Quilt Show Lessons

Way back in 2016, my quilting journey began with two experiences that shaped the kind of quilter I wanted to be. I wrote about it, and it went viral. That original post doesn’t exist anymore, but through #igquiltfest, I was reminded of the experience and wanted to capture it here.

When I started quilting, I did two things. First, I tried for find other quilters and second, I signed up for a quilt show where I could take classes.

I found two guilds. The first had a more traditional feel to it. Most of the members were much older than I was, but they were excited to see me there. I could tell they wanted nothing more than to teach me and make me a quilter in my heart. They were light years ahead of me and I aspired to learn what they knew. The second guild was the local Palmetto Modern Quilt Guild. Most of the members at the time were new(er) to quilting, more in my age bracket with children, and most of us were beginners.

After several guild meetings under my belt, I was set to drive myself to my first quilt show - all by myself. I was star struck with everything new to me, my passion and excitement growing - until I wasn’t.

The first thing I learned at that show was a “taste” of all the rules. It felt like “quilt police,” which I later learned was actually a term. There were so many conversations about “perfect” and “the only right way to do something.” It was starting to make me feel like I would never be good enough to call myself a quilter.

Then, I found myself sitting on the front row of my first lecture, hope starting to die. I was asking myself why I signed up for this, took vacation, and spent so much money.

The speaker emerged. This woman on stage started with, “quilting is dying!”

Wait! What?

She began lecturing on all the things not happening in the quilting world anymore, shops closing, and more. I was in shock. I looked around the room and realized everyone else there was 20-40 years older than me. Where were all the people that looked like me? I wanted to learn. I wanted to know more. I didn’t have a lot of disposable income, but I was all in. The two guilds I attended, of varying ages, didn’t sound like this.

Honestly, a less stubborn person than me could have left that lecture so discouraged they moved on to a different hobby.

I left deflated and sad.

Luckily, the @palmettomodernquilters were going to this thing called #quiltcon in Savannah hosted by @themqg and they invited me to join. Another quilt show? HUM? Could I take it?

At that meeting I looked around and was reminded that 90% of the quilters were new and my age. Some of them had been to QuiltCon before and assured me is wasn’t like my other experience. They were excited, passionate, and helpful.

When I walked into that first QuiltCon, I was blown away by the colors! The joy! The excitement! The sister/brotherhood.

The greatest lesson I learned in quilting was that day.

Quilting is NOT dying!

Quilting is evolving as it always has!

A whole new generation of quilters is being born each day, and their greatest path to being life-long quilters is a path of joy, encouragement, and support. They need, I need, community to do that, not rules. I appreciate and value learning the foundations, and the guild with my more seasoned quilt friends gave me that, but not at the expense of robbing joy and passion to learn something new. We need to learn techniques, but there are lots of different techniques that get us to the same outcomes. Not all quilts are show quilts. Not all quilts need hand binding or perfect points. Some quilts need to be made simply to be made. Some need to be made to be wrapped around someone new in our life or someone in need of comfort. Some quilts need to be made to give the maker a place to channel feelings. There is room in this community for all those quilts and journeys without judgement.

The greatest lesson I learned in quilting I learned through these experiences - Quilt Community is important - but fostering the right quilt community is critical.

Our Jittery Wings core values are built on this lesson = “Encouragement + Support”

I hope you always find that here.

#makenewquilters
#igquiltfest