Quilt-making is one of the earliest forms of slow-craft. For many, the process is just as important as the finished product, as a significant amount of time and energy is spent on each element: the individual squares. And every one of those squares can tell a story.
The start of a new quilt marks the beginning of a project that could last weeks, month or even years, as the hobby is passed down through generations. In America, patchwork quilts were traditionally made by the women of a family, who made squares to represent stages of their journey through life, depicting events such as weddings or the birth of a child.
Today, as many people rediscover lost crafts, interest in quilt-making is enjoying a resurgence. For some, it’s a fun and relaxing way to create individual and personal items for the home, while others get hooked on the feeling of telling a story. Mimicking the age-old tradidion, almost any life experience can be rendered in a quilt, however seemingly mundane.
Some quiltmakers set themselves the task of creating a new square every week, taking inspiration from its events. They find it a helpful creative challenge to come up with ideas on quieter weeks, and enjoy recording bigger as and when they occur. They may record sadder life events too, and in this respect, quilt-making can be a great form of therapy.
Quiltmaker Pat Hamilton finds that her hobby is a great way to reflect on the past, present and to look forward to the future. But in her case it’s also a form of communication, as she used the medium to stay in touch with her son, a soldier serving in Iraq. Each week, she sent him a new squre that detailed the family’s most recent news.
If you think that making quilts could enrich and help to record your life, there’s some good basic information on how to get started here.
Image: Net Efekt
