Quilts talk
 

No, I'm not talking about talking ABOUT quilts, I'm talking about quilts talking. I'm really not loony, but it's happened too many times. If my life were a cartoon I'd have a gift bag with a name on it and the quilt would be refusing to go into that bag. Or another quilt would be jumping off the shelf to climb in instead.

I just made a red/white/black quilt for a bride. It didn't feel right the entire time I was working on it. Started a different one and ... it's hers! THe black/white/red will go to a high schooler at church when she graduates next year. It's hanging on the back of a rocker in the meantime and when I pass it I know it's Jaye's quilt.

I was making a hunting themed quilt for a college graduate. That quilt was having none of it. It wanted to go to our preacher - an avid hunter who celebrated his 10-year anniversary with our congregation. That quilt showed up for the celebration. The college grad? No quilt for him, but he has a serious sweetie and there will be one at a wedding shower, I'm sure.

I find this very strange because I don't think I'm .. intuitive?... sentimental? Not sure what the word is, but I'm very practical and down to earth. Until I get in my sewing room, that is!

I have several tops that are not finished because they haven't claimed their owners yet. When I know who they'll belong to I'll finish them, but in the meantime I'm busy enough working on ones who have picked out their people.

Weird, I know.

LOL - I love that story.

I know EXACTLY what you mean!!

Fabrics talk to us all the time. Quilts also have a mind of their own and let us know it! Love your story!

Love your story!!! Wish mine would speak up when they are on the frame to be quilted!!! Could always use the help there LOL!

I swear I've had some quilts mock me, does that count?:D

oh Tartan - yes it does count! Those go in Time Out!

How can you say you aren't intuitive? You sound incredibly sensitive to me and practicality or "down to earthness" is not the opposite of intuitive just another gift. Keep listening, so many are benefiting from it!

Yes, quilts do talk. I have had tell me that "No, that border does not work!"

You are NOT alone....mine can get to be quite mouthy at times and won't shut up until I listen....:)

Yes, quilts will talk to you...especially when a certain fabric does not work in it. It will tell you to replace it.

Just yesterday I had one tell me it was DONE! I've tried several times to put another border on it and I could never find anything to work. I tried again yesterday with new fabric, sat back to look and actually said out loud "okay, okay, I'll call it good, you don't need anything else."

You are absolutely correct! Happens to me with all types of gifts but mostly with those crafted with love.

Absolutely.

I worked on a quilt off and on for years, I could never seem to get excited about it, or finish it. Until...it told me it belonged to my FIL! Suddenly, it was finished in a matter of weeks. And, he loved it!

I am working on a quilt now. Its kinda frustrating because I have no idea who its for. A friend keeps asking what I will do with it. I figure once its done, it will tell me where its going. Until then I am just trying to being patient until it decides to talk to me.

I am having trouble choosing the accent color for my mystery train quilt because I don't know who it's going to, so I hear you. Mine tell how to FMQ them, too.

Okay - I don't feel quite as loony - well, unless all of you are loony too! :)
Suze - that's it exactly. I have all these tops dones, hanging on coat hangers complete with their backing - the backing is even pieced if necessary. But until I know where they're going they'll just hang there. I'm working on the cutest Sunbonnet Sue baby quilt. It's sandwiched and partly quilted. But I'm making myself do one little section a day. Today it told me to forget it and work on other projects. When I know what baby this one needs it can wait. I don't even think it's going to a baby - I think it's going to a first-time Grammy. Now I just have to wait to see which one.

Yes, I can relate to that. Sometimes they speak quite loudly. LOL

Mine change designs and colors. But I don't ever really plan the border until the inside is done. It visits the LQS with me to find its own border. And backing. And sometimes they insist on being made and just drag me along for the ride because they are wanted somewhere that I don't know about yet. I have learned to listen and obey. ;)

Fabric and quilts talk to me....so I knew there must be others that experience the same. Sometimes, we just have to be still and "listen" .......solves many of life's riddles. :) Mind you I also talk to plants, animals and myself....but that's a whole 'nother thing:).

It's mostly fabric that talks to me.. It says, "Buy me."

Yes, and some of those are really LOUD MOUTHS, aren't they?!!:D

I'm glad I'm not the only one! Some of mine stop me dead in my tracks before they're done and go in the closet until I get the message, LOL.

Great story! Sounds like you have a lot of empathy and think a lot about the people who receive your quilts.

Oh yes...my quilts talk to me all the time....in a foreign language! They scream at me all the time when I am adding the wrong color border (sometimes not discovered until done) and will "not very politely" tell me that I am using an entirely wrong pattern of fmq, that it all needs to be ripped out. Sometimes I wish I could not hear the quilt because it usually causes me to do a lot of ripping, or even cost me more money as I decide to get different fabric for that border.....even though the quilt is usually right. ;)

Quilts and fabric speak to me all the time. I recently finished a lap quilt and had it just the way I wanted it. As I was sandwiching it it said take that border off of me. lol

So it's not just me!! i know now to pay more attention.

I have this type of thing happen all the time when crocheting afghans for baby gifts, especially if I don't really know the color choice of the mom. I figure it's my mom guiding me from above! So many times, I've put together the afghan & then found out it was just the colors the mom to be loved! I have no other explanation for it.

OK, now I know why the completed squares are sitting in the closet. All the time is was working on this group of fabrics I just couldn't get enthused about finishing it. I now know when the time is right it will get done. Thanks for the explanation.:)

I can certainly relate to that. I design my own quilts, sometimes, and I tell everyone that the fabric or the quilt tells me what to do.

Yep, the fabric is the lord of the studio in my house; it is always telling me what it wants to do, to have near it, needs as a complement, etc. I've long since learned to just listen and obey, LOL! :)

Jan in VA

I understand what you are saying. I can't start a quilt unless something happens that lets me know what the quilt should look like. Sometimes just thinking of the person is enough and I know right away what to do. Other times I have to really work at it... right now I have a new DIL who is moving away from the coast to where our son lives and already she is missing the ocean. She very boldly told me now that she is family she gets a quilt! (Had to laugh because I was already on it). Later she appologized for her comment, but the damage was done.... I knew she wanted a quilt! I have told her to send me lots of photos of the scenes she loves, down to the details of the kind of trees that grow there. I have a list of "favorite" colors (and a couple she does NOT like) and things are coming together in my head. It will be some time before it is done (not all the data is in:)) but I really look forward to making this quilt when the details gel. I've already begun sketching. Without personal knowledge of a person it is very hard for me to make a quilt. It is like an assignment; work; a duty.

I make quilts for each high school graduate from our small church. This year that's 3. The boy I know - know his family, known him forever - has a finished top and I'm waiting to find the backing to finish. The other two - I don't know. My "kids" are in their 30's so I'm not with the teens anymore and these 2 have not been with us long enough to have been in my 4th and 5th grade Bible class. So ... hard. But again - the finished quilt that would NOT go to the bride (original post) also will not go to this girl. It's going to a girl who will graduate next year - it has told me so. The other grad is a boy and I stand looking at my stash trying to figure out what fabric he belongs too and ... not happening yet. Sigh. I had a daughter who was on the mouthy side and now these quilts!

yep, sometimes things do talk to us. we just have to listen. keep going!!

At least you can start and let it speak to you about a recipient. I can't even start one unless I can picture the end result and have a home for it...even if it's one for me to keep.

Totally agree with you! I find that houses and books do the same thing...And manage to find their way to the person who needs them the most..

I don't think it is the quilts talking, I think it is the Holy Spirit guiding you. Give credit where credit is due.

Ya mean I'm not the only one LOL

Same here. I have a D9 patch, mostly pink "I wanted" 2 pink borders on, quilt has other wishes, I just don't know what yet.

I never pick borders or binding until the rest is finished. I have found I just cannot plan ahead. The quilts do have a mind of their own!! (I can't follow a pattern either!)