A Scrappy History to Become a Quilt Artist
When I was six, Aunt Nancy and Aunt Helen taught me various hand-stitching skills. Whenever our families got together for holidays, vacations, or birthdays, they each had something new to teach me.
Aunt Nancy first taught me how to cross-stitch. She gave me a small piece of Aida 11 cloth, a few size 24 tapestry needles, and a beautiful array of DMC floss! I was excited because the bright and cheery colors reminded me of a rainbow. I had no pattern; only my wonderful aunt patiently taught me how to make the traditional X pattern into the Aida 11 cloth. She taught me how to start a stitch, make a series of stitches, end and finish with color, and continue a pattern.
On another visit, Aunt Helen taught me how to crochet. Like her sister, Aunt Helen gave me a few small skeins of yarn (I believe they were leftovers from her projects), a few sizes of crochet needles, and the time to teach me. I distinctly remember saying, “How will you teach me? I am left-handed?” (At that time, I was catching a lot of hassle for being left-handed.) My aunt lovingly replied, “It’s super-easy; I will sit across from you, and you can mirror my motions.” That memory has stuck with me my entire life, and I have use the same technique to teach anyone who wants to learn.
Knowing that cross-stitching and crocheting boost my creativity, I would collect patterns, crochet floss, and yarn to make crafts and gifts for every occasion and everyone!
Each time we got together, my aunts swapped teaching me something else:
Macramé
Knitting
Tatting (more complex)
Embroidery
Rug hooking
I was hooked on it all! Before long, I had a vast collection of tools and textiles for any craft. My mother taught me how to organize all the items, mainly so we didn’t have to argue about cleaning my room.
Then, one day, all the family came to our house for a summer vacation. At one point, Aunt Nancy needed to repair a clothing item and asked my mother for her sewing machine.
NOTE: My mother never enjoyed the crafts I wanted and has always claimed to ‘not have a creative bone in her body.’ The sewing machine was purchased many years earlier and used only to hem hand-me-down pants for my brothers and me.
As my aunt repaired the clothing, I was mesmerized and asked many questions. My aunts determined the next best lesson was to take me to the sewing store and buy me a pattern and fabric.
I was introduced to the fantastic world of fabric and all its creative possibilities, and my joy multiplied!
One small dilemma existed: my aunt’s visit was too short with this discovery. They taught me the basics and encouraged me to finish the item – a pillow. I toiled over the pillow, making mistakes, learning to use the seam ripper more than any other tool, and crying when it didn’t work. However, I succeeded. Mom moved the sewing machine into my bedroom, and I collected scraps wherever I could.
Jumping forward a few years, I made clothing in Home Economics class for myself and my family and sewed crafts and gifts for the home and everyone else. While in college (majoring in Sports Management), my free time was spent sewing or doing one of my favorite handcrafts. On a typical college Friday night, I was happily in my dorm, sewing while my friends and roommate dated and partied.
Eventually, I moved west to graduate school at Utah State University to study Clinical Exercise Physiology. I married, had two children, and continued to sew. Mom’s sewing machine had been replaced thrice while I lived at home, so I needed to buy a Necchi. A few years later, I purchased a Pfaff offering more features.
Meanwhile, my mother-in-law introduced me to tied quilts. I was intrigued by the craft and the process. She showed me the basics, and as with my aunts, I deeply observed and asked many questions.
Upon returning home, I unboxed fleece saved from years of making sweatpants for everyone and made my first tied quilt. It was thick, heavy, and deliciously warm, and I gave it to my dad for his 60th birthday.
Then 1997 rolled around. The local Relief Society (the women’s organization associated with the LDS) paid a friendly visit. While I was not a church member, I got occasional visits from them. The two women noticed my small quilts hanging on the walls or draped across the couch. One asked if I belonged to a quilt guild. I was highly curious since I had never heard of this term before. They gave me a quick summary of a quilt guild and invited me to join. The next month, I was a member of the Needles and Friends quilt guild in Hyde Park, Utah.
I was immediately hooked! There, I learned and was exposed to all aspects of quilting. We created charity quilts, round robins, mystery quilts, blocks of the month, friendship quilts, and more. Each monthly meeting had a theme, such as holidays, life events, seasons, etc. We had a speaker teach a technique or share their quilting history. There was always a Show and Share, where members would show their latest quilt project. Plus, there were longer workshops offered throughout the year. I attended every one of them.
This was when I discovered the joy of quilt shops! These shops had a dreamy supply of fabrics, notions, and patterns and offered classes. I attended as many as possible and soon became a regular attendee of various courses.
Jumping forward again, I have made dozens of quilts for myself, friends, and family as gifts. Meanwhile, my marriage did not survive, and my clinical cardiology career never took root. I moved to Missouri with my belongings, primarily my sewing machines (I had three by now, including a serger), fabrics, and notions. My heart was heavy, and sewing was excellent therapy.
It took me a while to find a quilt guild, but thanks to the local quilt shop, I did.
When the shop helped me find a backing for a 1930s-themed Giant Dahlia quilt, the owner asked if I would like to teach a class on the pattern. Needing to break out of my sorrow, I said yes. Additionally, having learned so much from previous quilt shop classes, I was thrilled to be invited to teach a class. Following this event, I joined two quilt guilds.
Jumping forward another few years, my mother became ill and died. Covid further messed everything up, including my attempts at sustaining a career as a writer and editor. Additionally, I managed my mother’s final affairs as I sought employment. Nothing was easy during this time, and I felt lost about what to do next. I burned many brain cells wondering what was next for me: I was too old to go back to school (nor did I want to!) and too young to retire. Sewing and quilting distracted me from the hard times so many of us were facing.
One day, while speaking with a writing friend (who used this difficult time to return to school to become a career coach), she suggested I consider sewing and quilting as an income source.
By this time, my mother’s affairs had been closed, and I inherited enough money to buy a quilt-sew embroidery machine, a Husqvarna Viking Ruby 90. I named it ‘Desiderata’ after the famous poem. I learned that “desiderata” means “something that is needed or wanted.” I felt this fit the career challenges and highs and lows I’ve experienced. I also used this time to go on a vacation. Before leaving for a month’s travel, I told a quilting friend I would make quilts for people when I returned. She was thrilled to hear this! As a longarm quilter, she gets MANY requests to make quilts. She never knew who to refer to these customers and felt bad that she couldn’t help these people. My news made her ecstatic!
When I returned from vacation, I had six quilts on order. By the end of 2021, I completed 17 quilts. For the year 2022, I completed 20 quilts. 2023 17 quilts, some with coordinating pillowcases and pillow shams, and four repair quilts. Also, in 2023, I had two requests for art quilts! As 2024 moves forward, I have a wide assortment of quilt projects ahead, with memory and t-shirt quilts, art quilts, repair quilts, and a few quilt presentations coming up.
I now belong to three quilt guilds: the American Quilt Study Group, the Midwest Fabric Study Group, and the American Quilting Guild. I continue to enjoy the projects my aunts introduced me to and am grateful to have discovered fiber arts, textiles, and the joy of quilting!
There is more to come! Being a skilled quilt artist means lots of practice and continued learning.–Kristen Edens