A Piece of My Mind: December 2013

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

My Cathedral Window Quilt

As you all know, I make quilts. The first quilt I made that had a "pattern" to it was a Cathedral Window. I really didn't know what I was doing because I had never seen one. I had just seen a picture and thought it was beautiful. I decided to use double knit as I had a good supply of that on hand. As I recall, it took almost two years to finish and was so heavy I just about couldn't lift it! I still have it. I love using it on these cold winter nights. After many years of experience and observation in the quilting community I have started another Cathedral Window quilt. This time I am using unbleached muslin as the main fabric. We will see how this one turns out. I think it is fitting that this pattern should be the first quilt I made and, probably, also the last one I will make.

About Me

I’m a quilter. I piece left over fabric scraps together in patterns to form beautiful, pleasing designs. That also describes how I remember my life.

My parents came to Oklahoma from Texas by covered wagon. My family consisted of six brothers and three sisters, me being the youngest. We lived around Banty, Reynolds Chapel and Bokchito Oklahoma during my formative years.

I met and married my husband, Harold, at the age of nineteen. He taught school, and after his retirement, worked our cattle ranch. I made quilts, took care of the home and raised four children. He lost his life to cancer in 2005.

I was disorientated at first and used quilting as a way to meditate. At some point I realized I had way more quilts than I could ever use or give to my children. I needed to sell quilts. Each quilt has love for my family, my life memories, and my dreams for the future stitched inside. It also has many hours of painstaking cutting and stitching. They are well constructed, warm and pleasing to view.