Saturday, October 13, 2012

Why I Quilt


People can be cruel.  It's a fact of life.  Competition and jealousy brings it out.  I know because as a twin, I was competing before I was even born, so yes, it starts from day one, or even before.  I'm fortunate to have loving parents who taught me not to be cruel.  I do think it's something you have to learn, to NOT be cruel and competitive and jealous.  I still am learning.

As a quilter, I often get compliments about my work.  But I also get the occasional cruel remark.  This makes me feel bad, so I thought I'd share some reasons why I quilt.

First of all, I do NOT quilt because "I have nothing better to do", or "have too much time on my hands".  I am NOT setting back the feminist movement.  I do NOT have more time (as in a snarky "It sure must be nice to have so much time...") than anyone else.  Like everyone else, I make choices about how I use my time.  I am NOT doing something frivolous that is without worth.  Why do people say these things?

I quilt because as a wife and mother, it's about the only work I do on a (somewhat) daily basis that STAYS done, unlike the dishes, the food I cook, the floors and bathrooms that I clean, the laundry and yard work that I do.  It's concrete. 

I quilt because I CAN show it to people.

I quilt because I love playing with colors and fabric.

I quilt because these fabrics take up very little space and can easily be moved and stored if needed.

I quilt because it makes me happy. 

I quilt because it adds beauty to a world that can get pretty ugly (see above).

I quilt because a quilt is comfort, and provides comfort and shows that you care.

I quilt because it forces me to slow down, and meditate on what is important.

I quilt because it nourishes my soul and brain in ways that I can't even explain.  It's like mental medicine for me.

I quilt to express myself.

I blog about quilting because I meet other people from around the world who understand these things.

6 comments:

  1. I agree 100 %!!! I think unkind comments are made by jealous people....that is what I tell myself! Keep up the good work!

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  2. Amen, sister!! I hear you on all of this. What you're doing is worthwhile and wonderful. And at the end of your life, you will look back on all those quilts wrapped around those people you love and think, "damn, I missed watching a lot of TV to have this".

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  3. Preach!! I'm really sad that people feel the need to be cruel. That passive-aggressive "must be nice to have so much free time" bothers me in particular. Don't let the turkeys get you down, Becky!

    The question most often asked by people who don't craft when they see a quilt: "Wow! What a lot of work! How long did that take?" Why is an activity always measured by how long it takes? I never, ever have the answer to their question. I've finally started answering, "I honestly don't know - it's time I love to spend and it takes as long as it takes."

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  4. That comment would have upset me as well. But it's called time management! People who don't make time for happiness have no one to blame but themselves, don't let their lack of time management skills get you down, they have no idea what your day entailed before you sat down at your sewing machine!

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  5. I understand you, perfectly well. I support you from Spain. Keep on doing so beautiful quilts. They inspire me and so many people. Don´t pay attention to people that don't understand what quilting means to us. Kisses from Spain. Mara.

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