Binding please!

The quilts for the guild are quilted. I can set them aside until later this week for binding. Whew! One more thing checked off my ever expanding list of "things to do" - well sort of. One of the neat things about these quilts, and a few others I've accomplished over the last year is the sense that I can piece and quilt rather quickly when I'm in a time constraint.

On that note my desire is to give myself a shorter time limit on getting things accomplished. It seems if I do this I'm more likely to get pieces done and in a way that I'm pleased with.

I've been reflecting this year on being a quilter. I've learned a few things are you ready for this?

I've got to be patient, particularly when learning new techniques.
There is always a learning curve. What comes naturally to one quilter will boggle the mind of another quilter for ages.

Being a self-taught quilter has it's benefits and it's challenges.
I get to learn from my own mistakes (benefit?), and I learn my own bad habits (challenge) or perspectively speaking I don't learn other folks bad habits and develop my own skills as a quilter.

Taking a class is a good thing.
I took a class on machine quilting at the Quilters Heritage Celebration in April and wow, just a few changes and I'm off and running in a slightly different direction.

I can't be a good teacher unless I'm a good student.
Whether I'm teaching myself or teaching others I still need to be a good student.

I'm a quilter.
Oh how that little statement has given me the freedom to discover more about quilting and who I am as a quilter. I've come to the decision that it's just great for me to limit my "hobbies" to quilting and explore the dimensions of what that means and who I am in relation to that statement. There are so many wonderful things to get involved in, knitting, crocheting, needle punch and the list goes on. I want to be a quilter. That's it!

In that regard I'm happy that there have been so many people who have blazed amazing trails to where we are now in the quilting world. And to you, a heartfelt thanks for your generosity and may I add to the legacy you've left by being a quilter.

Happy Quilting!

Teri