A Favor of you Please

I wanted to do some hand work that was different to long-stitch (got boring!) but wasn't x-stitch (DSis is too good at it!), and in a way I fell into patchwork to start off with to use up scraps from sewing clothes. That was back in '95. I completed a few hot-pot holders, but what I started working on initially is now finished! I'm basically self-taught from books.

Well, I have been on RCTQ for not quite 2 years. I finally got the computer set up, and the net account up and running. DH sat down with me and said what newsgroup should we check out. I said "quilting", so he called up quilting newsgrous, this was the first on the list and I never checked any others. That was in January of 2001. I stay because it is fun, educational and I like the people and byplay that goes on. Quilting was an outgrowth of sewing in general for me. My degree is in Clothing and Textiles, almost a master's in C&T along with work toward a master's in Adult Ed. I was working at House of Fabrics (assistant manager/sewing machine manager) when HoF was bought by the company that became Jo-Ann Stores. Stayed on through many changes in 3 years, finally got fed up enough to quit. One of the things that led to my quitting also led to my quilting. We had to wear a "uniform" for JAS. Khaki bottoms and white shirts (or shirts with the JAS logo we could purchase from a specfic company ) Had to have some way to channel the creative sewing I needed to do. (As much as I was working I wasn't wearing much but uniform, and what other clothes I already had were sitting in the closet) So I started with some quilting. I had taken a beginning hand quilting class several years ago, and just went on from there. Now I am finally beginning to teach quilt classes and design my own quilts. Eventually I hope to have some of my designs out for sale as patterns (a couple of people have already asked about buying patterns of a couple of my quilts.) Have some ideas for quilt books and want to become a really good teacher.

Hope this entertains you some what,

Pati, in Phx.

Diana Curtis wrote:

I was tiny when I left my grandmother's house, about 3 years old. Didn't ever see her again, until I was an adult. But something must have stuck in my infant mind. According to family lore, when she sat down, she had a box of scraps and she constantly hand-pieced quilts. When I went to see her as an adult - sure enough, she was sitting in her recliner, piecing a bow-tie quilt top.

I was always fascinated by the needle arts. I took a class in high school, back in 1972 or so called Home Arts. I had to take it because the cooking class I really wanted was full, and it was the only one left open.

The teacher taught us how to crochet, crewel embroidery, cross-stitch, hardanger, Swedish weaving (not what it sounds like, it is a form of woven cross-stitch), latch-hook and twisted braid ties. She took us to her house, where she showed us her wall to wall carpet, made entirely by herself and her family...yeah. Dedicated woman!

I loved the needle arts. I kept thinking, I want to make all my own things, too (call it a hippie era complex ).

I started collecting and trading crafts. Someone taught me to broomstick crochet. I taught them another stitch they didn't know. And so on.

When I got married in 1978, I desperately wanted to make a quilt. Finally, DH signed me up for a class in 1979. We had to drive 35 miles to get to it, and there were like 6 classes. I didn't drive then, either, so DH had to drive me. I started making a log cabin quilt. That quilt is still not finished. I even still have the fabric.

Then I got busy with babies. No time to quilt. In 1984, we moved to Monterey CA. Some lady down the block offered a quilt class. She had a pattern for a small wall hanging, in which one learned all the techniques. Applique, piecing, making your own binding, making your own templates, quilting the sandwich, and doing the corner bindings right, either squared or triangulated...and doing it ALL by hand. I finished that wall-hanging. The colors are mediocre, because I wasn't brave back then. But it hangs on my wall as my first truly finished quilt.

I also took jointed teddy-bear making classes and guitar classes .

Then we moved again and life got busy. And then we moved to PA, the heart of quilt country. I joined a guild in 1991. I stayed in it a year and didn't learn a thing, because basically, it was all business. No sitting around a frame quilting, although they did do some workshops you could pay to attend.

And then I saw Solar Eclipse II (Caryl Bryer Fallert). Man, I wanted to make quilts like THAT. It was the FIRST machine quilted quilt to win the Houston Quilt Show Best Of Show.

I paid to learn machine quilting from Harriet Hargrave. I've never looked back. I also paid to learn a kalaidascope technique involving a triangle ruler. That quilt is a UFO. And I paid to learn rotary cutter techniques. That quilt is also unfinished, but it was due to being lost for over 5 years. I guess I should finish it, now I found it...its also my one of my last hand-quilted quilts.

While in the quilt guild, I finished only 3 quilts - one of which went to charity auction and raised the most money of all of them. It was a simple embroidered cat quilt, lap-size. The man who bought it paid $75 for it.

I dropped out of the guild after a year, due to family crisis after family crisis. By the time I was ready to quilt again - I was also on the Internet. I didn't want to join a guild, but I wanted to talk quilts.

I did a search and here you were. I posted a little about myself and the rest is history. I've since made over 100 quilts.

I was the person who challenged myself to finish a quilt a week for a New Year's resolution, and managed to make 30 before another family crisis took all my time...

As for the Needle Arts - I don't want to do ANY of them anymore. Quilting is what I love best.

Oh, and I only own 3 of my own quilts. Family and friends have the rest...

Merry

Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once

Oh Diana, here is my sad tale to share. I came to quilt making via needlework and teddy bear making. I move to New Westminster in 1988. I'd made Teddies for some time and needlework since the 70's. A friend told me of the shop in Burnaby and by entering a teddy bear snow angel ornament in their Christmas ornament challenge I got to know the shop. They were primarily quilting and needlework/cross-stitch. I got to know the owner and long story short, started to go the Wednesday night drop in. Then progressed to teaching teddy classes and then on to quilting. Well the Cross-stitch and Teddies are on the sideline more now and Quilting is more my main interest. My friend Deni in Burnaby introduced me to the ng about 1998 when my brother built me my first computer. We'd met at a retreat from that infamous shop in Burnaby. Well she e-mailed Sairey, and I met her before the group and so the tale ends. I love meeting folks in my travels, as you can attest from my visit to Houston last year. I've been fortunate to meet a few of our friends from Britain at Donna Dean in Bellevue's, had Phyllis [BBL] sleep over at my place. Met some of our Canadian friends, go to San Diego and also Houston. I've slept at Sairey's hostel, and met Florence in Tucson and her husband Ren. I almost met up with Dragonfly [Pam] in Albuquerque except her phone answering machine was acting up. I hope to meet even more of our great RTCQ friends and be a part of the group for many years to come. Another traveloque will be due shortly, as I'm due vacation at the end of the month, not sure where I'm going, but will share with all on my return.

-- Sandi in New Westminster B.C.

"Diana Curtis" wrote in message news:RNT%a.1577$ snipped-for-privacy@reggie.win.bright.net...

The bored part of recovering is the hardest. I hope it goes fast for you.

I found RCTQ when I had a webtv. I was just searching thru the list of groups on "discuss" and ran across this one. That was back in late 98 or early 99. I don't always have time to read or post but I try to check in on a regular basis. At that time I was trying to finish my first quilt. I had started it in 1979 and it needed quilted. I hand quilted it and it's hanging over the back of my couch right now. When I finished that quilt the quilting bug really took hold and I've made several quilts since then. I've even managed to win a grand champion ribbon at the county fair two years in a row now. (a quilted pillow and a tree skirt) The problem with that is you have to come up with something bigger and better every year!

Man, Diana, you two really have something in common, don't you? It's a shame that even though so many advances have been made in medicine, our bodies have a way of throwing doctors a curve ball...hehe.

I resisted quilting for a loooooong time! I refused to get into it... It was hard, but I stuck to clothes and household items like curtains...

I had a small venture when I made a baby quilt for my son, but it didn't really count! I did a few 'mock quilts' on the serger, with the wadding unquilted... See, I was trying, but it called!

Then I decided that resistance was futile! I was going to make a PROPER quilt for my son! A space quilt, with planets and rockets and aliens all over it... I came here to ask for advice, steered by friends from other news groups. The advice was excellent: I made a practice quilt of friendship stars, and then did the Space Quilt. Then another followed by accident... Then I got into squishies and swaps and wanted a quilt for me and stared another and got into a couple of other things like the Row Robin and the Starry Starry Night swap... It's an addiction! I will never stop! :)

And this is the best group on the planet for advice about anything from quilting techniques to blocked drains and HRT! Who needs anything else?

Cheers Helen!

That's why I loved doing this Row Robin (and the Round Robin preceding it). It has made me gradually step "outside the square" and do things I wouldn't normally do. And I can't wait for next time either!

I go through phases of what interests me mosts, and my usenet posting history has reflected this. It boils down also to how much time I have to spend on the computer- the more I have, the more groups I get hyperactive on.

This past year, I've been more fascinated by quilting. So I came here in January after finishing a wall hanging for my mom. Sadly, I haven't had the actual time or funds to work on my quilting like I would like to. So I come here to talk about quilts, and plot my next projects. And all of you ladies and gentlemen are quite generous and supportive. There are only a few instances of flared tempers, but I can dodge those arguments all right. And I've seen more beautiful fabrics and quilts since coming here than before. So I'm enjoying my visit here. I'm guessing I'll actually be posting less when I have the time and money to quilt.

I mostly peek in during the day as a short study break, and then return to my homework.

But the quilting is something that has deepened my friendship with Rose, and that's certainly not a bad thing. =)

-georg

Hi Diana! First, please e-mail me. My mail has bounced. Thanks.

Now to answer your questions ... I must be brief so as not to aggravate the Tendonitis in wrist. (BTW: It is NOT Carpal Tunnel ... Thank Heavens! ... but still needs some consideration.)

PART ONE, RCTQ:

I came to RCTQ because DH was tooling around and came across it and enrolled me. I read a few times but didn't realize *I* could answer, so forgot about it. I had NO idea about newsgroups, lists, and so on. I probably never even introduced myself, as the whole www subculture was a foreign place to me!! Came across RCTQ again and someone mentioned answering, so I tried it and the rest is history!! (I haven't shut up since LOL!!) That was in early to mid 1999 ... I got into the Millennium Swap and collected my

Will talk about actual quilting next time. Gotta put this hand through the Physical Therapy exercises now.

Take care of yourself too! PAT >

I LOVE your answer, and feel it could be my own. Where else would we go? This is home, this is family. Hugs, Diana

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Thank you Dogmom, recovery seems to be going rapidly! I love the story of your quilt of many memories. How true that the fabrics of our lives can spark intense memories. Your mother truly gave you a gift of her heart when she passed those squares on to you. Im so glad you found your way here. Diana

This kind of tale delights me. When a quilter comes thinking that this might just be another hobby and finds in it a passionate love affair. Its grand! I hope you do follow your heart and stray away from the patterns. Patterns are great to give a leaping off point but there comes a time when we need to let go of the safety net. Good luck! Have fun! Diana

Darn straight J! lol Diana

Don't remember how long I've been on rctq, seems like forever, but can't be more than 5 years maybe -that's how long we've had email! DH the ever-helpful and enthusiastic computer geek (self-taught, it's scary) discovered newsgroups and decided it would be a good way to "convert" me. It worked!

I stay here because I can't imagine life without you!

Quilting -well, it all started back in the 70s with a pile of very random fabric scraps from making clothes for my baby girls. A bit of everything -all weights of cotton, some wool, synthetics, you name it. So with the good intention of using up this stuff, and without benefit of any advice, I cut them all into rectangles and sewed them together in rows until I had a baby quilt. Covered all the seams with a backing (birthed) and felt pleased with myself. Looked pretty good until the first wash. Then I had to throw it out.

There had to be a better way... I found a book (something from Simplicity patterns) and persevered. I still love scrappy quilts, and they don't fall apart in the wash any more! Roberta in D

im so glad you can find a way to escape from your stresses in creating beauty. It is so healing, and Im glad you come to share your time with us. Thank you Mika! Diana

It has been a good while but I would assume DH sat me down and suggested it might be something I would enjoy. I remember many years ago being on Prodigy (gosh I think that was one of the early ones) and there was a quilting group. They changed over to charging by the time you were on instead of a monthly charge and we dropped them. Were any of you there in earlier years? I'll never forget a woman posting that a policeman had come to her door to tell her that her son had died. It had just happened minutes before and she turned to the group to talk. I can't remember her name or anything else but that will forever stick in my mind. How we got here might be different for many of us but why we stay is probably similar. The people here are a caring bunch.

You take care of yourself Diana. Bored means you are healing. WHen you start getting crabby we'll know you are close to being well Taria

Diana Curtis wrote:

You mean, aside from chocolate?? nothing. LOL yep. Im so glad you found your way here, and found such a compelling obsession.. .because all that slacking off wasnt bound to be very good for you in the long run. *BEG* Diana

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What do you hope to accomplish with quilting in the future, either near or far future? Any techniques you want to learn? Diana