We all have a reason, a story. Whether it's as simple as boredom or the guidance of a grandmother, there's always a reason or a trigger. Something that made you think, "hey, I want to try quilting!" When I began planning this article, I was going to tell you that Laura Ingalls Wilder is the reason I quilt. But the more I thought about it, the more I realize that's not true. Well, it's sort of true, but there's more to the story.
My Mum
My mum has always been my number one cheerleader in anything. And one of the biggest influences in my life. She's the reason I love tea parties and pretty china, and coffee and dessert.
My mum began sewing her own clothes as a teenager. When we came along, she began sewing clothes, costumes, curtains, and so much more for us. In fact, Mum made the shirts all of us are wearing in this photo!
She never had a sewing room, so she'd set up her little Kenmore on the dining room table and sew when ever she had the time. One time, I caught her sewing late into the night because she was trying to finish a blouse for me to wear to church the next morning. And she did finish it in time!
Besides this exposure to sewing, she also taught us the basics of crochet, knitting, and cross stitch. Though, for me, crochet is the only one that stuck! All of this exposure to crafting created a love of creating and experimenting with different craft supplies and techniques.
Laura Ingalls Wilder
But it wasn't just crafting though, that led to my desire to learn to quilt. Mum spent hours reading to us when we were children. It was our favourite family past-time. Every evening and most Saturdays were spent with Mum reading to us. She read Anne of Green Gables, Caddie Woodlawn, Sue Barton, and the Little House book series, to name a few. But it was Little House in the Big Woods, the first in the Little House series, that made me long to quilt.
In the book, Mary makes a patchwork quilt for Laura. Though while Mary was making it, Laura never knew that it was for her. The way Laura described Mary's stitching, and the thought of a scrappy hand-made quilt sounded like the best thing ever! It's because of this that we named our most recent quilt pattern after Laura!
A Friend's Quilt Book
My already kindled desire to quilt was further fuelled when a friend of my mum's gave her a Quilt Book. It was filled with wonderful, traditional patterns like Sunbonnet Sue, Attic Windows, and Postcard Quilts. And I fell further in love. I'd spend HOURS drooling over the quilts in that book!
All this to say what I said near the beginning! I quilt because of my mum! She sewed for us, she gave us scraps to play with, she read books to us about pioneers who quilted, she gave us books filled with pictures of beautiful quilts. And now we all get to work in the quilt industry together!
I love you Mum!
What About You?
Who inspired you to start quilting? Let us know in the comments below!
About the Author
Hello there, I'm Abigail!
I've been quilting on and off since the age of 8! I have always loved quilts and quilting. I also love teaching about quilting and helping others to get started in this wonderful craft! My non-quilting hobbies include sewing, baking, and hand embroidery. You can find me on IG @abigaildkelly where I share snippets of work and life!
