Healing hearts in quilting.

Quilting is an art, a passion, a hobby, and mender of the heart.

We all understand a quilt is made with love, it would have to be a love from within; why else would anyone take perfectly good fabric and cut it up into small pieces and put it back together again? We take these beautiful pieces of fabric we find and some not so beautiful and we coordinate them with others to bring out the beauty, the art and love we so wish to pass on to another.

We also know a quilt heals- by way of warmth, especially during a cold winter season, a crisp fall night, or blustery spring morning. A summer quilt one without the batting (wadding) between the layers does much the same for those who just like to feel wrapped in love. I know of one quilter who makes two types of memory quilts for an individual one with batting and another without. Why? She said "That way they have the person with them all year long". It made sense to me when explained in such a manner. I have not made a memory quilt; my father had passed before I started to really quilt - work was more important to me at the time. I do wish I had made one at least, but alas one can not wail over a missed opportunity.

Quilting the art of putting things back together again - is it just fabric we put back together? Maybe for some, but for many it puts so much back together. A lost loved one, a depressed mind, an unhealthy lifestyle leading to a less active and or more diverse way of living. Quilting can heal the soul, as it allows one to find an inner peace - through solace of being alone and having time to reflect on our lives, and things that have impacted us greatly. Friends come together in circles, and re live moments past, and plan greater times to come.

Our predecessors quilted out of necessity or want for a better means to keep warm during long colder winters. Our ancestors may have passed on their love of quilting to us via other members whom we learned this art form. Today, I pass on this amazing art form to others through compassion, willingness to give of myself, and the shear determination of not letting this art form die off due to no one taking the time to teach newer generations the hows of this art. I preach Perfectly imperfect for many reason's first and foremost I think the little quirks of difference make each quilt unique to the one who made it.

I end my post with "an unfinished quilt is waiting to love" for many reasons. One main reason is if it is lying in a box or corner it can not pass on the love and warmth you put into creating it. If you are not happy enough to pass it to a family member, I know a stranger who is experiencing a hard time in life will appreciate it as much or more than a member of the family or friend you planned it for, and thus healing another you have never met. Finish the ones you think are "not good enough", we do not have "the island of misfit quilts"; however I feel we have an island of unknown origins of misfits whom no longer feel loved, pass it on, give it a home, let it love and let it give your heart the opportunity to heal another you have never met, nor may never know how much you gave to them.

The heart and soul of a quilter is not one of jealousy over another beautiful work, nor is it competitive with the number of quilts made in a year or a life time. My grandmothers quilts are all over, and I will never know just how many lives were touched by their creations. The quilts my grandmothers made were not perfect, not all gorgeous fabrics, and not all utilitarian. I know each one was made with love, and devotion to each. I know the clothes my parents and aunts and uncles and some I never knew were used to create their works. I also know, those quilts will live a long long time, and carry my grandmothers tears, blood, love, and hope in each one. Those quilts were made during war times, good time, crop failures, and oh so many nights of alone time. Worries were washed away in making each one, hopes were stitched into seams that will never be checked for imperfections as each imperfection was a wish from their hearts, or a moment wished to be forgotten, I like to think when those hiccup stitches or too short seam allowances happened they were the life wish of a bad happening being given up and let go.

I quilt regularly, I quilt when I feel inspired, or need a break from the every day life inconsistencies or tragic happenings I wish to ignore and feel never were realized by myself and others. I quilt when I feel healthy or not, at times it gives me solace to know what I create and pass on will be a part of me left when I am no longer here or just no longer able to create. I hope to do so for many more years; however as we all know life changes on a dime.

I read daily how quilting has become an addiction for many, truthfully I hate that word addiction - it gives off a stigma. I prefer passion. It is a passion for me, it is not driven by monetary gain by any means. I do not quilt for profit, nor do I quilt because I feel I have to. I quilt for many reasons though, mostly it just calms me, lets my mind rest, and my heart rest less heavy on days I know the world is facing harder times. I quilt for me and no one else. I do not strive for perfection, since I know I will never achieve the impossible dream of doing so, I think if I ever created a perfect quilt I would stop as I have nothing else to strive to achieve in life.

I hope for you all quilting brings you peace, joy, love, friendship, and most of all passion of giving of yourself.

Allow yourself to create from within, do not strive to make perfection and allow yourself to de-stress while you create your works. If you have just begun this wonderful hobby, do not let another get you down and make you feel bad over your first project - show off your work and know it is loved by many, needed by just one and created by you.

An unfinished is waiting to love.

Until next time - Peace, joy and happiness.