By Diane Harris, HQ Stitch Brand Ambassador
I’m at Handi Quilter in North Salt Lake, Utah this week for meetings, and there is inspiration all around me.
In the past, my quilts have often been about the fabric. But here I am seeing the endless possibilities when you open your mind to letting it also be about the quilting.
Sometimes a piecer doesn’t think about the quilting until she gets there. In stark contrast, a quilting-focused maker starts thinking about the quilting much sooner, sometimes before the piecing even begins.
Some people actually design quilts in order to show off the quilting! This is a new concept for me in the past few years, but it’s one I’m embracing as I work to build my machine quilting skills.
As I looked around, I saw that some ho-hum vintage tops had been given a second chance to shine.
It’s hard not to fall in love with them. They’re literally gracing the walls.
Even quilts with little color and questionable design choices have risen to show-stopping stardom.
The vintage pieces have me jazzed to resurrect my own small collection of older tops. Who knows what they can become under my needle?
And I’m going to let you in on a secret.
I learned long ago that there are two ways I can respond to any area of quilting that feels beyond my reach or my current skill level.
I can say, “I will never be able to do that. My skills are lacking. Why do I even try?” Or some other similar nonsense.
Or I can say, “That is amazing. I am inspired. I can’t wait to get back to my machine.”
I have settled on the second response.
I never treat someone else’s more advanced skills as a reason for despair.
I treat them as a reason to celebrate. I let them inspire and excite me.
I race back to my machine and I get busy.
Diane, I love all the pictures here! I teach long-arming classes, and I often tell my students that the only differences between their quilting and mine is time, practice, and know-how. It’s like trying to piece with cardboard templates and scissors until someone shows you how to use a rotary cutter and mat. The tricks and tools available help us all be much more successful piecers and machine quilters. We just need someone with more experience to show us how!
You’re right: practice, practice, practice! Thank you for being here, sweetie.
How do I purchase Lonestar Burst and Beyond pattern?
Beautiful pictures and so much inspiration. I will be saying, “That is amazing. I am inspired. I can’t wait to get back to my machine” also! Great article.
Thank you, Janet! I appreciate your kind words.
I’m glad you liked my trapunto piece, Diane! It’s an oldie but goodie, and I’m glad that people still find it worthy of a second look, even though today’s skill levels are much more advanced than this!
Hi Margo! Thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate it!
Thank you Diane! I am inspired!
Can you tell us who quilted the antique quilts? I am inspired by this kind of quilting making something old look new. Thank you for posting. It will give us all a push to climb higher this year with our quilting.
Hi Janet, some of the quilts didn’t have placards with “who quilted it” info, but when I’m back in SLC next week, I will see if I can round up those details. Thank you for visiting the HQ Stitch blog! 😊