As far back as I can remember, stitching has been a part of my life. As a woman, only one in a long line of strong and creative women, stitching is a lifestyle. As a kid, I mostly remember my mom sitting at her sewing machine creating everything for the kids to wear. As I became more aware of my environment, I soon realized this talent did not fall far from the tree. In fact, I clearly remember my grandmother's house - a tiny little green and white house in town, often set up end for end with tables, covered in cloth, rotary cutters, scissors, templates and more. My grandmother, my mother and my many aunts would attend the weekly matriarchal family quilting club. I would suspect there is hardly a cousin anywhere in the family line who does not have or has not in the past slept beneath a "scrap" quilt created by the mother's of the family. Using up bits and pieces of cloth, sometimes random but sometimes in the most creative of patterns. Matching was mostly overrated. Regardless, each blanket was produced unique and beautiful. A highlight of those days was definitely heading over to grandma`s house after school - she always gave us store bought cookies as treats.
Fast forward 30 years... we have moved forward from denim and gabardine to beautiful cottons. Our eyes catch sight of beautiful patterns and perfect colour schemes and the dreams begin. For many of us, we have followed in the women`s footsteps and the dreams have become reality. My mother still creates beautiful quilts, as do both of my sisters. I have begun my hand at it as well. No longer do we have weekly quilting clubs as locations have changed. However, we now are able to share ideas and products through technology and so we quilt side by side in our own worlds, sisters by birth as well as sisters by choice.
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