Joy in quilting

For many years I would speak of how I wanted to quilt but... it was not the season. A few years ago I entered the season where time allowed me room to begin to quilt. It was a slow beginning, but a blessed one as my friend Laura instilled in me many details and techniques to help me learn precision- a key ingredient in quilting. Precision is not my natural bent so I am always having to slow myself down and check and double check my work. My first wall quilt took over a year to complete as I only worked on it with my friend. After I moved I then managed to finish it alone. Since then I have tried a few new patterns and projects.

This past week, being a quiet holiday week I took up my quilting tools again. I finished a rather large wall quilt- for my stairway. It is almost a twin size, not quite, but almost- my largest project to date. With leftover fabric I pieced a small lap quilt and a smaller mis-mash wall quilt. Today I "quilted" the two smaller quilts, using my new quilting table that attaches to my sewing machine. It was a gift from my bear for my birthday and was kind of a whim desire for me, to venture into unknown, but after todays usage I am so pleased to have it. The space for me to elevate the fabric to be quilted is much larger than with just the sewing machine alone. It made it easier to plan the quilting path and manage the fabric in movement. I am sold.

It is exciting to me to see a quilt come together. From the pull of a fabric color and design then the adding of complementary patterns and shades to the planning and cutting. Next its on to sewing, trimming, pressing and trimming and soon it is a quilt top. Now I am realizing the joy of machine quilting and the completion of gifts and decorations and blessings to be shared with others.

So, as I venture into this new season it is with a joy in creating. I am learning to use the fabric to its fullest- "scraps" turn into more blocks and spare blocks now turned into trivets and potholders adorn my kitchen. I am excited about what I am in the midst of and what lies ahead. yeah for new seasons of life! yeah for colors and designs and the creative nature that God built into us that comes out in so many expressive ways.