Let me tell you a story.

I received my first sewing machine when I was 13 for Christmas. My mom decided I needed to learn to sew. Being a tall girl it was very hard to find clothes for me that had long enough sleeves and impossible to find pants long enough to fit my frame. This was 1967. Really, she just wanted to have a machine at her disposal too. Although not a sewer she could concoct fabulous things. Or more accurately, she would concoct them and I would make them for her! That Kenmore created a lot of clothes for me and I soon began to alter and reimagine my pattern pieces.

As I moved into my first apartment I quickly learned the art of making home decor. Curtains, dust ruffles, comforters, & pillow shams. Graduating the Kenmore to a heavy duty Singer I could top stitch thru several layers of fabric and my top stitching would be straight! Almost. My love of textiles continued to grow and I started to define my style.

In 1989 I got my first Interior Design job at Ethan Allen and quickly discovered my new passion and my time and interest in sewing waned. That’s not to say I didn’t occasionally pull out the old Singer, but I found it more and more frustrating. It needed a tune up desperately and it would skip stitches and break thread. I could have taken it in and had it serviced but these were always spur of the moment jobs that I just wanted to get done. Usually a simple repair.

With a bit more time on my hands, two and a half years ago I decided to treat myself to a new machine. I wanted an embroidery machine but I needed a machine that could do it all. I wanted something that could go thru really heavy upholstery fabric, topstitch like a dream, embroider, ruffle. It had to do it all.

I really didn’t have a clue what this imaginary machine would be and I certainly had no clue as to the cost. One day walking into Office Depot I discovered a Baby Loc store right next door. Very gingerly opening the door I was immediately surrounded by fabulous power tools for the sewer. OMG I quickly realized I wasn’t in Kansas anymore. Oh no this is Nebraska. I was sooo out of my league, I didn’t think it would be possible for me to figure out these very expensive computerized power tools! Of course I always want the biggest and the best and a discreet look at a price tag told me I wasn’t going to be able to get a machine for the price of my first car! No it was going to take 4X the price of my first car!

Fast forward a few weeks and this idea is still spinning in my head. Could I possibly find a machine that could do everything I needed it to do? Could I find a machine that I could afford? The dream machine, a Bernina was always the preferred choice. So one day between appointments I stepped into a whole new world.

Linda greeted me when I entered and asked how she could help me. Really she began to interview me. How much experience did I have, what did I want my machine to do, what kind of price point was I looking at? I told her once upon a time I was an accomplished sewer but, of course not doing any significant sewing in 25 years, I had pretty much lost most of my skill. Are you a quilter? No I will never be a quilter. A smug smile crossed her face. I remember thinking how odd that was. Relaying to her my needs and expectations she suggested for my first machine I go with the 570. My first machine? Hmm, Assuring me that it was a precision machine and could do straight top stitching! We discussed the price and I choked a bit but, it was definitely less expensive than the very big Baby Loc I had looked at. I determined I needed to think about this and left the store.

On my way to my next appointment I got a phone call from Linda thanking me for coming in, and she told me the machines were on sale plus I would get the embroidery module with the machine. Well that did it. It was only 2X the price of my first car and I decided I deserved it. Telling her I would be over to pick it up after my appointment, we hung up and I totally gulped. But, I was so excited too.

Linda quickly tucked me into classes. I was learning how to do reverse appliqué and in the hoop embroidered zipper pouches. Different teachers teach different projects and with each new instructor they kept asking me “do you quilt”. No, you will never make a quilter out of me. Hmm there is that smug smile again. What’s wrong with all these ladies in these classes anyway, they all quilt!

Before Christmas last year Bernina was offering a class on a cute gnome table runner with a few patches on it. OK I used to like to appliqué and I was good at it. But I don’t do cute. Well, I can always give it to someone. Yeah this has a few patches on it but, hey it’s not a quilt! It’s just a table runner. Before the class I diligently cut out all my squares so they were ready for me the next morning. Getting to the class and sewing all those pieces, lining them up, stitching them, making sure my points were perfectly, yeah I’ve gotta say it on point, only to cut those pieces apart. Say WHAT!!! I said to Ilene you will never make a quilter out of me. There it is. That smug smile again.

Now I feel like the stars are aligning against me. I have always absolutely loved quilts! What I don’t like are the cute quilts in bold crazy colors or sweet soft pastels. And I don’t do cute!!! I don’t really like quilting fabric with the bleeding tones and I always wish the cotton was weightier. I’m not a complicated quilt pattern person. I am in love with my Pottery Barn black and white appliqué quilt, and now Pottery Barn

has a log cabin chambray quilt I have coveted. Stopping into PB to take a look at it I decided I could make it work as an alternative in my room. In analyzing it I discovered it is not pieced, the fabric is printed. Well of course it’s not. At 300.00 it couldn’t possibly be pieced. I still love the quilt but, I don’t know if I can get past the non piecing issue. I can’t get this darn thing out of my mind. There is no way that I need this. Pottery Barn Log Cabin Quilt

Anyway it got me thinking. Could I make one? How hard could it be. It’s just rectangular boxes after all but, I quickly realized I don’t even know where to begin. This is spinning currently.

Then I pulled out Nancy’s quilt and looked at it with new eyes. Nancy was my moms best friend and she was a very fine seamstress and quilter. She was the one who taught me that the inside had to be as pretty as the outside. Details matter.

This was an award winning quilt Presenting the quilt to my mom years ago I wish it was big enough for my bed. The quilt is hand quilted, the stitches are so even it’s very impressive. I’ve been wrapping my winter weary self in it. I’m growing very attached.

So then yesterday I got a text from my cousin asking me if I had been to the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln. Living in Indianapolis I thought this odd, I said yes, but I’ve not yet been to the new museum. I told her that I had taken down our great grandmothers quilt to be documented in the 1980’s. At the time they were just looking for quilts that had originated in Nebraska but, our quilt originated in Arizona.

Because of its unusual coloration and the quality of the stitching and piecing they decided to make an exception.

I told my cousin this and that I was now in possession of moms quilt. She of course wants to see it. In spreading it out on the bed for the first time in my home, I looked at it with fresh eyes as well. The center medallion says to Mary Ellen Crawford from Grandma 1883. I realized that I was 2 generations off! Grandma was not Mary Ellen (my great grandmother) but her grandma. That is 5 generations. The quilt is very fragile but her stitches are tiny and true. Mom cherished this quilt and we covered her with it in her last days, hoping to give her comfort. Her Grandma Mary Ellen was known to her as Mami her chosen name.

And the Stars Continue to Align!!!

Tonight as I turned on PBS to watch Antiques Road Show instead was a show on The International Quilt Museum in Lincoln NE. Ok now Indianapolis’ comment made sense. I decided to watch and OMG these brilliantly talented people made me think, ok maybe I do want to explore this craft. The program also featured some of Ken Burns quilts. A quilt collector for many years, Ken shared his collection with the museum for an exhibition. Unfortunately I missed his exhibition but I’m going to take a drive down to Lincoln to see this new museum in the next couple of weeks.

I still don’t know how I feel about these stars aligning. What are they saying to me? Am I supposed to make a quilt? I still haven’t found a class for something that I would like to own and use. I know you have to start somewhere but I don’t like to make just for the sake of making. Well we will think on this some more.

Thanks for hanging in there with my musings this was a long one.

Indianapolis this one’s for you!

Thanks for stopping

Shelley