Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Someday!

Welcome, everyone, to my day on the Quilt Qwazy Queens blog hop!

We were asked to write about why we are crazy about quilting, our first quilt project, and things like that.  So (deep breath) here goes!

I only started quilting 'for real' about 15 years ago, though my interest in creative pursuits goes back much further than that. 

I was always interested in working with my hands and making "stuff".  I remember making pot holders on a toy loom when I was 5 or 6.  I really loved making them!  

Like many people of my generation, I learned to sew in Home Ec in high school. During that time, I saw articles in magazines like Family Circle and Women's Day with quilt patterns and was intrigued enough to cut them out and save them. I had a vague idea that "someday", I'd like to make a quilt. So I kept cutting out patterns and I filed them in a file box along with my other "someday" projects.  I had a folder for quilts, one for knitting, one for crochet, one for counted cross-stitch, etc. etc.  While I was thinking about those folders for this post, I went looking for them.  And I actually found them!  Yay!  OK, I freely admit to being a pack rat. But at least, I'm an ORGANIZED pack rat. ;->
You can tell these clippings are from the 70s - look at those colors!
My first attempt at actually making a quilt was when I decided that I needed a bedspread for my dorm room my freshman year in college.  So over Christmas break, I bought some red, yellow and blue cotton prints and dove right in, without a pattern or anything.  How hard could it be, right?  The result was an eye-assaulting nine patch sashed with a navy blue polyester-cotton blend with many unmatched corners and puckered seams.  It was what I would now call gawd-awful, but it kept me warm for the four years of college.  And it was used as a picnic quilt and a beach quilt and a swimming pool quilt for many years after that until it finally fell apart.  

After graduation, I got my first job and got married. I did some counted cross-stitch, knitting and crochet while watching TV in the evenings with my hubby. But after the kids came along, I was just too busy with my family, working full-time, being a Girl Scout leader, choir member, Mom's Taxi, etc. to do much of anything craftsy.  I still ripped out and filed interesting patterns from magazines figuring that my "someday" was going to happen someday :->.  

Then, about 15 years ago, I discovered the world of quilting on the internet!  I live in a part of the country where there weren't any quilting shows on TV, so I had never heard of shows like Eleanor Burns' "Quilt in a Day" or "Simply Quilts" on Home and Garden TV.  But I came across their websites and found out that some of the patterns from the shows were available online! My world changed forever at that point! I also stumbled up a Yahoo Group dedicated to swapping quilt blocks, and another one for making mystery quilts.  By then, the kids were old enough that I had some time to myself.  My "someday' had come, and I dove right in to my quilting adventure!  

Here is a picture of a corner of my first "real" attempt at quilting - with a pattern and everything!  You may not be able to tell from this picture, but the points are awful, lines don't match up, and the binding is simply the backing wrapped around to the front.  But boy, was I proud of those matching diagonals on the upside down maroon calico heart!  And see that red bandana heart?  It was made from a piece of the red fabric left over from my college bed spread!

Since that heart quilt, I have lost count of the number of quilts and quilting projects that I've made.  Table runners, purses, baby quilts, lap quilts, quilts for charity, quilts for grandkids and for great nieces and nephews... I am always in need of inspiration!  So I still collect interesting patterns that I may need "someday". There is a wealth of free patterns on the web and it isn't hard to find them!  Try typing "free quilt patterns" into your search engine and see how many hits come up!  I collect many free Block of the Month patterns but I now save a lot of them electronically.  (Speaking of free BOTM patterns, Marian at Seams to be Sew has a tab on her blog with links to TONS of 2016 BOTMs! Check them out when you visit to enter to win prizes for the Qwilt Qwazy Queens Blog hop!)  OK, where was I?  Oh, yeah - electronic patterns! Fortunately, it takes a lot less space to save patterns when they are electronic. If I kept paper printouts of all the electronic patterns that I have, there wouldn't be room in the house for anything but file cabinets!  OK, maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but here is a screen shot of the files on one of my flash drives.  


My current filing system for quilt patterns
Each line is an electronic folder. Some of the folders have only one pattern in them, but others have many, many more than that.  For example, the Block of the Month folder has about 60 quilt patterns in it. The "Quilt Patterns" folder has about 3 times that many.  It's an obsession.  Or maybe an addiction.  Do they have 12 step programs for quilters? ("Hi, I'm Barb and I'm a quilt addict") ;->

So the reason that I can call myself a quilt qwazy queen is that I am crazy about saving quilt patterns.  I know that there is no way that I could possibly make all of the projects in my lifetime, but I still save them. I think that fits the definition of crazy, right?  

Make sure to visit the rest of the Qwilt Qwazy Queens on the Blog Tour the rest of this week, and leave comments on each blog to be entered for great giveaways! The schedule for the rest of the week is listed below.  

If you comment on my blog today (before 6 a.m. EDST on March 23nd), you'll be entered to win a Quilter Dream Batting - Dream Pink! I will be using Mr. Random Number generator to pick a winner.  Please include your email address in your comment so that I can contact the winner to get a shipping address. You can use words in place of the '@' and the '.'  in order to hide from potential spammers.  (For example, yournameatgmaildotcom)

As a special gift to the blog hoppers this week, one of the sponsors is offering a 10% discount on any order (except gift certificates)  To redeem the offer, go to the Fat Quarter Shop (http://www.fatquartershop.com/) and use the code seamstobe316


        March 22       
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79 comments:

  1. If saving quilt patterns makes you quazy ... Well, I am right beside you :-)

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  2. OMGosh, I made and sold those potholders. I learned to sew in high school but never became interested in quilting until I retired. If nothing else, you have inspired me to move some files to a flash drive, lol.
    Happy Easter

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  3. Great story and inspiration. thanks.

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  4. I am Qwazy about organizing things, too.

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  5. I keep patterns in folders too. 24Tangent@gmail.com

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  6. I love your heart quilt. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  7. I have a huge quilt pattern folder on the computer. I've even made a few of them, too!

    quiltingloon10 at gmail.com

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  8. Thanks for sharing, and the chance to win.
    cork@pa.rr.com

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  9. Pink batting! Just last night I read a new way that I could use batting in my Touch Quilts. My first thought was, If only it wasn't white....

    Thank you for the reminder that precious quilt files should be backed up! nelljeancam@gmail.com

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  10. DD#4 is trying to clean up my studio. First thing she found were my binders of 'bucket' quilts. We had a very loud discussion about getting rid of those. Needless to say, they are still there although I am getting ready to let her use the scanner to save them digitally. I still enjoy looking at them.

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  11. I'm always collecting patterns too. I would have to live to 200 to make them all.
    Swoot@att.net

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  12. i love learning about how others got started quilting. LOL i made so many of those pot holders, i think mom hid a lot of them. she was always the encourager. it just kept me going and trying to achieve what i haven't yet achieved. i am like you, i have amassed so many patterns on the computer, i would never be able to make a dent in half of them.
    quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

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  13. I remember teaching my daughter to make those potholders. Love the trip down memory lane. Jmikebalou(at)aol dot com

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  14. i love collecting patterns but lately too many to keep - I like electronic files makes it easier!! mumbird3atgmaildotcom

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  15. YOU gotta love the modern quilting tools, yes a computer is a quilting tool!

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  16. Your flash drive looks like what I have stored on an external drive. Only mine list is larger as I am interested in so many different crafts.

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  17. Oh you do make me laugh. My flash drive looks strangely enough similar to yours! LOL! Your so right about never making half that I've saved! Fun post!

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  18. You are not alone at saving patterns; so many patterns that I would need to live to 500 to make them all. How sentimental that you saved a piece of your college quilt and gave it new life. joyfatshawdotca

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  19. My quilting journey s much the same as yours...loom, x-stitch and all...right down to the pattern files! Gunterheather (@) yahoo (.) com

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  20. I am also a collector of patterns. And I know I'll never make even half of them, but I figure they're inspiration. Thanks for sharing your quilting story.

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  21. Ok...potholder flashbacks...yep, I remember those too. Quilting found me when I needed it most.

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  22. Yep I am right there with you. Too many patterns and not enough time.

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  23. I also collect patterns, old quilting magazines, etc. I just need to step away from the pc and sew. Thank you for the inspiration. janie(dot)mccombs(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  24. What a great post! Thanks for sharing :) mrskatymarriott at gmail dot com

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  25. Thanks for sharing your story! Thanks for being part of this hop!

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  26. Enjoyed reading your story. It's funny how the little things can sometimes make us happy -- like those matching diagonals! You go girl! It's just the type of thing that I would be happy about too.
    jklmengland at windstream dot net

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  27. Wonderful story. And see, the Quilt Police didn't come for you for not matching your points! I need the Quilt Police to come sometimes and say "All right, Ma'am. Step away from the computer." And get back to the sewing machine!

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  28. LOVED YOUR POST TODAY! THANKS FOR SHARING!
    msstitcher1214@gmail.com

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  29. Hi, my name is Jane...and I am a Quilting addict, lol. I enjoyed your post a lot. Brought back lots of memories.

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  30. Thanks for sharing your story!

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  32. Thanks for sharing the story of your quilting journey. I remember using one of those looms as a kid!

    oh snap, forgot to say snohpat(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  33. I'm glad it's not just me who has hundreds of quilt patterns saved up!
    jen dot barnard at btinternet dot com

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  34. Great story about your journey! I love that you used some of that red bandana print AGAIN in another quilt, because that's the mark of a true quilter - using your scraps! Also, I think that quilter = quilt addict. They are one and the same. It's hard to not fall in love with all of the possibilities! Thanks for the giveaway; I'm curious to try pink batting! lalaluu at yahoo dot com

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  35. Such a great story, and some comedy to boot, plus your way over organized, I'm a little on the organized myself, I'm not to old to remember those little toy looms also, they were pretty fun. I am sew happy you joined us for this hop and truly made me laugh, smile, and enjoy the day a little bit more than it was already turning out. Hugs!!!

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  36. I am trying to organize my patterns and books. Hard to get rid of any. Thanks for sharing your stories. tacdahatgmaildotcom

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  37. I had a loom like yours when I was young too - brings back a lot of memories. Thanks!

    Please click on the delaineelliott above for my email link.

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  39. Great story- I love how you knew someday you would get to be a quilter! I am a stay at home mom to 2 kids and sew/ quilt for my own sanity and something that is just for me (although most everything I make is for someone else!). Sarah: crjandsbj(at)gmail(dot)com

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  40. OOPS - Left off my email address. Lets try again - sewcat08(at)yahoo(dot)com
    I'm like you about patterns - I think that I would have to live to be over 1,000 in order to do them all. Thanks for the opportunity - who couldn't use new batting - it means making another quilt.

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  41. You crack me up.... an orgainized pack rat. I love it! I'm an unorganized pack rat! Thanks for sharing!

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  42. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!

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  43. Haha, I saw that loom and went -- WOW! Yes I did use one of those and made potholders too! Thanks for the quilting journey and I hope there is never a 12 step program. :) My email is: reeskylratgmaildotcom

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  44. Ha.....guess I am a Qwazy Quilter too since I save pattern, magazines and fabrics. But.....it is a fun qwazy.

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  45. I can relate to your story about saving patterns, my electronic patterns list is not quite a long as yours but my file cabinet is full and overflowing. It was nice to meet you today.

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  46. Of course you still save them! You don't know WHICH one might be the one you need! See? I do it, too. LOL Thanks for a look at your quilting history. That was fun to read. Thanks for the giveaway chance, too.

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  47. I save patterns, quilting motifs, anything I can that I like so I can revisit for an idea or creativity jog when needed. I even have tons of books and magazines that I go through to get the juices flowing! They are a necessity!! ndfromsdatgmaildotcom

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  48. I have many electronic files too, but they are mostly embroidery designs. They sure save a ton of space when it comes to quilting patterns!

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  49. I have many electronic files but, unfortunately I also have paper ones. Need to do something with those and clean up my paper filing system.

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  50. Very very nice story....Ty for sharing....ya i hear ya here in Maine not much for quilting tv shows ...but thank goodness for youtube.... happyness04431@yahoo.com

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  51. Love, love, love your story! Funny how life gets in the way! I've been at it for about 27 years. My baby is now 27, the last of 3. I made a quilt for her and wanted it warm. I put in 4 batting layers [OMG that kid woke up every time with her hair plastered to her head from sweat!] That quilt was dragged all over the place to cover her and her dog [golden retriever] for her afternoon naps! Thanks for bringing back some good memories!

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  52. sorry! forgot to give you my email! onlydiamonds at hotmail dot com

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  53. Thanks for sharing your story x
    Iain.ross30 at gmail dot com

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  54. If I could make all the patterns I have saved. Oh well, it is fun to look and dream.

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  55. I agree, electronic storage is the way to go. Thanks for sharing!
    nancydotsumneratcomcastdotnet

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  56. Too funny about still having your pattern files from so long ago! I save many patterns too, from online and magazines, and it is so fun to look through them all.
    My email is: bestbelle2010@aol.com
    Thanks!

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  57. I just went through and cleaned out a lot of my patterns...I didn't like a lot of them anymore, and I am always finding something new to sew, piece, quilt. :)

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  58. Enjoyed reading this--I too save oodles of patterns every year and stopped printing them about 6 or 7 years ago. I started quilting after watching El on PBS for several years--took me awhile!

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  59. So many projects...so little time. I love all the possible varieties available.

    Celia

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  60. Thanks for sharing your journey. My first "quilt" was also a covering for my bed at university. And I guess I could join many with a collection of quilt patterns. Love the heart quilt. Some patterns never age.

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  61. Great post - thanks for sharing your story!

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  62. I'd love some of that pink batting!
    rrjane011749atyahoodotcom

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  63. What an amazing pattern collection you have! Thanks for sharing your story! pk_sews at yahoo dot com

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  64. Thanks for sharing your quilts and your organization strategy. I was just saying to someone today that I needed a clearer way to keep my digital files. Quilters are such generous souls.

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  65. I had to get a separate HD to store my patterns. Love the family tradition of quilts, trying to continue it in my family. New Follower here, love blog hops they let me meet so many new quilters. crystalbluern at tds dot net

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  66. I remember those pot holders!!!! I made them, taught my daughters to make them, and plan to teach my grandchildren to make them, too! Wonderful story . . . thank you for sharing! lynnstck(at)yahoo.com

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  67. Thanks for sharing. I can relate on the patterns!

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  68. What a delicious post; I think you and I must be sisters! I've not been quilting quite so long but much of what you said, I could have said. Yes, I do remember the pot holder weaver. I still have mine and it's heavy and very strong; they started making them out of plastic and they're not so good anymore. I used to be able to find the 'cotton' loops but when I've looked recently they are whimpy. bulltulip69 at gmail dot com

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  69. I collect patterns (and books, and fabrics, and rulers, etc), too. I'll never make all the patterns or use all the fabric, but, boy, it sure is fun.

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  70. I collect patterns (and books, and fabrics, and rulers, etc), too. I'll never make all the patterns or use all the fabric, but, boy, it sure is fun.

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  71. My hard drive and thumbdrive is full of patterns ~ not enough time in this life:) lauraluvsloonsatymaildotcom

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  72. Thank you for sharing your story. My story just began this past summer. It is so fun to read how everyone else has gotten started.
    debbygrawn at yahoo dot com

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  73. I not only collect quilt patterns but also embroidery designs. I will never be able to use them all but I am addicted! Thank you for sharing your story. sewgood414athotmaildotcom

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  74. I love patterns too. I can not possibly ever make all the patterns I have saved. But gosh,it's so much fun to collect them. Call me quilt qwazy!
    Dmac5958ataoldotcom

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  75. I made tons of those Potholders too! :) I am a Pattern Saver as well!!(& am Qwazy too! lol) Tho don't save as neatly as you! Folders, Notebooks & stashed on a bookshelf! And of course, on the computer too!
    Thank you for chance to win your Give-a-way! :)
    bearpaws9(at)copper(dot)com

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  76. I remember making those loom pot holders and of course, I loved my cooking and sewing classes in junior high. Thank goodness for electronic folders for patterns or I'd be buried in books and papers! Thank you for sharing your story!

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  77. I'm enjoying seeing the early quilts, and how you've grown. Nice post!

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  78. Oh the pot holder brings back memories! Thank you for sharing! I love patterns

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