In the last few days since I've found and joined this message board, it, and you, have given me so much inspiration and motivation. I've been quilting since about 1995, after viewing several antique quilts around town in antique shops. I instantly fell in love with the beautiful quilt designs and unique texture of the fabric and threads they were made with. To this day it's hard to go past a quilt without touching it, gently caressing the stitches I am sure were put there with love.
I am in awe of the women who created those antique quilts, most of the time without a sewing machine and only with candle light or oil lamps by which to see. At night, after their chores were done and the children were put to bed, they gathered up their sewing baskets and sat quilting for hours, often giving up precious sleep to do so.
I feel so fortunate to have my sewing/embroidery machines to do my piecing and freemotion quilting on. I often think of our ancestors creating their masterpieces with literally only a needle and thread and the scraps of fabric they had left over from previous quilts or old worn out clothes that could not be mended. Some lucky few were able to purchase new fabric from the general store in town treating it as the special purchase it was.
I often wonder what they would have said if they could glimpse into the future and seen the machines, fabrics, threads and unlimited notions we take for granted today.
I am not fortunate enough to have had a quilt handed down to me, but I plan on changing that for my children and grand children. With 4 children all grown and out of the house, (and in 2 cases, out of the state), 4 grandchildren, and one on the way, a little girl, due on October 4th, I have my work cut out for me ( well not exactly cut out).
My hope is that they pass these quilts on to their children and grandchildren, having something special to remember me by.
So, thank you everyone, for taking the time to view and comment on our quilts, motivating us to finish that next masterpiece.