I don't believe in stereotypes, but I do believe in pattern recognition.
I have come to find that in the time that I have been quilting (ten years), one can truly define what it is to be a quilter. We may not all look alike, come from the same background, or buy the same fabric, but we have traits that are inherently the same.
Quilters have heart. They like to take care of others and feel a sense of pride when they do something nice for another person. A quilter will find out that a member of your family is having a baby, and three days later a finished quilt will end up on your doorstep. Often quilters belong to numerous charitable organizations so that they can donate their finished quilts, passing them on to people in greater need than themselves.
Quilters are curious. They like to know what's going on around them, and they are excited to share with you what is going on in their lives. They keep up with current trends- they may not participate in them, but they know what they are. They are print-conscious, color-conscious, and designer-conscious.
Quilters are loyal. Think about it- the amount of time and energy that quilters devote to a project that most likely they will be giving away. (I have unfinished projects in my stash that are older than my marriage and my child, combined!) A quilter will shop at a particular shop not because they have exactly everything that that quilter needs, but because they like the owner and feel good when they go to that store. Some quilters have particular designers that they love, and they patiently wait till each collection is made, and then excitedly snatch up the prints.
Quilters are generous. They donate their time, energy, and money towards charitable organizations that help people who desperately need a voice. My mom donated over 400 quilts in 2008 to various organizations such as CASA. We received a letter from a police officer who told us a unique story. He had the unfortunate task of seizing a child from a home and placing him in foster care. When the police officer asked the man to relinquish his son and let him go with the officer, the man told him that the clothes on his child's back belong to him, since he bought them, and if they are taking his son, they're not taking him with clothes on. The man stripped the child naked, (in November, in Northern California) and handed him to the police officer. If the officer hadn't had one of our quilts in his trunk, that child would have been not only traumatized, but freezing cold as well. The simple act of swaddling that child in a blanket and embracing him gave him the only comfort he knew in this terrifying situation.
Quilters are tenacious and always persevere. They rarely give up, but when they do, they know that they fought a valiant fight and that they held on till the bitter end. (This goes out to all those ladies who are finally donating 2002's fabric stash! hahaha) They often stick out a difficult task and find that the outcome is far greater than the effort that they had to give. Like when you are working on a difficult block-of-the-month and you finally nail it. Or, maybe you've been messing with EQ for a million years and finally, just finally, have you created your own one-of-a-kind pattern.
Because we have built this positive reputation and we have earned it by our kind deeds, it is important to me to uphold this creed.
I believe that quilting is the reason why I have the character that I do. I am fortunate that I spent so many years surrounded by large groups of women. It allowed me to really observe all different types of women, and to formulate a blueprint for myself for who I want to be. I was led by example.
I challenge you to observe yourself and your actions, and ask yourself if you're being a positive role model for somebody else. When you bash somebody else's quilt, or critique a particular designer because you really didn't like their colorway...I ask you, are you speaking life into the room, or death? Are you giving the rest of us a bad reputation, because you have a bad attitude?
I know that if it weren't for Mom and Grandma Pam, Lora Wheeler, Monique Crowell, Debi Salazar, and many others, I wouldn't have this heart. I give them so much credit for teaching me things beyond mitered borders and stitch regulating. I learned how to treat others, and how to show respect to everyone. I learned to be less critical and more optimistic. I learned that even if something is difficult, it still has to be done. I learned detail, precision, and common sense.
I am and always will be the girl who grew up in that shop.
Speaking of shops... want to know what's going on in mine?
*THIRTY SECOND UPDATE OF AWESOMENESS*
**Just received**
-Laura Gunn's Garden Wall
-Parson Gray's Curious Nature
-Cosmo Cricket's Salt Air
-Basic Grey's Hello Luscious
**Coming this week!**
-Valori Wells Karavan
**Coming Next Week!**
-Legacy Collection!! Heather Bailey's Fresh Cut
SO MUCH GOODNESS! Nom nom nom...all this fabric is just crunchy and sweet.
*WORKS IN PROGRESS*
-Cholo-tastic Mexican inspired quilt from Alexander Henry's Folklorico Collection, mixed with Kaffe and Parson Gray
-Sandi Henderson Secret Garden Sample
-Antique quilt that needs to be bound
-Another antique quilt that needs to be bound
-Baby quilt using Villa Rosa Designs' Gypsy pattern and Parson Gray's Curious Nature
So much to do, so little time left to sew...
may all of you be blessed with an abundance of fabric and friendship, and may you all learn something positive about yourselves this week...
xoxo,
JessLabels: character, quilters, remnants