Quilting Daze

It's Done :-)

When I finish piecing a quilt top I usually sing "another one bites the dust, another one's done and another one's done and another one bites the dust (boom boom)" LOL It's a bit busy but I really like the way it turned out. I love quilting week ends - don't you?

Why Do I Quilt?

I've thought and thought about this question that Patti posed to everyone late in the week. There are so many reasons but I think primarily because it's a stressbuster. I'm a worrier - my DH says that I worry when I don't have anything to worry about. I think that he's right! LOL I find that when I spend time sewing (machine and/or hand) my mind is at peace and my heart is very happy. I love to spend time in my sewing room and find that I can lose myself in my thoughts about patterns, fabric, more patterns and more fabric. In other words I don't have time to worry and fret. :-) I really enjoy sewing but have been down the garment road and really didn't enjoy that one bit. I was a quilting wannabe for a long time and honestly felt that I couldn't do it. I was attributing it to my frustration with garment sewing. UGH!!!! And, then in 1999 I had a strong desire to learn how to quilt so I visited every quilt store in the area to see how I would be treated as a "beginner". One of the owners of one of the quilt stores actually took me by the arm and showed me the beginner project and then showed me what I could do once I took my beginner class. I was so impressed with the way that she treated me that I signed up immediately and the rest is history. LOL

It's only been recently that I've started doing more handwork (Oh I've always been a needleworker - cross stitch and embroidery) but now new doors have been opened in the quilting world and a new kind of peace has happened. I truly do enjoy sitting and watching my needle pulling thread through the project of the day.

My mother in law once paid me the ultimate compliment "give Darlene a needle, thread and fabric and she can do anything". I can't tell you what that did for me. :-) A paintbrush and I do not get along so I completely avoid those type of activities. I do enjoy crocheting however it's been more than 25 years since I've done that. I won't bore you with the reasons I avoid other interests.

So, in a nutshell I quilt because it provides the peace and simple bliss I need in my life.

Why do I blog?

I discovered blogging when I accidently found Jeanne's blog in June. I'd read a few other blogs before that but I read Jeanne's entire blog and decided this might be the place for me.

Like so many of you I too belong to many e-mail groups and find that I primarily "lurk" - never quite feeling comfortable enough to post. And, when I do post I feel a bit self-conscious. (remember I'm a worrier - LOL)

I'm not necessarily a shy and introverted person however I do find that I'm slow to join. Actually I'm not much of a joiner - I do enjoy spending time with me, myself and I. If I don't join something I don't have to worry about being accepted - yes the fear of acceptance truly exists. Blogging means I can share my quilts and quilt tops and I don't have worry about someone rolling their eyes at my fabric choices or how big or small my quilt is or why I chose that pattern. I just post a journal type entry and hope that those that like I what I did will comment and I try not to worry about those that don't.

Blogging is a place to hopefully be accepted and be part of the "inner circle". I've already made several cyberfriends that I enjoy counting as friends. Blogging is a perfect fit for me and I've truly been enjoying it.

Thank you for letting me share!

Now it's time to search for a new project :-)

Gratitude:

The freedom of speech