Quilting – We Are All Individuals

So, about my first quilting class. We had six sessions, one every two weeks.

Each week we were taught a new block or technique. We used the class time to make one or two blocks and then we were to use the time between lessons to practice making more of the same block.

This picture shows the assortment of blocks we made. It was great fun! I learned a lot and really enjoyed the classes.

I am the type person that learns best by observing and then trying something for myself. I usually prefer to do it alone, and by trial and error, so taking a class was a really big step for me.

Our teacher, Judy, was great. She would demonstrate what to do, allow us time to do it one step at a time and then turn us loose to try it on our own. She was there if we had questions but she was not in our face. She also did not try and impose her likes and dislikes on us. There were five us in the class and we all chose different colors.

I used fabric that had been given to me. I did not want to buy more until I knew that I was really going to be able to do this patchwork thing. So mine was more of a scrap quilt because I used what I had. I gave this quilt to my son who had moved to Johannesburg where it gets very cold in the winter. Not at all like Sunny Durban. He needed the quilt to stay warm and to remind him how much his mother loved him. Or, maybe I needed him to have the quilt.

Since that class I have been in other situations where the teacher tried to impose her preferences on us. Some say never use yellow in a quilt, it just doesn’t work. Others only like the pale washed out colors and I like bold bright colors.

Now, whenever I am speaking to someone who is interested in quilting, I tell them to use colors they like, not to be influenced by what someone else likes or dislikes. It is your quilt, use the colors you like. God made us each and every one individuals. He gave us our own unique sense of color, taste, likes and dislikes so honor Him by being yourself. If you are making the quilt for someone else and you know they don’t like green then you don’t have to use so much green but hey, if the quilt is for you then let it express who you are!