Over the years I have talked to many quilters, and it is amazing how many stories each of us have to tell. Interesting to me is how did you get started quilting? Who taught you to sew? There are as many different accounts as there are quilt patterns. Some learned from family members, or took a class, or attended a retreat. I have even known some quilters who took a quilters' cruise to hone their skills. Doesn't that sound fabulous!
For me, my girlfriend started me looking at quilts as an art form instead of a bed cover. We were at a thrift store and a beautiful, intricately designed quilt was hanging in a corner. I remarked to her, "Why would anyone spend the time to make a quilt, when they could just buy a blanket?" She said to me, "You're looking at it wrong. You look at a quilt one block at a time. It's not so much a cover-up as it is a work of art." Well, that perked my artistic side and started me looking at quilts differently.
My first mentors were Georgia Bonesteel and Marti Michell, who used templates in their quiltmaking. Then I found Debbie Mumm who taught lessons on how to quilt without using templates, and that method was more my style. Eleanor Burns was another quilter I followed. I was amazed how fast she could make a quilt.
These fine ladies taught me the basics and started me on my own quilting journey. I will be forever grateful. Over the years I have discovered other quilters I enjoy following, but none hold a place in my heart like my first mentors.
No comments:
Post a Comment