Why Do You Quilt?

Why, hello again!  As I said on Monday, Ariel is in Greece, so I have Wednesday duty as well this week.  I sat at my desk (at work...whoops) thinking about what to post today.  Should I gush over new fabrics?  Nah.  Should I follow the lead of my personal blog and talk about quilt plans?  I could, but readers may think I've lost my day planner and had to settle for a blog to keep track of my to-dos.  What to write, what to write...

And then I started thinking, man, I'm chilly.  It was in the 40s when I walked to work today, but because the high is 72, I didn't wear tights.  Even after some coffee, that chill hasn't left my legs!  I could use a small quilt for my cubicle, but I guess for now I'll use my scarf as a makeshift blanket.  I remembered saying bye this morning to our new kitten, who had dragged my heirloom quilt off of the coffee table shelf and onto the floor with his toys.  Was he cold too, or is he just bad?  (Yes.)  I ordered backing and binding for my Modern Maples quilt yesterday, but am waiting on a walking foot to quilt it, because I don't want to rely on sending them off anymore.

Why do I quilt?

The simplest answer is necessity: I live in the mid-Atlantic region, where we have seasons, and it gets cold in the winter.  Even in late September, I reach for a throw while watching TV, just to cut the chill.  While I won't necessarily need quilts on my bed, I'll need some for the couch, for the car when we drive south this winter for the holidays, for my cubicle, for whatever.  To stay warm, I need a blanket.

But, honestly, I could've gone to Target and bought a cotton throw instead of investing time, money and patience into a new hobby--if all I was looking for was something to keep me warm.  It must go deeper than that.  I don't have children, and I'm not getting married for a year, so the idea of heirlooms that I create are a bit outside of my realm: while it's nice to think of handing these down, I'd rather focus on using them here and now and worry about inheritance later.

I will admit, I like knowing something.  Please don't confuse this with learning; I'm very much like my mother in that I don't want to learn--I want to know.  The only way to know something--sewing, quilting, knitting for a month--is to do it instead of just read about it.  After I won those six cuts of Chicopee--too little for garments, too much for accessories--I had no choice but to pick up a rotary cutter and get going.  And down into the rabbit hole I went, researching projects, finding new blogs, and buying patterns.  A woman obsessed, a woman possessed, whatever you want to call it--I'm now her.

At Quilters Take Manhattan, Denyse Schmidt mentioned that she started quilting because she was looking for a community and somewhere to fit in during her tumultuous twenties.  I certainly relate, and indeed, it's why I started sewing.  I think quilting, because it came later to me, was just the natural progression, and allowed me to expand my circle of friends and peers (even if they're online and not in-person).  And one has definitely influenced the other: I recently sewed a top-secret quilt top for someone made completely out of curves, but thanks to my experience with garment sewing, I had zero problems with it.

Finally, I think I quilt because it's another way to create.  That seems to simplify it too much, and honestly, do I need to create more in my life?  Apparently, I do, because I feel that pull toward my stash, toward my mat, toward my ruler every day while I'm at my desk, while I'm on the train, while I'm making dinner.  Sometimes I feel like cutting pieces for a new quilt top, and other times I feel like cutting a blouse.  But quilting, and modern quilting, have expanded my to-do list as well as my done list, and I can surround myself with more homemade items.  My goal is to look around my apartment and be able to say "I made this!" whether it's a blanket, a skirt, or even the coasters.  I prefer a handmade life, from what I wear to what I eat, and quilting fits in perfectly.

So, your turn: why do you quilt?  Is it a simple reason?  Is it much more complicated?  Do you do it just because you have to--there's no other way!--or do you do it because it's a fun hobby?  Spill it!