I realize how much quilting has gotten me through. 45’s presidency, the pandemic, and my daughter’s major health crisis in 2020. I started making quilts in 2006. I couldn’t do beadwork any longer due to thumb pain. That’s why I have the moniker “beadlady” because I joined Dkos in 2005 when I was still trying to do beadwork.
I started long-arming in 2010 after I retired from real world work. I got the computer system in 2011, and started doing customer quilts. It’s been gang busters ever since. I truly believe it was spirit using quilting as a way for me to get through so much! My own health issues. Having my daughter going up and down with her health issues, and dealing for five years, more directly with my narcissistic mother after my father died, until she passed.
Making quilts and long-arm quilting have given me:
- Therapy
- Creativity
- Distraction
- And the big one — PURPOSE!
I made a goal last year. Quilt fifty of my own quilts by the end of this year. New ones and those in the bins. Little did I know that I’d be having hip replacement surgery next Tuesday. That put an urgency in me to get more done. I didn’t do one customer quilt in August. Focused only on my own and kept my promise to myself. 65 quilts done as of today.
Here’s #63. It’s at my buddies who does the hand binding for me in trade for quilting her quilts. I know I made this around 2014. I took a paper piecing class with Carol Doak in 2014 at Road2CA and made this when I bought one of her books.
I posted a lot of the completed ones on Etsy recently. It’s summer time and I don’t expect any sales. Maybe when the Kos Katalogue comes out later this year. Or, share the link if you’d like.
I still have maybe twenty tops still in the bins. I know I have fifteen that have been quilted and the binding needs to be completed. This month I also put together bundles of finished backings, binding strips, with the top and batting, to be ready, once my hip heals enough to put them on the frame.
#62. This was a summer mystery quilt and the mystery was each block. Could only use two fabrics. I made it five years ago. Binding needs to be finished.
Here’s #60. Bohemia by Villa Rosa Designs. I’ve made at least a dozen because they are fast!
#65 is a pattern called Garden Villa by Villa Rosa Designs. Another quick one. Again, binding needs to be done but it’s quilted! This is it for me, until I’m healed enough to put quilts on the frame again. The surgery is an anterior hip replacement and doctor said it’s a 2-6 week healing period. Keeping fingers crossed.
Here’s #1 in case you were curious. A simple bargello with gorgeous fabrics. Made three years ago and quilted this January.
I posted on a quilting website, when I posted quilt #50, “Insanity — thy name is quilting.” One of the other quilters posted: “Isanity — thy name is Laura.” Maybe so. I have a feeling I’m going to go through withdrawals after surgery!!
I wrote this diary because this month I’ve realized how important quilting has been for me, in so many ways.
I know you have your own love for quilting, please share why below.