Causes Which Impel

Why do I do the things I do?

I have written a bit recently about why I run, and more specifically why I will be running a marathon on Thursday.

I have written more times than I can remember about why I became an elementary teacher.

I’m sure I’ve written several times about why I got a Masters degree and, continuing with that thought, why I am now getting a Doctorate. (Pssst. It’s not for the money.)

There have to be a few times on here where I’ve written about why I love to read and why books are so important to me as well.

Just a few days ago I wrote a bit about why stars and space have always fascinated me.

But what is it about sewing that I love? And specifically quilting? I don’t know that I’ve ever exactly spelled that out, even though I’ve written about quilting several times previously. What got me started?

The other day my friend Heidi sent me a link to a web page helping quilters keep their stashes from getting out of control. It’s some good advice. But what caught my attention was the picture at the top of the page. It’s a picture of her stash, all organized by color and folded into pieces in open cupboards. Each cupboard space is filled with fabric that all fits that color. The colors are lined up like a mixed up rainbow. It’s absolutely wonderful. And I’m so jealous.

It reminded me of something from when I was young.

There used to be a Mormon Handicraft store in Salt Lake City where the Conference Center is now. I remember going there and on one of the walls they had bolts of cotton fabric for quilts lined up like a beautiful soft rainbow. The whole wall! I wasn’t a quilter then. I didn’t know I was going to be a quilter. But I remember looking at that wall and being drawn to it. The colors were so pretty. And there were so many of them!

I still love seeing walls of fabric like that. My mind goes into overdrive as it starts imagining all the quilts I could make with those fabrics and the patterns I could use that would highlight different fabrics. It’s hypnotic.

I sew other things, clothes, accessories, home accents, toys, costumes. But the fabric for those rarely catches me the way a wall of quilting cotton does. Something about it just reaches out and grabs me.

And then you take all of those pretty fabrics, and you throw in a good helping of math (quilting is just pretty math), something else I love, and how could I not be a quilter? It was meant to be.