When I was in college I had a job as a companion to an elderly lady. We would sit and watch tv all evening til it was time for me to go. She would not let me turn the channel so alot of what she watched didn't interest me. I got my first crewel kit and learned to do crewel while I sat with her. I went on to learn more embroidery and other needle arts.
When my kids were little I was tired of staring at 4 walls and I saw a book on tv about quilting. We couldn't afford even a candy bar at that time but I knew I had lots of clothes that we didn't wear anymore so I cut up old clothes and I made a cardboard square and I traced each square out laboriously!!!. I did a lot of applique then because it was easier.
At this same time I answered an ad in the paper to make a quilt top for a lady. I had never quilted!! She gave me a pattern for a bear's paw in cream and browns and she gave me the fabric. I made that top and it wasn't too bad for a beginner!! But when I went back to get paid for it she and her husband had seperated and she was gone. So I ended up with that top.
I continued over the years learning by trial and error. I love color and patterns and just kept trying new things. I like to challenge myself or I get bored!
My billfold fell apart at work one day and I decided to make myself one. My coworkers saw the one I made (just squares not minis) and they wanted one. I made one for the wife of a guy in the nursing home where I worked because she had such a hard time with her DH and I challenged myself to make the blocks really small. She loved it and I started making them for the people I worked with.
I have just messed around and done things by trial and error and when my daughter was looking through an antique and gift shop in Kalona Iowa( a big tourist atttraction that concentrates on quilts as the marketing theme) she showed a keychain I made to the owner and I started selling to that shop. I have been selling to her for 11 years now.
I decided I wanted to pass on some of my ideas to people so I got into teaching classes and then into the internet web arena.
It gives me so much personal joy to create something that to me is a picture and I do think of them as a framed picture. I agree they are like putting a puzzle together and i love that aspect of it too!!
My favorite thing to do is to play on my EQ5 and design. Love to see what happens when I think what if.........