I spent time over the weekend watching all nine episodes of Why Quilts Matter: History, Art & Politics. Presented by The Kentucky Quilt Project, Inc. and Executive Producer and host Shelly Zegart, Why Quilts Matter presents a wonderful overview of quilt culture.
I love the title chosen for the series. Why Quilts Matter says it all. I can think of many other possibilities for naming such a series—”Everything About Quilts”, or “Quilts Then and Now”, or just “Quilts and Quilters”. But they all pale in comparison to Why Quilts Matter, which sums it up perfectly.
So why do quilts matter? Some of the ideas explored that I found most interesting were these:
• How quilts have elevated women’s place in the world
• Why quilts are universally loved as a symbol of warmth and home
• What events brought quilt culture to its present-day status as a $3.6 billion industry (yes, that’s billion with a b)
Harriet Powers Bible quilt
• How and why quilts are studied; their place in the larger context of American life
• Controversy in the quilt culture: honest examinations of hot topics like Gee’s Bend quilts and the Underground Railroad theory
I came away knowing that absolutely, quilts DO matter!
I’ve been in love with quilting for 30 years and have worked in the industry for the past decade, but realized as I watched that I still didn’t really have a firm grasp on the “big picture”—an understanding of everything that makes up the quilt world.
You and I are often busy being creative in our sewing spaces, but there’s so much more going on. Have you thought about these areas?
• Quilt collectors and dealers; the buying and selling of antique and contemporary quilts by folks whose living is made on quilts
Caryl Bryer Fallert
• Quilts and their place in the art world
• Quilt-related businesses producing or selling goods or services: fabric, thread, books, magazines, patterns, notions, sewing machines, quilting machines, software, web design/management, events and many more
• Quilt competition: there are people who make quilts exclusively for exhibition and competition; money and prestige are the prizes
And the list goes on and on. It was so interesting to watch this documentary and realize how large the quilt culture has become.
Many wonderful quilts are seen in the documentary and image resource guides are available on the Why Quilts Matter website. The guides give additional information about every image in the series so you can do further research if you like.
Shelly Zegart
Zegart herself is a woman who gets things done in the quilt world. It was fascinating to learn about her 30-year influence and all that she has touched. Read more here.
Why did Zegart create the series? Hear the answer in her own words here:
http://youtu.be/-gxmBCXLyLQ
Because this series is perfect for libraries, universities, museums, guilds, shows and educational institutions, and because they want it to be seen by a broad audience, the makers are granting public performance rights at no additional cost for educational use. Details here. This is a wonderful opportunity not to be missed.
Why Quilts Matter is available to PBS stations through an independent distributor. It will air on some PBS stations through 2014. The producers suggest checking local listings. If you would like to see the series, let your PBS station know. Some airings are listed here.
Individuals can purchase the series on two DVDs for $39.95; quilt guild members can purchase four or more copies for a 40% discount ($23.97) plus shipping. Take advantage of the 40% offer by emailing contact@whyquiltsmatter.org.
Get great ideas on exhibition programming for Why Quilts Matter.
Get great ideas on guild programming for Why Quilts Matter.
See the list of episodes and watch highlights of Why Quilts Matter.
Lots more great resources at whyquiltsmatter.org!
Shelly Zegart has graciously provided a DVD set for giveaway on Quilty Pleasures. To be entered, please leave a comment below by midnight Friday, August 24 answering this question: Why do quilts matter to you?
Pingback: Why Quilts Matter: A Documentary; Giveaway! | Quilty Pleasures Blog | How To Quilt
Quilts matter to me because of the sheer joy I receive in making them! The colors, the texture, the design, it is all wonderful. Equally important is the friendships I have made through quilting that I otherwise wouldn’t have, these are very precious to me!
They matter to me for all sorts of reasons. The fun of designing them, the fun of making them, the fun of either using them or giving them away. I guess it’s just all about fun!
I have been married to a very talented architect for almost 20 years. When he was in grad school (and surrounded by other artistically talented people) I felt very left behind and untalented. We eventually moved to Indiana and I met my dear friend and she offered to teach me how to quilt. She opened up a whole new to world for me! Quilts do matter!
Thanks for the great giveaway!
First, I got interested in quilting from by Grandma. She made quilts to be used and for warmth. But, now quilts matter to me, because they tell stories and show what is happening and what people were thinking about at the time they were made. Quilting has changed so much over time and quilts are becoming more beautiful and are now thought of as art pieces. When I look back at the quilts my Grandma made, they tell a story also. They were made from scraps of clothing and I can remember wearing that dress the fabric came from.
Quilts provide a creative outlet as well as a relaxation mechanism. I can work on a quilt and focus on it and all the little petty things disappear. At the same time I am creating something useful, beautiful and lasting.
I know that quilts go back to ancient days when knights wore quilted fabric under their armor, but quilts matter to me now because I am beginning to understand the role they played throughout American history. Also, I feel that when I ventured into quilting I joined in an incredibly artistic activity that actually makes me a better person, which may sound like a ridiculous statement. Quilts matter because they affect us in more ways that we’ll ever know.
Many ways is my first thought. I quilt everyday. It is my passion and it centers my crazy world. I love it and love to give my quilts to the people in my life. Some I know and love and some I don’t know at all. Thank you for the chance to win this series. It sounds wonderful!
Maru
quilt matter to me because they are my creative outlet – I just love making them (the whole process from piecing/applique to hand quilting) I love the way they can decorate a house – I just love everything about them.
Karen
Quilts are important to me for two reasons. First, I have heirloom quilts from my grandmother and her MIL. They’re a connections to these ladies that are no longer with us. Then, they are a creative outlet to me – a therapy that allows me to put everything out of my mind and get wrapped up in color and design.
Quilting has enriched my life in so many ways. My grandmother and great grandmother’s quilts allow me to feel a kinship to two women I never knew, it has provided an outlet for my creativity, enabled me to meet and connect with so many wonderful people at quilting classes, meetings and shows. And best of all, an evening in my sewing room restores my sanity at the end of a long day!
Quilting matters to me for many reasons: it’s an outlet for creativity, it lets me connect with a family past I was never able to be a part of, and it has allowed me to make many new friends in the quilting community. Life wouldn’t be the same without it.
I am a teacher so just about everything I do is logical and mental; conversely, quilting is a physical manifestation of my creativity. For years something was missing from my life–I’d accomplish a lot but no one ever saw it, including me. Quilts are a way for me to see that I have the ability to make something with my two hands that gives warmth, love, and beauty across the miles or across my own sofa. So, I guess you could say that quilting gives my life balance. Yes, I ‘d definitely say that! I don’t have TV so I’d sure like to win this DVD set–thanks for the opportunity!
I would love to win this set as this is something I have wanted to see. My local PBS station has not aired it yet. Thank you for the chance to win. Take care and God bless, Cory
Quilts matter to me because they are the creative outlet that allows me to take the time to fill my spirit.
Quilts DO matter because they are a part of the quilter. They share and show the love and prayers gone into every stitch for a baby, a new bride & groom, a child’s passion, a sick friend, an appreciated teacher, a loving grandparent and the list goes on and on and on. Quilts also are a way to communicate feelings, opinions, and even political and social statements in a constructive way documenting history. Quilts are precious ties to others and to our past!
Quilts matter for so many reasons. When I quilt, I remember my Great Aunt Ruth and her zillions of quilts that she made for anybody and everybody. She lived in a very small rural town in Indiana. She was known by EVERYONE! She made her quilts out of donated clothing and fabric. Most of her quilts were utility quilts, made out of every textile imaginable. But no one was without one of her quilts. They provided warmth to those who needed it. They provided a possession to those who had nothing. They provided an outlet for Aunt Ruth’s giving nature. I too inherited Aunt Ruth’s need to cover everyone with a quilt. Quilts have given me an outlet for my creative side. Quilting lets me escape from this sometimes frantic world and escape into a world of beautiful soft fabrics and bright threads. Quilting helped me through a very rough time in my life about 5 years ago. Without being able to escape to my “Quiltdom”, I don’t know how I would have gotten through it. Quilts matter because we as quilters make them matter.
Quilts matter to me because they will be an enduring piece of me well after I’m gone. They’re a history of my life. I can look back on each one and remember where I was in my life during the time each one was made. There are good and bad memories attached to every one.
As a hand-quilter of 19 years, quilts matter a great deal in my life. They connect me to the quilters of long ago who expressed their love of family and country in their beautiful handwork. My grandmother’s quilts were made with loving hands and usually scrap fabric. The machine quilts and art quilts of today are awesome and will continue to gain popularity, while hand-quilting is a dying art. I quilt almost every day; what a wonderful way to relax. My husband and I have watched the PBS presentation twice and hope it will be shown again and again to spread the word to younger generations how important quilting is to our history.
I’ve been looking for books, information on the history of quilting- why we do it, what the various block names are (there are so many and it’s hard to tell sometimes by looking at it-at least for a new quilter). What is it about quilts that draws so many people to them- making them and using them? This book would give me many of the answers I’ve been seeking!
Quilts matter in my life because creating them leaves my artistic mark on the past, present and future. Past – the skills my grandmother taught me. Present – creating unique, warm gifts for my loved ones. Future – how my children and grandchildren will remember me years from now when they look at the precious quilts which they used as infants or toddlers
Quilts have this strange dual nature of being practical and keeping you warm, but also being a way for women to be creative and resourceful and artistic within the need for something to keep you warm…as they have developed into an artform over the years, the connection between the fabric, which gives us feelings of comfort, and the artistic imagery has an entirely different effect on the viewer than a painting or a sculpture.
Georgia Bonesteel had a theme song that summed it up: “The art of the heart and the design of the mind.” It is just like a museum to see a display of the fabric arts contained in quilts. The comfort factor is just the cherry on the sundae!
Quilts matter in so many ways! They are a link to the past. They are a wonderful art form. They provide comfort. They allow the maker to express their creativity and artistry. They are fun to make. They often bring people together.
Quilting is a way for me to reach out and love other people, both those I know and those I don’t know. I rarely make a quilt without knowing who it will go to – a friend, a loved one, a child in need or a wounded soldier. I know that there is love put into each stitch. In my own small way, I do my best to wrap another with my love.
Quilts matter to me because I enjoy making them .We all need hobbies and this hobby is one that I can enjoy and it gives a gift to others at the same time . Quilts are not just blankets (as some folks call them) . My quilts are thought out and take time to make and quilt , and I try to keep in mind the person that I making the quilt for . Quilts are made to be personal and often can bring comfort . Making a quilt allows us to meet other people and often to make new friends .
Quilts have been a part of our American history. It is a way to keep our families warm, and to share love with other people. In today’s modern age, quilts have become works of art. Why do Quilts matter? They bring delight to the eye, and peace to the soul.
Quilts matter because they bring Hope,co mfort , peace, joy, to all who make,give,, and recive
Quilting is my therapy for stress. I think I can quilt and then I go to a class or workshop and I realize I know so little. Quilts touch everyone for different reasons.
Quilts matter to me because each one is carefully thought out, some quite meaningful and sometimes tells a story. IT doesn’t matter if it is created with new or used fabric, either way they are prescious memories for the creater and recipients. Quilts matter as they serve many purposes.
Quilts have always been a vital element in my life…as a child, I would create forts using quilts, in my teens I slept under as many quilts and blankets I could find…to hide from my sister…I collect quilts, I make quilts, I share quilts, I dream about quilts…I’ve never really thought about why they matter to me personally, until today. Just the mention of the word, quilt stirs up fond memories (we used to dress our horses up in quilts as children) and some heartache (the memory quilt I made when my dad died) as well but most of all the passion and love that goes into creating a quilt is what matters most, for when completed the quilt becomes a blanket of love. And love is what it is all about….
LOVE. It’s the way I can give my love to my family & friends. To make them a quilt special just for them.
Quilts have purpose other than warmth. They tell a history. No matter what the pattern, there is a history/story behind every one. Another purpose of quilting is the joy of seeing the progress of the quilt, the joy of giving it to someone and the quiet time you get to sit and have those conversations with God…quilts have purpose.
Quilting is my Sanity. Much cheaper than a Therapist! I love the chance to create something that I hope is treasured by the recipient. I mostly give my quilts to my family. It’s hard to put a price tag on my work. I want to leave a legacy of quilts so I am not forgotten. My Grandma was a Quilter. When she came to visit, there was always a quilt put up in the Living room. I treasure the time I spent growing up under a Quilt. My Mom judged the buying of a new house by the size of the Living room- was it big enough to put up a Quilt and have room to walk around it?
Quilts Matter because for a significant part of the US history they were one of the only ways for women to express their views publicly. They are to this day an expression of the way the maker feels about….. fabric, color, design, politics, medicine, weather, and everyday life. It doesn’t matter the quality, or final intention of the ‘quilt’…. some thought process on an individual level went into every bit of the process.
Quilts matter to me because I see them as a link between past and future generations. It brings me comfort knowing that when I am gone, my kids and hopefully grandkids will have a quilt to wrap around and hug them when I can’t. They will know that their quilt was made especially for them, with love in every stitch.
Quilts matter to me because they are so much a part of American history as a social outlet for women as well as a creative outlet. When I see an antique quilt I always wonder about the story behind it and about the lives of those that used it and made it. It becomes a way of linking the past with the present for me. I am a person who always likes to know the story behind something and quilts I believe have some of the most interesting stories to tell. I have just started quilting recently myself and it makes me appreciate even more the work that went into the quilts that were all made by hand.
Quilts matter to me because they are such a fabric in life. They tell stories from the past. Provide comfort in the present and hope for the future. Quilts provide warmth and fun. We can use them to express ourselves, provide beauty and a legacy. Quilts are only limited by our imaginations.
Quilts matter to me because I feel it brings me closer to all the women who came before me. It is a connection that spans generations.
Quilts and quilting matters to me because it is a part of my being, my very essence. I am at peace when I am working on a quilt, creating a new item for someone to keep them warm and bring them comfort. Quilts are also a part of my heritage. My Grandmother quilted and my mother quilts and the memories I have of their talents are a treasure.
I love history and can’t wait to watch the series. We are getting ready to move across the country so I’m going to see if we can load the youtube videos to watch along the way.
Quilting matters to me as it provides me an outlet for creativity, allows me to give to others and also to connect with like- minded people all over the world who share my passion.
Thank you for writing on this topic. It is near and dear to my heart. My life goal is to create some quilts to be passed down to my grandchildren and on from there. I have some quilts passed down from my husband’s grandmother’s. To me a quilt is a living memory of the person who made it and also a loving memory. It brings comfort as well as beauty (regardless of what it looks like). The person or people who made it put many hours of their lives and themselves to make the quilt and i believe they left some of themselves in that quilt and we who use the quilt get to share that. This is what i want to pass down to my Grands. Not just an object for them to have but the love and comfort and also the concept that Quilts Matter. thanks you again, scarlette
Quilts wrap us in warmth. Quilts tell stories to generations.Quilting for me is comforting , helpful & soothing in a world of stress.
Oh, I would love to own this! I can see all kinds of possibilities – number one is sharing with my guild. And being able to learn so much in a few short hours. I know that MY quilts certainly do matter, to me as a creative outlet, and to those who receive them as gifts.
Quilts matter to me because even though my Grandma and Great-Grandma were not wealthy and did’nt have riches to pass down to their ancesters, they always had pieces of old clothing and thread to sew into simple quilts to keep their children and themselves warm,and to pass down to us,and through their simple stitches and patterns we feel as though we get to know a little more about them. I hope to pass my quilts down the same way so that maybe my grandchildren and great grandchildren may learn a little more about me through the care and love I sew into each of my creations.
My mother’s artistic ability has always left me feeling inferior. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like she flaunts it or relishes in the praises she receives. In fact, she’s very low-keyed about all that she creates and the many awards she has won (she’s currently one of the top 10% of wood carvers in the world…yes, the world). But the fact that I wasn’t able to reproduce anything, AT ALL, of artistic value left me feeling empty. I wanted to create. I wanted to let my colors shine. I wanted to see a picture, or the real thing, and make it part of me with reproduction. Then, while pregnant with my third son, decided to give quilting a try. It was on my “bucket” list and what a better time then for a new baby? Viola. Something my mom couldn’t even do (she can’t stress enough how much she hates to sew). I don’t create my own quilts, but at least I can see a picture or obtain a pattern and alter colors to suit me and my little corner of the world. It provides me something to do artistically that for 30 years I didn’t think I would ever have the ability to do.
I love anything dealing with quilts. Ive been to quilt museums and shows, I just cant get enough of quilts and quilting in general.
Quilts to me are the perfect companions for all life events! Births, graduations, marriages, celebrations, and even death. They start out as new freinds and then become close buddies or best friends. You can hug your quilt and share your feelings of joy and happiness or sorrow and loss. They can warm your soul and wipe away your tears. They can tell your story or can keep your secrets! Quilts are to enjoyed and loved and shared! Not to be kept in a box and never used! My mom and grandmother never made quilts only clothes, so I am playing catch up making quilts for my kids their families to enjoy!
Quilts matter for the love of making them and using them. Those of us that are compelled to make more and more understand the peace and joy of first designing, then collecting fabric, then working with it finally quilting it and then on to the next!
It would be great to win this so I could show it to our guild.
Quilts matter to me because they are a way for me to express my creative abilities. I love the colors and using the fabrics in quilts is so much fun. Quilts also matter to me because they will be treasures one day for my children even though they have their own that I have made them.
There is nothing like the joy in someone’s face when you give them a quilt to encourage you to keep sewing and giving!
The majority of my quilts are given to others (just how many do you really need??LOL!) and I always enjoy the process of making them and trying to improve my skills. It’s a wonderful form of art that gives you visual pleasure and a nice warm feeling!
Quilts matter to me because they provide a creative outlet for me. I enjoy sewing and creating gifts for my children and grandchild. It is very rewarding to be able to complete a project and give it as a gift.
Quilts mattter to me well beyond the fact that I run a Quilt shop. They are an amazing record of the life of the maker, more often than not, a woman who poured herself into the project. The things that were important to her show in the textile, from economics that drove the materaials used, to politics and ideologies that led to a specific pattern choice, to more personal meanings that we may only be able to guess at. Then there is the sheer joy of manipulating a pretty fabric to make it into something that will bring warmth and comfort too. A quilt marks a moment in time in a person’s life, as does a new melody, and painting, or any other art form. Quilts deserve the same recognition, and this series is a beginning.
to me quilts are a tangible expression of how the women in my family were able to express their creativity with very little while providing for the comfort of their family…every time I see one I am reminded of their strength, determination and most importantly the love that passed through their hands into those quilts and on into mine
Quilts matter to me because making quilts is something that I share with the women in my family. Whether for utility, decoration, or wrapping a new baby, quilts are a creative outlet and love is in my stitches. My quilty heritage includes great-great grandmothers, great grandmothers, grandmothers, great aunts, aunts, mother, and now my little grandniece, making quilts. There’s a lot of continuity of family tradition and FUN in being a quilter. This is why quilts matter to me.
Quilts are important to me… they are my therapy… my escape when life gets too hectic. I love seeing the eyes of recipients when they open the box to see what I made them. I know it will be treasured
hm
This sounds fascinating. Thanks for making me aware of the documentary.
Quilts represent Love for me. Love of fabric, love of sewing, love of the person the quilt was created for, love of creating. love of color, love of comfort. Quilts and quilting are gifts of love.
Quilts matter tome because I love fabrics, and making a quilt is an excellent way to showcase a special fabric. I also love being able to make quilts for others and know that I have given them something unique, cozy, personal and lasting.
I have seen parts of this program on Nebraska Public Television. It is fabulous. I especially liked the program on Gee’s Bend and the controversy regarding the purchase of some of the quilts by certain individuals.
Quilts create an opportunity to connect with others at a creative level. It brings me such pleasure to make a quilt for someone and know how they will treasure it, as an expression of love and care between us.
Quilts are a connection with my family history. I have several old family quilts and tops. Have made duplicates of two using reproduction fabrics, and found a closer connection to my G-G-Grandma in the process.currently trying to copy a quilt shown in the background of old black and white family photo.
Quilts matter to me because they represent the ingenuity and creativity of women who had to make warm beds for their families with few resources. They were the epitome of being “Green” even before that concept was defined. These frugal women used every scrap of available material to create utilitarian and beautiful pieces of comfort. The time consuming and physically demanding task of hand quilting brought frontier women together in quilting bees. Both productive and social, these bees made a tedious task less burdensome by spreading the work load among friends.
Quilts are history, art, comradery, joy, warmth, and most of all love./
Diane, I’m a tiny bit green that you have had the privilege to watch all the episodes of the series. Why do quilts matter? I make quilts for competitions, myself quilted wearable garments, quilts to give to others (the largest I have for myself is a wall hanging) for weddings, birthdays, bereavements, hysterectomies, babies and fun. When I am designing or sewing a quilt, I am in another world and my “creativity” is very happy. If I don’t do these things for more than a couple of days, I am in withdrawal.
Quilting skipped a generation in my family and I feel very blessed to have handmade quilts from both sides of my family. Now, I must, I must, I must go sew.
Thanks for the opportunity.
PS. I think if I am lucky enough to win the giveaway, I will arrange with our local library for a showing of all the episodes, open to all who wish to attend.
Many of us find quilting to be therapeutic; I do as well. For me, however, they are also a connection to my local community. I am part of the Project Linus “posse” where I live. I participate in making quilt tops, binding and quilt kits for our local Project Linus coordinator. The local shops donate a classroom — we have several shops which participate, so are able to move around and support the shops all over the area (we always seem to increase their sales for the day). We meet monthly to make tops or to put together kits — sometimes producing as many as 40 tops in one session. The kits are distributed through the local guild and quilt shops, providing opportunities for many more quilters to practice their quilting skills. This area also has specialists — those who do the binding, quilters who quilt tops on their long arm quilters, quilters who make binding, and others who sort and cut fabric. I reap the benefit of learning to know all these wonderful quilters as well as contributing to my community in the process.
Wow–complicated and fun question!
My first experience with quilting was in college and took a class for Home Ec. credit. I fell in love with quilting, and I had a special teacher who shared her love, her knowledge, some history, along with skills. I had an English paper course that quarter and needed a topic–I chose quilting history in America, and why it is important. Eventually, I submitted that paper to my honor society and won–and got it published!
I found that quarter that quilting is fun, relaxing, creative for me, and designing is fun! I got to know my grandmother better by interviewing her for my paper, and seeing her collection of quilts. She shared scraps of her fabric stash with me, that I put into my quilt for class. Fabrics that were used for my mother’s dresses while she grew up, and things like that. I was working on my quilt, my Madison House block, when I found my dad lost his job…I remember that! Now, quilting is about serving others, sharing joy and skills and creativity. A creative outlet for me, being a mom, but also because being a mom and wife–I picked up quilting again because of baby quilts for my children. And now I want to make quilts for others! And now I have my own blog to document my own journey. I feel like more of a member of community because I have been following blogs and asking questions…I don’t feel so lonely as a mom now.
Quilts matter to me for4 reasons. First, I feel I have been given a talent by God to use things he puts in my path to create something beautiful. Second, I love to be able to make something useful from next to nothing, thereby satisfying my creative urges as well as my practical side. Third, I am able to heal a hurt that was caused in my husband’s family when his grandmother who raised him died. Let’s just say that he never received the quilts she had intended for him, so I make as many as I can in her memory. And last but not least, I am able to give to charity with my making of quilts where I wouldnt be able to give cash, but I am able to give the warmth of my love in a hug when the recipient can wrap up in a quilt.
Quilts I make represent a bit of me, a bit of the recipient, and some of the prayers I pray for that person. I value quilts because they are creative, cozy and personal. I love the reminder of special people and times that each quilt represents.
Quilts matter to me as a permanent creative expression. So much in my life has to be done again and again, even multiple times a day, but once that seam is stitched, it’s never going to need stitching again.
Quilts are a way that I can share part of myself with our family, to make them quilts that they want, and will hopefully treasure for years to come. It brings happiness to all of us!
Anita
Quilts matter to me because I love making them. I make quilts that strike my fancy without having a recipient in mind. Quilts matter to me because I can use so very many different techniques on just one quilt. My quilts are to be used, loved and worn out. And now, most of all, in my declining years, Quilts matter to me because I have lots of time to turn my great stash of fabrics, threads and batting into quilts before I Kick the Bucket!!!
I just wanted to add – One of my granddaughters calls me Grandma Quilt. Pretty neat, huh?
I am still learning quilting –have only made a few–but the reaction to those few has convinced me that people love gifts that are made from the heart… I make these gifts as a present from me to someone i know and care about..and love the fact they really love them. Hope to continue learning and making many more quilts and get to enjoy the reaction to them Pam
I learned to love quilts and the making of quilts from my mother & grandmother. I have so many good memories with a quilt frame somewhere in the background. They did a lot of quilting in the winter months at my aunt’s house because she had room for the frames without crowding. Lots of good memories of cousins playing around the the quilt they were working on. Just love making somethng beautiful and then seeing someones face when I give it to them!
Quilts matter to me because they bring comfort. I love the quilts my grandmother made for me.
Quilts matter for me because of the connection to the past, the creative outlet for the present, and the legacies of the future! I have rich histories of quilts from both grandmothers and wonderful memories of hiding under the quilts while aunties and friends quilted. Of course I would on occasion “pop” the spool of thread and wait for the responses! I most often was told to go somewhere else or behave! Another “game” was to guess who was sitting where ..while looking at the shoes/dress/knees of the person. hahaha..a whole new perspective of “guess who”!!
Quilts matter for a lot of reasons. To show how much you care to the one who is receiving the quilt. For the warmth and comfort quilts bring. For the history of the quilt, that can be passed down for generations to come.
Quilts matter to me, because they are a good stress reliever to sit, and cut the fabrics, then sew them back together, and when your finished, you can say, I did that!
The therapy that quilting provides me is priceless. Sewing with friends, old and new, calms and refreshes me, inspires me, and makes me so very happy. Just visiting and petting fabric in my stash is a practice I can recommend for times when you don’t feel like company. I can’t imagine what life would be like without quilts and quilting in it.
I learned to quilt with a group from church. The camaraderie was priceless and lessons about quilting came naturally to these women. What one of them didn’t know, the other did and, of course, we were all open to learning new ways to do things. I’ve enjoyed this group immensely. The very first quilt I made was a mystery quilt which made it even more fun wondering what the finished product would look like.
Quilts give the maker not only a creative outlet, but also a sense of accomplishment. Finishing a new pattern, designing a quilt, just picking colors can brighten ones day. Quilts give warmth buch so much more being cuddled in the love put in each stitch gives comfort and a sense of well being to the one covered by a quilt
Quilts tell our past, where we came from and where we want to go.
Quilts matter to me because I love to make them specially for each person I make them for. I try to put a part of me into each quilt I make. The next quilt I make is going to be for me. It has been many, many years since I made one just for me. I love the Mystery quilts and Block of the Month quilts. I am joining a quilt guild in my area and hope to learn a lot from the ladies in the guild.
Quilts matter to me because they bring joy. Not just to me but to those that I give the quilt to. I enjoy picking a pattern, touching all the fabrics to make the choices, seeing the end result and the surprise in the eyes of the receiver. I hope that the quilts I make will cover the ones I love with my love long after I’m gone. For my grandkid’s quilts it is a reminder to them that grandma always has a hug for them.
Quilts matter because of the love and time the maker put in to them. They are the way I express my love to my family when I have the time to make them. Have loved making quilts for my grandchildren.
Quilts matter – they really do! For the love of color, for art, for joy, for warmth, for love.
Quilts matter me because they are made with love. They give us physical warmth and emotional warmth. They comfort and make us feel safe. Quilts are not simply blankets; they are friends!
Quilts matter to me because I was raised by women who made these wonderful warm, snuggly quilts that kept me warm as a child and bring me wonderful memories to this day. I was always amazed by the designs and how they came together to create these amazing blankets. I have sewn since I was 12 years old and three years ago I took my first quilting course and fell in love with making quilts. Now I am hopelessly hooked on making them. I enjoy seeing designs emerge from scraps of fabric and once started cannot wait to see my quilts finished. One is never enough!
Me encantan el quilt para los niños, alegrales el cuarto con telas que sean lindas es un placer
I have a quilt that my great-great grandmother pieced, my great grandmother assembled the top, and my grandmother helped to quilt and bind. They gave it to my parents 60 years ago when they got married. Quilting is a part of my heritage, and is something I can not imagine life without. My best friends are quilters. My family loves the quilts I made. Quilts matter to me in so many ways.
Quilts matter to me as I feel when I give a quilt as a gift, I’m giving that person a life time hug from me.
Quilts have mattered in my life since childhood; when my Granny made me a quilt that provided tactile comfort during a long complicated bout of measles spent bored in a darkened room to heal my affected eyes. Then helping Granny tie quilts for those in need and making quilts for my dolls on her treadle machine gave me my first introduction to creativity. No pattern, no rules, just colorful scraps to sew as I pleased. After a long career in business, quilt again matter in my new occupation joyfully providing long arm quilting services and creating commission quilts in my studio. The joy of creating with color and texture, sewing and quilt making has followed me from motherhood to being a Granny; making quilts for my own grandsons; babies of friends and to comfort those in need.
Quilts matter to me because they are a showing of love from one person to another. You will always have the warmth of the persons love around you when you are wrapped in your quilt. My grandmother will be 84 this year and is making each of us grandkids quilts for Christmas. We will cherish the quilts now and always. My sister and I have taken up quilting to continue this tradition within our family.
Quilting for me is such a combination of things. Words lack the feeling that I have for quilting. It is a link to my past, specifically my Grammy (she taught me to quilt). It is my passion, my stress relief, part of giving back, giving forward, and I love making them.
Quilts have been a part of my life since I was a baby. My mom had an old quilt that she put on the floor for me to play on, before I started walking and carrying it with me. One of my favorite childhood memories is of my mom, my grandmother, and two aunts sitting around the quilting frame that dropped from the ceiling over the dining room table. Another is of my other grandmother tucking us in on cold winter nights with, I swear, enough quilts to hold us in place as well as keep us warm. Now, I am carrying on the family tradition by making new quilts for the people I love.
Quilts matter to me because I feel free when I am working with the fabric. There are so many parts to quilting and I thoroughly enjoy them all. I started quilting to keep myself busy when I quit smoking and I picked it up easily.. I found out a few years later why it came so easily, my paternal grandmother was a quilter. I have the last quilt she made and it is unfinished. I will finish it one day, for right now I will treasure it as it is. I have taught my own daughter to quilt. I love my quilting time.
Quilts bring out my creative side, my puzzle solving skills, and put me in “total relaxation zone”. I find it amazing that pulling out fabrics and playing with them is so much fun.
I love creating quilts, no two are ever the same, and I almost always add my own little twist somewhere in a pattern. Also I have quilts made by my grandmother that I cherish. I admire the fact that she managed to do all that handwork while raising a family and being the wife of a farmer. She did lots of the chores herself in addition to the inside stuff and garden.
They matter to me for several reasons. The feel of the fabric gives me such a warm feeling. Each one has their own special texture. It is such a feeling of accomplishment when they start going together. The whole process for me (the cutting to the piecing to the quiling to the binding) gives me a great pleasure. I have only been quilting for over a year & have not done many projects, but I simply love the whole experience. So glad I finally took the plunge into the world of quilting.
Quilts matter because of the history of the craft and the history in the evolution of all the different types of quilts, and most importantly the history behind each and every quilt ever made. Do you think the women of the 1800s thought they were making history when the pieced together bits of shirts or scraps of fabric to make something for their family? Do you think you are making history right now, with the quilt(s) you’re working on?
Quilts matter to me because they matter to my 81 year old mother. I watch her quilt and imagine my own quilts (someday). She made me a quilt several years ago – it’s on my bed now and when I sleep under it “she’s got me covered”!!
Quilts matter because they are a connection to our past, when stitching a quilt was a way to keep a family warm. Quilts matter because I can hold a quilt made by a great-grandmother that I never knew. Quilts matter because friends from around the world can come together and contribute to making a quilt for a dear friend battling cancer. Quilts matter because my teenage kids still cuddle up with their quilts that I made when they were small. They take time and skill and love goes into every stitch.
Quilts connect me to the past (quilts made by my mother and grandmother) and to the future. Hopefully my daughter and future grandchildren and great grandchildren will love my quilts and remember me.
My grandmother died a long time before I was born, but her sister and her mother (my great-grandmother) made quilts that are a family legacy.
Quilting allows me to express myself without words. My quilted objects are given as gifts and let the person that is gifted know that I care about them. Each of my children has a mom-made quilt on their bed to hug them thru the night. My siblings have small quilts and items like coasters to remind them of my love. Plus quilting has given me many friends to enrich my life.
Quilts matter because they show love and caring. My grandmother and mother made a quilt for each of my sons. Now that they have both passed, the children and I can look at those quilts and know how much love they felt for my children. People who receive quilts know how much thought and consideration as well as time goes into each quilt. They appreciate the gift.
Quilts matter because they are a way of telling someone how much you care for them both physically, by giving them warmth, and spiritually, by giving them a part of your soul.Each quilt you sew you put a little bit of your soul into it along with a whole heap of love.Each quilt is unique, just as we are, each one has a history behind it, just as we do.A quilt can say so much about how the person receiving it is thought of in which fabrics are used and how intricate the quilting is.Each Quilt should also tell a story about each stitch used and each block used.
In fact Quilts matter an awful lot much more than a mere covering for a lap or bed ever could!
Quilts matter a great deal to me because they remind me of the good times, wonderful memories of my grandmothers. I am a beginner in quilting but I do so that someday my grandchildren will look upon my quilts and think of the memories seeing their grandmother put so much love into this art.
Quilts matter because it is a part of you, created by you for that special person or persons. I comes with a piece of your heart attached because of all the time that goes into making it.
Quilts matter to me for so many reasons. I create quilts for special occasions weddings, new babies for friends and family . Each one has it’s own story and are as unique as the person it’s given to. Some are made just to comfort someone in need. It is such a pleasure to see someone enjoying the quilts I’ve made. I have also gained many quiltminded friends from all over the globe to share this love of quilting with.
I have just “discovered” quilting and I am hooked!! Love looking at fabrics and imaging what can be. I love joining an amazing group of (mostly) women who have vision and talent and are as friendly and helpful as can be. Quilting has given me a new set of friends. It makes me remember my heritage. It lets me be creative. It lets me be generous. It makes me a better person!
I’m not sure I can explain why quilts matter to me…it seems that quilting is more than a hobby or a passion for me…it’s literally a part of who I am and who my grandmother and her grandmothers were before me. I feel so very thankful to belong to a family where this amazing art and tradition has been handed down through the generations. Recently I have been re-creating some of the same patterns made by my great great grandmother, and it has been some of the most rewarding quilting I have ever done. Quilting also matters to me because it allows us to share with one another…whether our knowledge or by gifting the quilts to those who are in need. Yes, quilting matters very much to me…more than words can say!
Quilts matter to me because I have invested so much of myself into the ones I’ve made, which reveals how much others have invested in those that they made. I feel a real connection to people ( mostly women) I’ll never know just touching and seeing their work. It says to me that their Life mattered.
Quilts are the ultimate opportunity to blend creativity, color, mathematics and love. Granted, it is very rewarding to hear “Wow! You made that!?!” from a recipient, but donation quilts actually give me more pleasure. Complicated or basic, I love knowing that someone, somewhere, is wrapped in warmth and an invisible hug from me. And more often than not, my donated quilts are baby quilts. Who doesn’t want hold a baby snuggled up in a quilt?
Quitling matter’s to me because it’s the one thing I can do for those I love. I can follow the same patteren as someone else but, for some reason they’ll be different. And maybe they’ll be around long after I’m gone for someone else to enjoy and use,
Life is all about changes and losses and how we deal with them. I started to quilt when I became an empty nester. It helped me to deal with the loneliness of a too quiet house. It has helped me to deal with the sadness that surrounded me during my job as a nurse. It allowed me to grieve for people I should not by convention become emotionally invested in while doing my job. The solace of piecing or just ironing a beautiful piece of fabric helps to place my thoughts together. In quilting you as the artist are in control of the outcome of the quilt, something as I grow older I find that there is very few things in our lives we actually have control over. I haven’t quilted for several months now. The last quilt I made was for my dying son. It was simple and quick as it took me awhile to realize that he was not going to live much longer. It was signed by hundreds of people from his hometown and by the nurses and other staff who cared for him. He would grab his marker and make them sign his quilt that his “mommy” as he still called me, made for him. After he died several of the staff came to pay respects for this brave man. they tried to give me back his quilt but I refused to let them take it off of him. The last quilt but not the final quilt I made went with my son to wherever he his now and continues to give him comfort. The next quilt that I have finally been ready to make will be one for each of his young children from his clothes so that they can snuggle with daddy for a very long time. This will help me to understand the senslessness of it all and help me to heal. This is why quilts matter to me.
Quilts matter to me because I love to make them as gifts for my children and grandchildren. Just to see the looks on their faces, and to know my love is keeping them warm means the world to me. I also sew quilt tops for my daughter’s church quilters, and I donate to Project Linus. Even though I never meet those recipients, it does my heart good to know that someone has a quilt to keep them warm – something that is theirs, and totally unique.
Quilts are important to me because I have so many nieces and nephews and great nieces and great nephews that I have gifted a homemade quilt to. That is something they will use and have for many years. Also I have 2 grand kids who receive many quilts from me.
Quilts are my life!, I love everything about them. colors, textures, sizes, warmth! they are my HUGS.
Quilts matter to me because of the wonderful joy I get from making and gifting them. I love the whole creative process, from picking the fabric down to the very last binding stitch. Quilting has also opened a whole world of friendships through my guild, retreats, people I have machine quilted for, shop owners and workers, and all those fantastic bloggers out there who share their quilting adventures.
I would love to win this video so I could share it with the wonderful folks at my guild.
Quilts matter to me because it is another tie to my Grandmother who taught me to use a thimble when doing hand stitching. It’s a tie to my Mother who gave me her old 1953 Singer to use when I left for college. It’s a tie to my Friends who I spend time with. They matter because they make me warm in the winter and they decorate my home all year round.
When I work on a quilt it gives me a sense of happy accomplishment. It is a balm for a bad day, and a reward for a day well-done. A quilt made by myself, or others, is a lasting labor of love…not only love for the person it was sewn for, but love for the craft itself. It is the love of creating something to make life a little brighter, warmer, and cheerier. What in the world is better than that?
What fun it is to piece a quilt, watching the fabrics/colors blend together, the pattern develop, and hear the appreciation of the recipient.
Quilting matters to me because I enjoy the history of quilting and also enjoy sewing and doing something with my hands. I love the camarderie of other women enjoying the same passions I have for quilting and to think we are keeping a necessary and beautiful tradition alive together.
Pingback: Why Quilts Matter | Quilty Pleasures Blog
Quilts matter to me because they give you the chance to create something special for yourself or others. You get the satisfaction of seeing the quilt come together before your eyes. When you give a quilt as a gift you get to experience the joy again by sharing it with someone else. Quilting is fun, relaxing and good therapy.