Handquilting is quite a privilege. I could not do it if my fingers weren’t nimble, my eyes strong, and my time relatively flexible. Or if I had not met quilting mentors who showed me how to rock the needle, how to keep the fabric slightly loose in the frame, how to make the shell pattern.
So it’s a celebration of knowledge and skill, and I aim to keep it alive in me.
People say strange things sometimes, about how much I “must really love” whomever the quilt is for. They don’t realize that it’s ultimately for me. Even though I do love my quilts’ recipients, I am handquilting for love of the work, and for the sake of retaining this.
The stitches meander like thoughts across the fabric patches, and my mind and hands are brought together, focused on the message and story of this quilt.
