Spring weather returned yesterday and it was cool enough to get back to work on the quilt.  The top quilting is done, it is trimmed, and now it just needs the binding done! Whenever I work on a quilt, I am so happy that rotary cutters and cutting mats are a thing.

Scissors

I am not a skilled quilter, although I have made several. I’m more of a plunge in and figure it out kind of quilter. I started because I love fabric, and seemed to keep acquiring it.  My sister-in-law is an exceptional quilter.  The red and white feathered star quilt she made as a wedding gift is a work of art. Every tiny triangle is perfect. I will never be that good or that patient, but that is okay.

I was lucky enough to see an exhibit of the Gee’s bend quilts a few years ago.  Gee’s Bend is a small isolated community in rural Alabama settled by freed African American slaves.  The women of Gee’s Bend used whatever materials they had, and created quilts as a way to help support their families. They used corduroy scraps from a nearby textile mill, old work shirts, leftovers. You can see some examples on this site.  Seeing this exhibit made me realize that there are truly no rules when creating a quilt. It can be beautiful and symmetrical, or it can be loud and worked in patterns based on what you have available.

While someday I would like to be at the point where I can create a quilt that has perfect seams and even stitches, I know that each one I do is still a quilt. Warts and all.

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