Maple Leaf pattern, but I wasn't sure what the other was until I did research. The closest I could find to the pattern is the Spiderweb (depending on which pattern you find because there are variations) or the Kaleidoscope.
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| I dig the funky colors! |
And most heart warming of all is the sewing machine I'm using. It's a Singer Touch and Sew 604E, which was manufactured in 1964 according to the one blog where I could find this information. I have searched and searched for information on this machine, including the Singer website itself, but have come up wanting. This machine was handed down to Mom from Grandma (I think) and now I'm using it. It doesn't get more sentimental than that.
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| A very basic machine that does a straight stitch. Made for sewing clothes rather than quilting. |
Today I am washing the new fabric for the Jeff Quilt and Grandpa's Big Cat Quilt, so maybe I will find the motivation to work on a project or two. I especially want to sandwich the Man Quilt so I can start quilting. So close, and yet... We shall see what I accomplish once the fabric is dried. Hopefully I will have something else worth posting!
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