Living Well

I started writing this post before the Generation Q edit meeting Wednesday, with a day full of meetings, trying to figure out new technology, answer emails, and get information for an article writing this post just didn’t happen.

Tracy Mooney and I launched the very first Generation Q Magazine Happy Hour live on facebook. This was the bit of technology we were trying to figure out. We’re planning a Happy Hour next Wednesday at 9:30 eastern, hopefully we’ll get our Editor in Chief Melissa to join us. Trying to figure out how things work can be a little bit trying at times. Okay make that a lot a bit and we’ll get this figured out!

Let Your Light Shine is finished. A friend asked if this quilt made me happy. Yes. Yes this quilt makes me happy. Finishing a quilt that I’m in love with is a feat in and of itself. I do have favorite quilts, and it’s usually the one in my hand. This one makes me happy because it’s my first complete quilt in a very long time. Between commuting/working 13 hours a day, and magazine work there has been very little time for quilting of any kind. The days I’m off there is magazine work to do. Or I’m just so tired that stitching is the last thing on my mind. And we all know that stitching while you’re tired makes for mistake making.If a picture is worth a thousand words, a quilt is worth oh so many more. From the fabric chosen, to the hours stitching, The words on the quilt. The feathers, straight lines, thread weight. The significance of the candle.

Let’s start there, with the candle, it is lit essentially for Yvonne. But more than that it is lit for all of those in my life who have influenced my quilting in some way. This quilt then becomes a prayer of gratitude for them. The list is long, and beautiful. The list of people includes some who have been a bit of a challenge, who have helped me learn to be patient with others, and myself. For those who are still teaching me to be patient with others and myself. The candle will remain lit always, so this is a constant prayer.

This is also an ode to risk. I took a risk in starting and sharing this quilt. It will leave for California later today, it will hang at Alden Lane with so many other quilts in Tribute to a risk taker, a free spirit, someone who embraced red as a neutral. But it’s also an ode to those who are taking risks now. Like Pokey Bolton, taking a huge risk to start Crafting a Life, she has no idea if this will be successful but she’s starting Art Barn with hopes, dreams, and as far as I’m concerned she’s already successful with it. Because the Barn is open.

This quilt also acknowledges something near and dear to me. As you know I can state the obvious with clarity – I am a machine quilter. But more than that I am more specifically a machine quilter who loves to work in whole cloth in a free-spirited way. Quilts start with an idea and develop from there. I can see a clear beginning for this with Twilight in the Bronx, and the ideas keep pouring into my brain living just below the surface. Last night as Tracy and I chatted I had an idea for a quilt with a stripe that might just take shape sometime very soon.

So as I go forward I can see shaping classes around ideas, your ideas, how you see life, how you want to quilt. Classes to acknowledge who you are as a quilter. Because quilting is a journey (here’s another quilt) wherein we get to spend time with each other, and influence each other.

So, I’m off to influence quilters at the day job.

Happy Quilting!

Teri