Internet quilters are the nicest people. Twenty-some people contributed squares for a baby quilt for a fellow quilter in New Zealand. I offered to put it together and quilt it, while other people kindly sent checks to help cover the cost of the backing, batting and fabric for setting squares. I love this picture because you can see some of the quilting - all done freehand, with no pre-marking of patterns. Actually letting this go to N.Z. was difficult - I really loved it!
Candle mats that were Christmas gifts in 2004. If the picture were bigger, you'd see that the lower mat has holly leaves quilted in the border.
There is a part of me that wants to invest in a long-arm quilting machine and go into business quilting other peoples' quilts. Two things stop me: space requirements, and the downturn in the quilting market. Quilting has had its run of popularity, beginning with the resurgence during the bicentennial, continuing with the development of new techniques and tools and now winding down as the wheel of "popular crafts" takes a turn to knitting. It will still be around, practiced by those of us who fell in love with the craft and have enough of a fabric stash to keep sewing for the next ten or twenty years, but the demand for quilting services is now lagging behind the supply.
Note: Bloggers spell check wanted to replace "quilters" with "guilders". I guess quilting is really on the way out!
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