Why Quilting?
Creation is the closest humans can get to God on the earthly plane.
For those of you who know me, I’ve always tended to jump around from hobby to hobby, art medium to art medium. For the past few months, I’ve fallen in love with printmaking. Although it’s for a class, I’ll still enjoy it long after I make prints for grades. There’s also knitting, watercolors, needlepoint, paper making, and I’m sure I’m missing some and will add a few in the future. No matter what, I find myself coming back to creating.
For me, there is no closer divine connection than the act of creation. No matter what the medium, I will always find myself needing to create with my hands, seeking out a way to mold my ideas into the physical. I've always subscribed to the idea that hobbies don’t need to be lucrative, so I’ve never ventured out to sell any of my work. Most, if not all, of my creative work has been gifts for family and friends on my terms. But quilting has been different for me; I find myself wanting to share it with the world. I think the desire comes from generations before me.
I learned how to quilt from my grandmother the summer after I got a sewing machine for Christmas. I do not remember the exact year, but I do remember an obsession with That’s So Raven and wanting to be a fashion designer just like Raven Baxter. That year, most of my gifts were fashion-themed, including a brand new Brother sewing machine that neither my mother nor I knew how to use. My mom took me to Walmart, machine in hand, and I remember a sales associate, an older lady with the patience of a saint, teaching us how to thread the machine and wind a bobbin. That following summer, I was off to stay with my Grandmother in Beaufort, SC, with my sewing machine in tow. My Grandma Katie taught me how to sew fabric together for quilts. I pieced together unconventional fabric while she guided me with steady hands and quick wit. While it wasn’t the fashion designing I had in mind, I still think about that time with my grandma with so much love.
I didn’t stick with sewing long, because once people know you can sew, you’re usually asked to do a lot of free labor. I was asked to hem pants and curtains and patch various items, and I can't say any of it interested me much. But I will say I have toted that same Brother sewing machine from apartment to apartment for over a decade now. I still use it to this day for my quilts.
My return to quilting came as a gift to a friend who asked for a quilted jacket for Christmas. Mind you, I’d never made a quilted jacket in my life, but nevertheless I persisted (or whatever.) I inherited the “how hard can it be?” attitude that all the women in my family have, and said yes. In the following weeks, I realized I couldn’t find a quilt to cut up to make a jacket to save my life. So logically, I had the amazing idea that I’d just sew up a quilt and then cut it up. (Read: I just be doing stuff). Chile anyway!!!!
I took off to JoAnns (RIP: A Real One), went to my local library for quilting books, and got to work. Not surprisingly, after spending dozens of hours learning different quilt blocks, there was no way in hell I was going to cut into it. Luckily, my friend found an old quilt for me to make the quilted jacket, and mind you, I still haven’t finished either gift. (Not entirely my fault btw)
While a funny anecdote, the quilting bug had bitten me again, and through a small gift (shout-out to Kimberly), I have made my way to opening my own small business. Well, let's slow down a bit; it wasn’t that easy, but it was well worth it.
After sharing my first quilt with every group chat and Instagram, my Uncle asked to purchase one. But unlike most times when someone asks me about purchasing my art, I didn't find myself dreading doing it. The request made me ecstatic to find a pattern and make another one. I wanted to know every request he had, from color palette to pattern to size. In true Uncle fashion, he gave me the prompt “a Strong Black Man Quilt,” and I ran with it. Subsequently, I found a pattern and spent hours digging through all my color theory knowledge. It took me about 5 months, in true “how hard could it be?” fashion, I chose an intermediate pattern with beginner practice. But it is still one of the pieces that I hold near and dear to my heart, and it was the first “viral” TikTok as a quilter. It was also the first quilt I was paid for and it gave me hope that I could really do this. I’m so grateful to have a family that supports me, from my parents buying my first sewing machine, my grandmother teaching me, and my uncle giving me my first commission. Their continued support could never be quantified on the earthly plane.
So much has transpired since that original commission, and as a result, I was inspired to open up “A Daise Work Quilting Co." Since then, I've gained new perspectives, rediscovered my passion, and experienced what I can only describe as a divine alignment. I feel honored to bring comfort through this art medium, and I’m excited to create even more quilts. Thank you for reading and supporting me, whether it’s with a click or a commission. ❤️
