SandiGrove

A great question! We lived in Africa for many years and I was fascinated with the creativity and the sense of colour the African woman was able to put together without any formal training so I created a colourful garden,I would walk thru upholstery shops caressing the fabric!!!!not thinking or realising I would be quilting- on moving back to Australia we built a house on a very big piece of land and couldn't wait to create the garden BUT the drought had just begun and I just couldn't face the heat, aha I'd make the curtains for the kids rooms and painted the fabric (had never owned a sewing machine) I enjoyed that but after 3 rooms then what??? I met a mum at the kids school who asked me to join her for a quilting morning - with trepidation I went along - I really enjoyed the monthly meetings and learnt heaps. 13 years later - sold house - moved into an apartment - kids left home - have my own sewing room which is a hive of activity - I just am just so passionate about quilting - I love the colours, and creating,I love experimenting, and my mind races with ideas and excitement and the adrenal rush of choosing fabric is my therapy!!!! I give most of my quilts away,but in 2010 when Brisbane got so badly flooded I hand pieced a triangle for every day we were misplaced out of our home 90 triangles! Sewed them together and realised I needed to keep a few quilts for the kids to have with a bit of history!

Ruby the Quilter

My first quilt was made in 1973 hand pieced and quilted - loved doing it and then years later saw an ad for applique class at a local sewing machine shop - and from then on loved applique for baby quilts - now I love all parts of making a quilt (except for figuring yardage for the back and seaming it). There is something peaceful about working with fabric and thread. Love giving them away and of course I keep some for me.

Sewing_Hubby

Born and raised in a quilting and sewing family. Been at it for roughly 50 years. Hand quilting is the most relaxing, and sewing, creating, designing, etc... Is just plain fun. I also enjoy all of the ancillary parts of it all to.

franklindixie

I quilt because I cannot do anything else. I have a quilter's soul. When I was 8 & learned to sew I kept scraps simply so I could quilt. I don't remember where my fascination with quilts came from because no one else in the family quilted. my family paints, sews, does woodworking, lots of creativity. But I AM a quilter. I simply cannot express my creativity any other way.

nanna-up-north

WoW!! What great stories you all tell.

I think I quilt to help me make a link to my ancestors. My grandmother left the Mennonite community to marry my grandfather and I love those old Mennonite quilts..... Amish ones, too. My grandmother didn't quilt that I remember and my mother didn't sew either. But, I know my sewing skills and quilting love must stem from my Mennonite ancestors. And, I'm proud of that heritage.

I also love to tackle a challenge and quilting can challenge me when I choose it to. Learning to applique was a stretch for me years ago. I still struggle with Y-seams and love to learn new things.

When I first started quilting I didn't have any friends or close family that quilted but I have infected many with my quilting disease. Everyone around me knows how much I love to quilt.... and collect old sewing items and they give me antique or vintage sewing tools, etc. for my birthday and Christmas. I love that part, too.

Okay, that's my story.....

Drue

Well, for me, it's definately a creative outlet. I was told early on that it was an obsession and that was very true. I love finding patterns that inspire me and I have 100's of them filed in notebooks....I mostly love picking all the fabrics for a particular quilt. It's very fulfilling. I love applique' and lust over many patterns and books...probably have most of them...LOL,LOL and maybe someday , if I live as long as Methusalah, I'll get them done.....Those with the most quilting projects live the longest! LOL,LOL I dearly love the entire process and have been at this about 10 years which started when a friend asked me to attend a quilt piecing class with her, which I finally did. I finished my quilt, but she never finished hers ....Hope to be able to do it for the rest of my life. I do everything by machine, the applique', the piecing and the quilting.... except the final edge of the binding, and attaching the machine embroidered labels,(which I make myself)...those I do by hand.

SherriB

I love to sew and quilting is an extension of sewing. When I am quilting, I am in my own little world and all my problems seem for away. I love seeing how the finished top looks and then the quilt when it is finished. I enjoy hand sewing and it relaxes me.