So I guess to start, my name is Michelle (or Elle for short). I am a newer quilter. I got into quilting with my mother-in-law. I had been around her as a young teen, Boyfriend and I have been dating this is our 11th year, so she was a very dear friend of mine as well. Growing up though she used to tell me "If you can read, you can sew." She sewed what seemed like very complicated things to me at that time. I thought there is no possible way I would ever be able to make something as nice as some of the things she had make. So I never took it up, would stop by and see what she was doing or making, and just hang out with her as she worked. Much like Quilt Cam with Bonnie Hunter. It wasn't until I moved in with her 9 years later to help save money, that I started to notice the patterns and the blocks individually; I started to put it together in my head. It became a large pattern to me and once I saw that I was inspired.
So, while I was off, from winter vacation I asked her to help me make one. I thought it would be a great way for us to be closer as friends and have something to do together while the men played (Boyfriends dad is a wood worker, we sew they carve). Well I didn't have very much time to make a quilt because classes were going to start in less then three weeks. I quickly picked the color purple, I knew it was something that she tended to shy away from because it was so close to blue (she really did not like the color blue, for whatever reason). Next was to pick out the fabrics with the purple in them.
I again, quickly picked out the fabrics that I liked and thought they would go good together. Surprisingly she did too. She then taught me everything there was to know about the tools of the trade, She had many different sewing machines that I could have my pick of using, she told me to choose carefully because the on I picked would become mine. I was so excited after looking a the few she had I picked the Singer Quatrum L500, Had lots of stitching and was big so I could easily see what I was doing. Had no idea the weight of it or how much it cost; later I learned it was one of the most expensive machines she had ever bought. Cutting waass frustrating to me. Some blocks were to big others were to short but I was cutting them all the wrong ways and couldn't line the ruler up right. I think I wasted more fabric during that project then I would really like to admit.
Next she attempted to teach me how to read a pattern, she felt it was to much to soon so instead she had me do a nine by nine block pattern something simple. I fell in love with this part. Piecing is wonderful makes me really feel like an artist. I am really making something beautiful for someone to love for a long long time.
After I finished piecing we started to get the batting and the backing going. She showed me how to get a piece of fabric that large to fit on the back of the quilt top. And how we could just cut with scissors instead of our rotary cutter. God send, thank you to the quilting gods that came up with that idea. lol
After that she became tired more and didnt have the energy for much, a few weeks later we found her face down in the snow. She had had a massive heart attack and died January 21, the day my new classes were about to start. I had lost my best friend, my mother figure in my life and my mentor all in one heart breaking day. I took six months off to help with everything and keep dinner on the table and the house somewhat clean.I felt like I had also lost my home, His dad was an alcoholic and quickly turned all his rage on to me, I knew it would only be a matter of time before I had to move home.my family is not the nicest all the time so I tend to stay away from them when I can. I was devastated.
I decided not to go back to the university I was at but instead take a class here and there again at the community college. I already have two Associates Degrees (one in Liberal Arts, and the other in Science) and was working on my Bachelors in education but have taken a different path for the time being. Because I have both I can do just about anything. I have the prerequisites done for just about everything.
Today, I am a nanny, I have an interesting job. I not only take care of the day to day chores of the house hold but also to a preschool that is run out of the basement of the home, There are cleaning people that come every other Friday and that seems to help but I am solely responsible for the preschool. I like it because I get to teach and hang out with the kids all day and I also get to do my work. It is very interesting and never boring. Something is always going on.
In the rare events that I am not overly tired or exhausted form working, because little kids have lots and lots of energy and will wear you down, I quilt. I have not done much in the last few months because I have been getting ready for graduation and parent show and all kinds of thing at work. busy busy busy and been working 10-11 hour days. To tired to even hold my arm up to take a drink. No thank you.
I will try to remember to upload what I am up to and working on. Like I just finished the pinwheels now comes the hard part of actually quilting. I am really not very good at this part at all. I guess its the part where practice makes perfect.
I hoped you liked getting to know a little about me and how I got into quilting. I know it was a lot and I tried to keep it short but informative. Stick around and keep up with what I am doing next. I also just found two awesome quilt guild and am in the process of joining them so you may see some cool things from meetings. Yay!
Keep Stitching !
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