1. What is your name and where are you from?
Elizabeth, Florida
2. How, when, and where did you learn to quilt?
My grandmother taught me to hand piece when I was a teen, but I taught myself on the sewing machine.
3. Why do you quilt? (tradition, expression, for family, etc)
It's fun, and it allows me to reach through time back to past generations of quilters. Doing so gives me peace.
4. Have you taught anyone else to quilt?
No but I'd love to.
5. Are there differences in quilting from when you first learned and now? If so, how do you feel about this transition?
I have a sewing machine this time! My hands love me for it
6. Are you part of any quilting groups/communities?
I do volunteer for charities but I am not part of any one of them.
7. Do you feel that quilting is a part of your heritage? If so why?
My grandmother was a seamstress so if that's part of my heritage, I suppose so
8. What type of feeling do you get out of quilting? Why do you enjoy it?
Peace, joy contentment, self expression, satisfactions, sometimes fustration
9. What different type of quilts have you made? What was the most difficult, easiest? Do you have a favourite style?
Pieced, Memory, Embroidered, Bargello, I like and want to make anything I haven't done before.
10. Who do you make quilts for?
Family
11. When quilting, what happens if you make a mistake?
Either I rip it out, or work around it, sometimes mistakes can't be corrected with a seam ripper, but taking the time to think about it and try a new way is what makes a quilt a work of art.
12. What is your favourite feature about a quilt?
Self expression through fabric and design.
13. What makes a quilt different from other blankets to you?
A quilt is a sandwhich of three parts assembled to create a single object. Not all quilts are made with love, and neither are blankets, but both CAN be.
14. Do you feel that contemporary quilting has lost some value? If so, why? Or do you feel it has gained value, and again, why?
I feel that some people sell their work for nothing and that hurts the quilting community, because everyone comes to believe that a quilt costs "X" when that's not really true and doesn't encompass time and effort only fabrics. I suppose it's "You can't put a price on love". This is not the same as giving a quilt as a gift. To give something is to leave the "cost and efforts" forever unknown and unmarked. I do feel that quilting has begun to regain popularity over the past couple of years and that's a great thing.
15. Does the history of quilting mean anything to you? If so, what do you know about its history? I think the history of quilting is like the world as a myth, there are so many things that people have made up as they went along that we pass on as in truth fact. But the bottom line is that quilting is fun and that quilters through out generations have put more time and effort into their quilts than some will ever know.
16. Do you have anything you would like others to know about quilting?
That it's not something only women do, it's not something old ladies do, the joy of creating a quilt can be shared and found by anyone, just as a painter picks up his first set of paints.
17. Do you quilt alone, or together in a group? Is quilting a social event or a chance for some alone time for you? Or both? I mostly quilt alone, if quilting with a three year old counts as alone, comming here to the quilting forum and when I blog my self expression time, where I can share and see all the beautiful things others have made
18. If quilting is in your family, do you feel you are carrying on a tradition? If so, why is this important to you? Quilting is more of a family pastime, a family of dabblers, I find it empowering and a fullfilling passion, it saddens me to think I might one day not quilt anymore.
19. Do you have any memories of others quilting? Do you have memories of specific quilts in your past? If so, please feel free to share. My mother used to quilt, she is a perfectionist. I think that made her crazy because she saw felt and fretted about every imperfection, instead of accepting the inperfection of human nature as part of the beauty in her quilts. For her it was hand quilting when I was young and, sew as you go when I was a teen.
20. Last but not least, do you have any stories or memories about quilting you would like to share?
When my grandmother taught me to hand sew the temors of her parkinsons slipped away. If only for a moment if only for a fraction of a thought.
A question regarding your consent: Is it alright if I use your responses in a informal class project? :) I answered to help you.