Why I Quilt (A First Person Case Study)

Last week I finished the revision of my introductory textbook, "Kraus' Recreation & Leisure in Modern Society" and got it off to the publisher on Monday morning. As part of the book, in the last edition we (my coauthor and I) added case studies. In chapter 1, where we introduce the textbook I initially asked Allison to tell, "Why I write?" as a leisure activity. I needed to change the case study so Allison's case study goes into the faculty/student resource pages the publisher provides and I asked my beautiful wife to write a "Why I quilt?" I can't give you what I put in the book, since it is copyrighted and I don't own the copyright, but I thought what JoAnn had to say was so appropriate. I did an interview with her, then wrote up what she said into case study format. Below is her response to my questions:


Questions:

1. When did you start quilting? Why?

    I started quilting just before my second daughter was born. I was 26 and I didn't do a lot of quilting then. For me it was just putting 2 pieces of fabric together (top and bottom) with a middle thicker material called batting. I didn't just jump into quilting. I was raising a family of 7 children and that took a lot of time. By the time my oldest daughter was nearing graduation from high school I decided to quilt a bed covering for her, which expanded to each of my children.

2. How do you feel while you are quilting?
    When I quilt I fell happy. It's like a release from other things going on. It allows me to bring order from groups of fabrics to a structured and planned piece. I enjoy finding of fabrics that speak to me about colors, patterns, prints and how they blend together. I like to find patterns, prints, and colors that match the person I'm making the quilt for. One granddaughter likes purple and and grandson likes green and frogs. A big part of quilting is finding the right fabric. It's like a treasure hunt and the big surprise is when you find 2 colors that harmonize together, that you didn't think would. One special experience occurred when my 5 daughters and 2 daughters-in-law made quilt blocks for each other (8 quilt blocks per person, including mine) and then we sewed them individually, each with their own touch of creativity.

3. Do you lose yourself in your quilting? 
    When I'm engaged in all of the steps of quilting - the measuring, the cutting, the sewing, organizing the quilt blocks - I find a release from the day to day pressures. I'm allowed to do work on something that is important and fun for me.

4. How do you feel when you are done with a quilt?
    Most of the time I'm very happy with the quilt. I have a real sense of accomplishment. I made something that someone else may also enjoy. It gives me a wonderful feeling when you are stitching the binding at the end of the quilting process and suddenly, it's all done!

5. How has quilting helped you emotionally?
    Quilting gives me good feelings about myself. It gives me a feeling of accomplishment. I have a real sense of creativity. I'm not an artist with a brush and pallet, but when I'm quilting I feel like an artist in fabric and colors making designs and patterns. I can't wait for the next project. In my mind I have multiple projects in the planning stages.

6. What activities associated with quilting are important to you?
    hopping for material; reading a new quilting magazine;

7. What do you do with your quilts?

    My quilts have many purposes. First and most important it is to bring joy to others, to celebrate events, to comfort. When my oldest grandson was killed in an accident my 2nd daughter and I made a special quilt for each of his 2 brothers. When a granddaughter broke her arm she asked for a quilt to give her comfort. When a new baby is born the mother needs a quilt to wrap them in. Quilting is a way for me to share my self and my love with others.

Artist at Work

A number of years ago I was invited to a workshop in Eugene, Oregon and as part of the workshop one of China's premiere artists (he was considered a national treasure) was present. One evening several of us were together in a smaller group watching this artist work with ink and brush. He would draw a brush stroke followed by another brush stroke, and then a squiggle, a short linking stroke which suddenly looked like a mountain, then he did a fish, then he did a flower. It all seemed so easy! What I realized was that he could see (or vision) what he wanted to paint. In other words he could see visually what he was going to paint even before he began and the resulting painting allowed us to see what he saw. It was a creativity.

Watching JoAnn make quilts is a lot like watching this artist work through the visioning process of creating a masterpiece. From my perspective, all of her quilts are masterpieces, but I am biased. I've since watched other artists, especially with paints and pastels and realize that they are constantly tinkering finding just the right colors, moving lines, creating within the creation. I see JoAnn doing the same thing when she is planning and making a quilt. She calls it refining the vision. Recently I watched her spend hours going through her magazines looking for just the right pattern. She already knew who was going to receive the quilt, but finding the right pattern for that person/family was the difference between making a quilt and creating a masterpiece. She won't accept just any pattern - it has to be the right pattern. And she will take almost as much time finding the right pattern and materials and colors as making the quilt.

She often talks with me about colors and matching fabric she is looking for or at. On one recent project we debated all Saturday morning about the right material and colors for a moderately simple pattern. It really doesn't matter if the pattern is simple or complex, matching the fabric to the quilt pattern is the difference between a great and just a good looking quilt. After a morning's discussion I finally suggested we go to the fabric store and look for what she wanted. On our way to the store we kept talking about the colors and fabric and realized exactly what material was the right fit for the pattern and that she had it at home.

One of my roles is to provide feedback, critique, and most of all support. As I write this she is in the other room working on a quilt where we talked colors, found the colors together (read that as she found the colors and I concurred) and now as I see the quilt coming together I can see in her sewing what she saw in her mind. We've worked out a pretty good process. She quilts and I'm her champion. I love that role.

Once the colors are determined my next role is to take photos. I usually don't take photos throughout the process, but at the end. However, in the case of one quilt I took photos throughout the process. It just seemed that it needed to be a photo project. The photos below show the progression of a quilt she made for our nephew's wedding this past summer. It was a lot of fun to watch the quilt come together. It's not very often she uses the whole floor to lay out a quilt, but in this case it allowed me to watch her organize, experiment, and finally decide on what the quilt would look like. Work your way down through the photos and see a creative mind at work.

By the way. She has nurtured 5 daughters with the same wonderful skills. What a creative family!

A Quilting Grandma

I've thought about this post for a long time and now that I'm flat on my back I've got time to write it. JoAnn is busy on quilting projects for our family. She loves to quilt and I enjoy watching her look for just the right pattern and then her creativity comes into bloom as she takes the pattern and changes it to fit what she wants to do. I've watched her do it so many times it has become second nature to her and to me. Yet, this week as I watched her go through literally dozens of quilt magazines looking for the just right pattern I was amazed a her ability to put it all together. She even asks my advice on colors sometimes. I always give it, but I'm never quite sure how helpful it might be. She listens politely, brings more material out, we look at it again, and finally she arrives at the colors and patterns that she knows will work for that person.

Right now she has moved from the quilting room to what I call the quilting annex, which is the dining room table. Since we never eat in there I think it is a great location. You can see from the photo below she has it all set up for her work. I've never noticed the ironing board down low before and right next to the table, but it seems to work. She is working on small blocks.

Quilting keeps JoAnn busy, requires her mind to be thinking, and she knows she is making something that will be well received. What more can you ask than that. It is the best mental health activity I think she can do. And the rewards are great. I remember when she made blankets for a family that had triplets. They weren't supposed to know where the blankets came from, but they knew and thanked JoAnn for it. Seeing someone smile when they get that quilt is awfully special.

Regardless of age. . .

A Cake Making Family

I was reading Krissie's blog last week about making cakes and how much she loved it. While she may know she comes from a cake baking family, she may not know how much cake baking has gone on. Just recently I was going through old photos and found several photos of cakes, some not so old, but relevant. I thought it would be nice if our daughters (all 7 of them) could see the genealogy of cake making in the McLean family. Grandma McLean (my mother) did wonderful cakes. The first was from 1956 and our Cub Scout Den. It is as good or better than you can purhase in a store today. I suspect this cake was done while we lived in Guam.


The next two cakes done by my mother are just a little more fancy. The first is for our wedding in 1967 and the second is for Grandma and Grandpa Merriam's 50th wedding anniversary, also in 1967. That may be why the cakes look similar. The anniversary came before the wedding by 2 months and several thousand miles.


And then we get to the our generation. JoAnn has made a number of cakes. You saw one on Sally's birthday blog of the Pink Panther, but in 1983 she did a birthday cake for the Young Women at Church. The color is a little off. My flash was obviously not working, but the cake is beautiful. I think this may be the best cake JoAnn has done. I think we still have all of the pieces in the garage, not to mention many other cake pans. Come Sister's Weekend we may have to auction off (obviously not for cash) some of our old cake pans, pillars, support plates, and so forth.


And the cakes have kept coming over the years, although not nearly so frequently since the kids are gone. Sally and JoAnn worked together last fall to make Bonnie a Barbie cake. It turned out really well as you can see from the photos. I remember my mother making Barbie cakes for my sisters. We take some skills and experiences for granted, but the photos of those experiences to bring memories.


Tell me Bonnie is not absolutely entranced by her Barbie Princess cake!

So Krissie, you are a 3rd generation cake decorator and you and your sisters should be proud of that.

Melted Malted Milk Ball Mountain

Yesterday was exciting at our house. Colorado daughter called and wanted to make sure we checked the mail. We are getting older, but JoAnn lives for all those adds we get in Las Vegas - NOT! Our recycle is full every week. This time, however, Colorado daughter said my Father's Day Present should arrive today! I was excited, especially since I had no idea what it was.

JoAnn went down, checked the mail and came back with a box. She started to very carefully open it and I had zero patience at that point. Of course I was still on drugs from my procedure that afternoon (and there will be NO blogs on that) so I can try to excuse myself. I asked for the package and promptly got it open. Material? I got material for Father's day? Talk about disappointed. But wait, there was a box in the box. I pulled it out and it was wrapped (see the photo) and I could tell what it was. The shape of a malted milk balls box is distinctive and anything chocolate is a sure hit. I opened it up, pulled out some soft milk balls. Gave JoAnn a couple and popped a couple in my mouth. No crunch, just sort of a squish-crunch.

Wait a minute, there was no rattle when I shook the box. Think Daniel, think. Oh, summer, 90 plus degrees, sitting in a hot mailbox and probably in a hot mail truck, and who knows where else? Now what do we do? I am not throwing away perfectly good malted milk balls. Into the refrigerator. Results - A Melted Malted Milk Ball Mountain. Okay a Square Melted Malted Milk Ball Mountain. Too bad I didn't take photos of me carving the mountain to get to the milk balls. At this point the appropriate term is probably malted milk slices. Who knows, maybe I have hit on something. Probably not, the FDA would surely find something wrong with it. However it does spawn creativity.