My quilting journey

When I was 15, I broke my ankle and had surgery.  I was laid up for 6 weeks during the summer with very little to do but physical therapy.

I had somehow managed to pop the tip of my fibula off (specifically, the lateral malleolus of my right fibula).  I noticed it first as an ache that just would not go away.  When my ankle still hurt weeks later while mowing the lawn, I started to get a little concerned.  My dear mother (who will forever regret this) kept telling me to "Suck it up!"  'Cause, honestly, that's what we tell people when they complain about a little ache.

I finally went to the high school athletic trainer who took some tools to my ankle and said, "I think you should go see a doctor about this ... it is ... strange."  That wasn't scary, AT ALL.  

That now useless little shard of bone had begun working its way upward, grinding away between the tibia and fibula.  It needed to be removed before I developed severe arthritis.  Hence the surgery, and the recovery.

On a side note, I will always regret that I did not ask for my shard of bone.  I think it would be a great conversation starter.  I'm left with only a well healed scar as a discussion point.

 

Anyway, right before surgery, my mother says, "You will NOT sit and read the entire time you are recovering ... you will make a quilt."

And thus my quilting began.  We purchased a pattern, I do not remember from where (the local quilt shop?  Mrs. Godfrey's "The Needle Nest", perhaps?) and the fabric (again, I do not remember from where this purchase was made).  Thus began my love affair with combining fabrics in a quilt, and my distaste for having someone else choose my fabrics.

Needless to say, I rarely sign up for "blocks of the month" nor buy "premade kits."  This is not the type of quilter I am. 


My first quilt ...

I believe this was hand cut with scissors, being made before rotary cutters were common place.  Though, I could be wrong ... it is hard to remember so long ago.

This quilt was tied, and the fraying at some seams indicates I didn't quite understand the whole seam allowance concept. 

My feather quilt will likely never see heavy use, as it would fall apart at the slightest pressure. 

It reveals my love of muslin, even that early on.  Muslin fabric makes regular appearances in my quilts ... perhaps I should buy stock?