I was up late last night, as is usually the case (old night owls never die, they just try to function on less sleep over time).  I was searching for something in my sewing room and looked at some pretty bare shelves.  I have given a lot of my scraps of quilt fabric away to virtual friends who had even less than I do.  I can’t help myself – they have a passion for quilting and the time to make quilts and they asked for fabric scraps and I gave them without blinking an eye.  Though when I have a scrappy quilt or blocks to make, I inevitably find that I need to get more fabric – and then it’s not scrappy anymore because I’ve given all my scraps away.  On the flip-side of that is that I see my virtual friends make beautiful quilts that they donate to various people or groups and I feel the quilted love clear down to my toes.

Then I walked to my living room, where I have six completed quilt tops sitting on a chair just waiting for the binding.  I wanted to start binding them immediately but knew that since the rest of the house was asleep, I was better off waiting – no use waking a house full of kids up at 3 o’clock in the morning!!!

As I contemplated all of this, I got to thinking about my love of quilting.  Why?  Of all of the hobbies that I have done – and many folks know me as the craft queen who can do just about any craft with minimal supplies at the drop of a hat – why did I choose quilting? 

It goes back to the first quilt I commissioned for myself.  I had a friend in cosmetology school whose grandmother made quilts.  I asked her to make me one.  It’s nothing special, and after having it nearly 30 years, unfortunately it has not held up over time.  It has six-pointed stars appliqued with a zig-zag stitch.  The appliques started fraying after about the third washing and the only thing that has held the stars on is the yarn tying the center of the blocks to the quilt.  One of our dogs chewed on a few of the edges when she got mad that we locked her in the bedroom instead of letting her join in whatever we were doing.  I am not sure there’s even batting in the quilt as it’s very thin and the backing is an inexpensive flannel. 

But, I can tell you that quilt has been my “blankie” ever since I received it.  It has gone on vacations with me, has been used by all of my babies and I still use it daily when I’m napping.

THAT quilt piqued my interest in quilting.  When I first got it, I looked at all the pieces sewn together.  It was the pieces of my life.  A little bit of this fabric and a little bit of that fabric all sewn together to create one lovely treasure.  I’m not sure that I’d call myself a treasure to anyone – but, it was how I felt at the time.  I had a quilted heart.  I had bits and pieces of families (my own, foster families, my extended families, friends’ families, etc.) in my soul and they were all stitched together with love. 

There was my next adventure as a hobby.  I found it.  And although I’d never say I conquered it, I did take the quilting bull by the horns and make it a lifelong passion that never ceases to entertain me, fulfill me and show me that quilted hearts can make a life of love, ripped stitches, tattered blocks and all.

Why do YOU quilt?