GNOME ANGEL
Quilting is like an all-you-can eat buffet with fabrics and techniques for every appetite. Angie Wilson walks us through some of the choices of offer
Angie Wilson explains why she sees quilting as an all-you-caneat buffet, and has us salivating over fabrics, techniques and more!
Do you want to know one of the reasons why I adore being a quilter? Because quilting is like being at an all-you-can-eat buffet. When it comes to quilting, I feel like I’m Homer Simpson in the episode where he sues the all-you-can-eat Seafood Restaurant and his lawyer asks, “Does this look like a man who has had all he could eat?”
Do I look like a quilter who has done all there is? Heck no! I’ve been quilting and sewing now for six years and I still don’t feel like I’ve tried everything there is to do when it comes to this craft and art form.
When it comes to my quilting journey I’m a sampler, just like I am at a buffet. I like to try a little bit of everything until I find just the right, perfectly delicious thing to indulge in. There are so many patterns and combinations of techniques out there that I have yet to sample. Sure, I’ve dabbled in a little bit of everything, but there’s always something even tastier waiting for me to give it a try.
It’s what keeps things fresh and exciting. There’s an ever-lasting cycle of new fabrics, new books, new tools and notions being laid out in front of me. A cornucopia of delectable options for me to lose myself in. It’s pure gluttony of the best kind – there are no calories to worry about!
I love learning new things. Sure, it can be frustrating at first but it’s the sense of accomplishment that comes from mastering something that’s really addictive. I also love finding something new to help me work smarter, which is why I have a healthy collection of tools and notions. Just when I think there couldn’t be any more tools or notions invented some clever clogs goes and releases something that saves me time, saves my back and ratchets my accuracy up a level or two.
If tools and notions are like the salad and vegetables of a buffet, and techniques the pasta bar, then fabrics are most definitely the dessert bar. The glorious never-ending bolts and bolts of fabric never fail to get my mouth watering. Just when I think I’ve seen all the fabrics out there, someone releases something new that I just have to have. I am constantly telling myself “No more. I’ll just sew from my stash.” And I really mean it too. But then I walk into a fabric store and it’s all bets off. Seriously, it’s like I need an intervention. (No! I don’t need one. Please, don’t send anyone to intervene! I’ll be good I promise. *runs off to fondle her fabric*)
Like my times at buffets I can sometimes overindulge a little on the quilting side of things – there are times when my sewjo decides it needs to go to put on some comfy pants and lie down for a bit and not look at another thing quilting related for a while. But that feeling never lasts long, it’s just like the siren call of the pint of chocolate ice-cream in the freezer – I’ll be back to try some more any day now. When it comes to quilting, I just can’t help myself.