A Quilters Heart

The last few days, “Thinking! Thinking!” in the Elfred voice from Josie (my Garmin Nuvi) has been running through my head.  You see a friend, Debby, made a suggestion that has really just resonated with this quilters heart.  My friend suggested a series of reflections, essays, devotionals if you will on quilting and faith and how they intertwine.  Normally I can sit and just write however this kind of writing requires a bit of reflection to settle into the soul and think.  And now, now it’s time to write.

On my way home tonight I listened to the Busted Halo Show, it’s my favorite night of the week after all, Faith in Culture Thursday.  The entire show incorporates our current culture, everything from movies and music to tv and books, into our faith life, how these things draw us closer to God, remind us of our Faith and sometimes it’s not so obvious and that’s what I love.  Faith is not always so obvious.  Listening to the guest tonight, he plays guitar in a couple of bar bands here in the City.  To get here there was a process of learning to play, practicing, playing more, making choices, practicing.  Over time there comes an intuitive sense of how to play, a deeper understanding of the music, how to finger the chords and there comes a moment when all of this comes together and you just play.  I’ve seen this intuitive understanding in real life.  It’s a beautiful moment touching the divine in a way that has to be seen in order to more fully understand.

Twenty plus years of quilting has taught me:Generosity is key to successful quilting
Generosity is key to successful teaching
Generosity is key to successful learning
Generosity of time is key to each one of these
Generosity to ones self is essential to growing as a quilt maker
Generosity towards others is essential to a healthy quilting community

The generosity of a friend led me to this moment.I’ve admired the generosity of quilters is a force to be reckoned with within moments of a natural disaster quilters are coordinating quilt making to cover the effected with love. Ah yes, there’s the heart.  Love.

This quilters journey has reflected her faith life.  I struggle – talent comes with a lot of practice. I fall – I’m not so great at writing patterns among other things.  I have success – winning awards and writing articles.  I have great experiences – teaching, sharing on my blog, answering quilters questions, encouraging them down their own path whatever that may be.  Tonight was one of those experiences in 2 unexpected ways.  First a customer came into the shop where I work needing a bit of help. She started a quilt 20 years ago and is working on hand quilting it and, as most quilters struggle with perfection kept telling me how it wasn’t perfect.  For some reason, “Who cares” kept coming out of my mouth.  It’s finished, you’re happy, who cares about the rest.  Who cares if this quilt lasts 100 years, 1000 years?  What’s important is that she’s happy that it’s finished.Next, a potential opportunity has presented itself, of working the quilting and the devotional together.  If it works, great.  If it doesn’t, that’s fine.

I mentioned on TerifiCreations of a dark period after quilting @play.  A bit further out from the experience it’s my impression that this has been a resting period, to refocus, and learn.  I wasn’t so much drained as leading to something new that required this rest.  I’m ready now to take on several quilts – one of which will require me as a quilter to take the back seat.  I’m ready to do that.

Embrace generosity. It’s a good quilterly thing.