Make It Your Own
an old class sample
As an instructor in a quilt store I have a chance to see what fabrics my students have chosen for the project we'll be doing in class ahead of time. I love it when they choose something so remotely different from my sample that it also makes the pattern look completely different.
My friend, Gail, who started out as a student years ago, has an incredible way of making her projects totally her own and is very confident in her choices. She has such a personal knack of knowing what fabrics and colour combinations go together in ways you wouldn't have thought of. I questioned her choices only once during one of our first classes together. Once I saw the finished product I never questioned her again. She's that good.
another old class sample
Making store samples appealing is clearly what sells the class, but occasionally one of my students will want to make their quilt in exactly the same fabrics as the sample. To be truthful, I don't always “get it” when they do. Don't they want to make something just for them in their favourite colours? I soon came to understand that not everyone feels as comfortable with choosing fabrics and colours as I do. To me it's very intuitive...I almost don't even have to think about it.
Maybe I'm a little perplexed by this choice to make it the same because when I first started out I used to take some classes myself and I always wanted my fabrics to be different from everyone else's in the class. This need to be different bit me in the @$$ once and it was totally out of my control.
Let me explain...
Early in my quilting days I signed up for a class at a local shop. They did not have a sample hanging, but they did have a pattern with a picture of the finished project. The lady at the store said that they hadn't come up with a grouping of fabrics that they were happy with so they hadn't started making the sample yet. The class was still weeks away.
The photograph was very clear making it easy to see the three very different values and colours, and for those of you who were quilting in the early 90's you may remember the pattern “Around the Twist”. I had a lot of fun choosing fabrics and knew that my mom would love this quilt when it was done so I kept her in mind when selecting colours. I found a great purple print and chose solid pink and purple coordinates.
Well, I showed up to class and was shocked to see that they had made the sample in the fabrics that I had chosen because they liked them so much. Some of you will say that I should feel good about that since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and all, but I was ticked!
So much for being different. I felt like everyone in class was checking out the bonehead who couldn't pick out her own fabrics. I really don't mean to sound whiny like this is a case of sour grapes, but I felt so disappointed by the whole experience that I never took a class there again.
Many years later, and with some maturity under my belt, I'm a little embarrassed to admit to those feelings (and actually sharing them with you), but I still stand by the fact that I wanted it to be just for me...or in this case, for my mom. It took me over 3 years to finish that quilt because my heart wasn't in it. It's one of the few quilts that I hand-quilted (and not very well!)...when my children Kate and Alex were very small (as you can see from the picture)...and I gave it to my mom, Adele, for her 60th birthday.
My mom loved her quilt and I never once mentioned to her the story behind it. It would have taken away the specialness of her gift.