Who am I?
Here is how one of my quilting friends summed me up:
I am an Artist. Mother (of four). Wife (to my high school sweet heart). Doctor. Boss Lady (I also raise horses). Friend.
I have always been “an artist” – I create with anything I can get my hands on from paper and pencil, to herbs and a frying pan. I used to make crafts when I was a young girl (starting age 7) and would sell them at local craft shows and on consignment in stores around the city. I eventually went into journalism picking up a type writer (yes this gives away my age!) in lieu of my canvases and paint brushes. I eventually found a career in the Healing Arts – Medicine. Being a doctor is truly a life choice in my mind, not solely a job. There is an art form in how everyone practices. I like to think that I think outside the box, truly listen to my patients, and that, hopefully, I am making a difference in each and everyone of the lives I come across in my practice. And it is practice. There is so little we know about so much of the human condition. I am learning everyday and that is a great thing.
Why Quilting?
Quilting is my refuge. It is my meditation. It is one space that I can reenergize my spirit and attempt to be free. I fell in love with what is now called Modern Quilting when I was pregnant with my first child and stumbled across a book by Nancy Crow. It literally changed my life forever.
I taught myself how to thread a machine (pre You Tube!) and just dove right in. It is a theme for me – jump before you can swim! I never learnt “Quilting Rules” but over the years I have now been thoroughly exposed and have so much to learn! I fully believe we need to learn and know our history to see where we are going… So I do some basics and traditional quilting interspersed with my more improv “art”. I put quotes around that as IT IS ALL ART to me. Every stitch no matter what form you are putting a little of yourself into your creation. I have coined the term Quilting with Intention and this is what I try to do for at least 15 minutes a day – whether it is simply sketching, surfing ideas online, cutting fabrics, doing fabric pulls, English Paper Piecing, or doing a full out improv slice and dice. As an artist many strive to find their voice. It is such that when you see a piece you automatically know whose work it is. Currently I joke that I am still at the chameleon stage. I am content, at the moment, learning and experimenting and I feel my voice will come as I grow I to this art form.
I hope you join me in your own journey and practice some intentional quilting everyday. Hopefully there will be some pieces of information and comments on here that you take for yourself and that they help you enjoy this wonderful world of Quilting!
Lastly – I am truly addicted to fabric and unfortunately for my husband but fortunately for me I’m also a true Collector so watch for posts on fabrics I love and ways I am planning on using them – as yes I often have many WIPS (works in progress), and that doesn’t count the ones churning around in my head.
