Embrace Your Destiny: Find a Hobby

Wedding gift for friend Heather

“Quilting? I don’t know. I’ve always thought of quilting as being something old people do. On the other hand, do you think they would teach me? It fits with my interests  so it could work. Maybe I’ll call to check it out.” This was my end of a conversation with Donnie about quilting as a new hobby.

 

I wanted to find a new hobby that would stimulate my mind and creativity and that could be useful. I wasn't interested in anything that would need lots of new equipment or be real expensive.  Living in North Topsail Beach posed other problems. I didn't want to spend a lot of time driving somewhere and I wasn't sure where to even look for a workshop. I was at loose ends.

 

 

Then, quilting found me. At our first visit to Sneads Ferry Presbyterian Church, there it was in the bulletin. “Patchwork Squares meeting, Wednesday morning, 9:00 am. till noon. Sewers or non sewers welcome. You don’t need a sewing machine. Come check us out. For more information, contact the church office.”

Christmas gift for our French family

This blurb caught my attention immediatly. I had never thought of quilting as a hobby for myself. But, it definitely met my criteria for a new hobby. I used to enjoy making my own clothes, but then time became an issue. I loved working with fabrics and putting colors together.

So on the way home from church, I said, "Donnie, what do you think about me checking out Patchwork Squares. The announcement in the bulletin sounded interesting. They must teach non quilters.  Do you think my sewing machine still works?”

I never had to make that call. The minister came over to meet us the next day. One question about Patchwork Squares was all it took. He answered my questions and hooked me up with the leader of the group. I was impressed and ready to get started. 

Andrea, the volunteer leader was an educator. She made learning fun and easy. On that first day, as soon as I got in the door, she was there to meet me. She took me around introducing me to all the quilters. Everybody was busy doing something different.  As we toured the areas where everybody was working, she said, " Shirley, is cutting out a new quilt and Jane is machine stitching one today. Jean is in the sanctuary sandwiching her quilt. You can go talk to any of them about what they are doing. I'm going to do a demonstration on pressing in a few minutes. There's Martha. She is doing hand quilting. We usually start refreshments at around 10:00. Help yourself to coffee and treats." 

The quilters were all interesting and knowledgeable. I had fun. As an educator, I appreciated the "learn by doing" approach to teaching. I could tell this hobby was a keeper. I could learn new things, stretch my mind, use some creativity and do something useful. I liked the feeling of shared leadership in this professional but informal group. 

Baby quilt for Loleh

I have made many quilts. I used to like to keep several going at one time. That way I had options for what to do at the meeting on Wednesday. Cutting out, sandwiching and hand quilting didn't require me to take my machine.

Cutting out and sandwiching were also the most taxing on me physically. Bending over the table to get each cut made to perfection stressed my back. To sandwich, we had to get on the floor on our hands and knees. We helped each other with stretching and smoothing the top before layering on the batting and the backing. Then it all had to be pinned.

Quilting requires precision, but it is also forgiving. Make a mistake, no problem. Someone in the group could suggest how to fix it. During show and tell we saw that mistakes were usually not even noticeable.

I didn’t expect quilting to be a therapy, but it was. When I was learning to hand quilt, I noticed that my fingers were weak.  My fingers were so weak, I couldn't pull the needle through the three layers of quilt. I could only do a couple stitches at the time. As I practiced, my fingers and hands got stronger. Until then, I didn’t realize how MS weakness and symptoms extended into my extremities. I’m not sure if it was MS or aging eyes, but threading a needle was also very challenging. The craft of quilting is complex. It requires using the mind for creativity, problem solving, and concentration. I found it to be both mentally and physically stimulating.

Window treatment for sliding glass doors

We made quilts for Barium Springs Children’s home in addition to making things for ourselves. For myself, I make gifts and items for the house. Table runners are fun and table toppers are functional. Window treatments are for problem windows that need to keep heat or light out.

Patchwork Squares was a place to learn, work on projects and have fun talking with friends. I miss that weekly experience. It certainly gave me a lifelong hobby. It still challenges me to innovate, plan, solve problems, and stay connected with quilting friends. My next project is in my mind and the materials are in my stash. I may have to create my own pattern for this one because of the size. That's a creative endeavor.