It’s well into 2018 at this point…my tree is down and the halls are undecked. My house has been cleaned.
Hello New Year and good-bye old one.
I hope, if nothing else, 2017 prompted you to think outside of your quilting box, try patterns and colors you had never thought you would, and not be afraid to Quilt Fearlessly.
Since 2018 is a bright, shining, brand-spankin’-new trip around the sun, it’s time to announce this year’s quilting theme: Quilt with Excellence. What does this mean and why did I choose this particular theme?
Let’s start with the “why” first. Part of this reasoning is that I’m feeling rushed. Everyday I am overwhelmed with advertisements for quilting gadgets and gizmos. I am inundated with patterns that claim to be “fast and easy.” Are we feeling pushed through one project so we can move onto the next new one? I believe (and I am seeing in quilt shows and on the internet) that we are moving so fast that we quilters are forgetting what makes a quilt really good: a strong background in the basics, accuracy, and (dare I say it?) patience. Last year I wanted folks to become comfortable getting themselves out of their quilting comfort zone and trying different patterns, harder patterns, different color ways, and new techniques. This year I want us to slow down, pay attention to the basics and become proficient in them, and become unerringly accurate.
Basics in anything are important. When I taught chemistry and had to supervise the labs, you would think it would be the Chemistry I students that drove me nuts – trying to mix things they shouldn’t and not follow directions. But it wasn’t. It was the Chemistry III and IV classes that were the worst. Those kids had taken just enough classes to feel pretty smug and sure about what they were doing. Directions? They didn’t need to read no stinkin’ directions because they thought they knew it all. If there was an accident that was going to happen, it was going to be with this group of kids. The younger chemistry students at least were aware enough of their ignorance to slow down and read through the lab before starting!
I think that’s the way some quilters are – we’ve quilted so long that we tend to ignore the basics, and it’s this excellence in the basics that make everything in the quilt work out well.
So, the “what” in this theme is this: We’re going to revisit basics a great deal of the time. I promise to make it fun and funny. That won’t be the only thing in the blogs. I will keep you updated on my projects and I have some interviews coming up with some quilters. I mentioned before that in my personal quilting life, this seems to be a year of transition. I also feel that this is a year of transition for my blog, as 2019 has lots of great plans on the drawing board and 2018 will move us into those things.
Sam and I are excited about this year! So until next week….
Quilt with Excellence!
Love and Stitches,
Sherri and Sam
