Lavender Quilter

I chose this name for 2 reasons 1) The color lavender is pleasing to my eye 2) The smell of lavender is pleasing to my nose 3) It sounds relaxing as quilting should be. Ok that was more than 2 reasons. So I am not perfect and I don't pretend to be.

I am currently reading a book called That Dorky Homemade Look by Lisa Boyer. Last night while reading the book I was laughing so hard I cried. In this book she teaches you how to say to yourself, "OOPS! Oh well, No one will notice" and then throw away the seam ripper. While I don't go to the extreme that she does (read the book to find out her philosophy) I do understand her point. Quilting should be something you enjoy not something you stress and fret over.

My mother is really good at saying "Oh well, no one will notice" when it come to mistakes I make. (I love her for that!) But I have been told (repeatedly) I have the heart of a Catholic because I am always confessing my mistakes to people. For example, one lovely afternoon I finished piecing my wedding quilt. I had been so careful to not make any mistakes. I mitered the border corners and everything. I was so proud of it and I had even finished the quilt top in time to take it with me to choir practice and show it to my mom and my quilter friend Charlene. I got to choir practice and as people were coming in I unfurled it so that my friends could see. Seeing it laid out flat on the floor for the first time was a glorious moment... until I realized my mistake!!! I screamed "Oh NO!!!" I was so upset I had to sit right down on the floor while 40 people or so turned to look at what was wrong with me. Instead of the 3 rows of offset 4 patches going Red, Green, Red they were Red, Red, Green! I explained the problem to the 40 people staring at me. My mom said, "It's not so bad, that could be where the pillows go." I didn't know weather to laugh or cry so I did both. Somehow I survived the night and went home. I ripped out the panel that got flipped around. I turned it and sewed it back in the hole from which it came. I was very pleased that I was able to do that without having to rip out the mitered corners. Now it is 4 years later and I am still working on the hand quilting part of it. (off and on when the mood strikes me) Maybe I will have it finished by our 50th Anniversary : )


Mary