and many thanks to Lisa Boyer for selecting me to receive a free pattern and four fat eighths of gorgeous Hawaiian fabric in her giveaway! I better prepare my poor timid mainland stash for the riot of color that will soon come its way. (It's a little meek, and it doesn't get out much.)
A little cruise to Hawaii via Lisa's entertaining blog has become a weekly event in my blogosphere. She posts the most beautiful pictures of that wonderland she calls home, tells you all about life on the tropical side of the world, and on top of it all, the girl can quilt!
And, she can write! I devoured both her books, emitting the most unlady-like snorty laughs the whole way. Anyone who's been around the quilting world will empathize with her topics: color anxiety, design decision-phobia, the panic and second-guessing that sets in halfway through a project, and who-used-my-good-scissors?
You know those books of 365 snippets of wisdom that everyone publishes, to be read and pondered one snippet a day for your personal edification? Lisa Boyer should write one for quilters. Because, to me, it's just a quilt. Not a cure for the ills of the world. We're making quilts because we love them, we love making them, and we love making people happy when we give them away. I have never in my life pondered making an "art quilt" or seeing anything I made impaled on a gallery wall; you sleep under my quilts, you curl up with them watching television, the cat naps on them, in all states - finished and under construction, and babies drool on them.
There are many talented artists out there, some of whom use quilting as their medium, and I enjoy seeing the things they create that I could never do. The others out there like me, who just call themselves quilters, could learn a lot from Lisa: lighten up, love what you do, do it the way you please, and stop obsessing. So what if it's not perfect, if it makes you smile?
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6 comments:
GREAT post! We think alike on so many things (now, if you could just bottle up your energy and send it my way!). I came over to your blog to say CONGRATS! on being Lisa Boyer's runner up! How exciting is that!! Can't wait to see what you do with her prints! (ahh - the pressure is on! LOL)
I came over to congratulate you as well, and I must agree with joan....GREAT POST!
Nike's slogan works for quilters as well: Just do it!
Tine,
Thanks for the lovely comments. Please let me know how to find your blog; I'd like to visit sometime.
Wow, thanks so much for that post/gift! You gave me a lump in my throat...in a good way. I'm so glad that you embraced the message in my books--I can tell by what you said that we really connected in print. Wow again. I wrote, and you lovely people really listened. I am such a lucky woman. Thank you for putting our shared philosophy into such beautiful words (you write very well!). I am deeply touched and honored by your kind words...
I love Lisa's blog as well. Congrats on the colorful and fabulous addition to your stash. I'm sure you will make magic with it! Maybe Lisa would host a little get together for all us mainlanders...sure would love to visit all those places she writes about!
Congrats on being a runner up and such an inspirational post...You go girl! Hugs, Linda
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