The Quilting Gene

Quilting. Mom shoulda warned me. She really shoulda.

It's a hobby, a craft, an art (sometimes?), and I'm learning it's also an addiction. You see... if you have the "quilt gene" (and I'm definitely a carrier), you cannot simply sit down with a threaded needle and sew for a few minutes. No. It's this "thing" that takes over your life.

You start with that needle and a sandwich of fabric, batting, and backing fabric. You think you are in control. You tell yourself "I'll just do this one block." And then you start. Needle pushed down thru the sandwich, then up, then down and up again. You pull the thread thru - ahhhhhh - you push the needle down again. Next thing you know, you've been at it for a couple of hours. Your hands are cramped, your neck is stiff, your fingertips are sore (even bleeding) but can you stop? No.

I'm new to this. I've sewn my whole life, but never attempted quilting until two months ago. Then for some God-knows-why reason I decided that I wanted to make a quilt. Not just a little lap quilt. Not a sensible "first project" like a small pillow top. No. Let's dive into the deep end of the pool on the first go and do a queen-size bedspread.

I looked at quilting websites, read up on the basics and then went out and bought WAY TOO MUCH FABRIC (estimating yardage is not my strong suit). I had a ball selecting the pattern, the fabric. Cutting the pieces was even more fun - and so was stitching them together to make the quilt top. Next came pinning the top to the batting and backing material (making the "quilt sandwich"). I loved it all and suddenly worried that I'd find the actual "quilting" part of the work a boring deathmarch. But it wasn't. I loved it. I loved every minute of it.

So now I'm hooked. I'm a bonafide junkie and quilting is my "drug of choice."

My mother started quilting at about the age I am now (50's). I watched her turn into an addict; she's made hundreds of quilts. I've heard from 2 cousins (her nieces) that they also are hooked. Yes - I'm sure it's genetic. A predisposition for women in the family to quilting addiction.

Mom shoulda warned me. She really shoulda.