I love when Fall really kicks in; that means we can throw two quilts on the bed instead of the solo quilts we use in the summertime. Part of it is that I love the weight of two quilts; it is somehow different from just one heavy quilt. I think it is the knowledge that I can throw one quilt off if I get too warm without losing the comfort of the other.
At the moment we have one quilt that I made and one quilt that was made by my wife’s grandmother. I love the confluence of the two quilts, the intergenerational connection that is made. We, obviously, have very different styles, but we both clearly love(d) the practice of quilting.
I feel lucky to have my quilts share a bed with quilts from two generations before mine. Not only is she a presence through her quilt but is doubly present through the shared our shared practices. Though I hardly knew here I feel a kinship of materiality.
That is one of the things that really interests me about the quilting community; it is not first of all a community of personality. Rather it is born of that shared materiality, the fabric and cloth we all hoard and use, collect and give away in the form of a quilt. We come together because we love quilts and the practice of quilting and from that common bond we form friendships.
Pardon the wordplay, but we are stitched together by our common practices no matter how diverse in form and meaning our quilts may be. I am lucky enough to be proud of and wowed by the people who have befriended me in the quilt world. I have learned so much from these friends and hope I have leant a little knowledge along the way as well. Regardless, I look forward to the next time I will see them.
But I suppose I’ve gone off on a tangent. Perhaps I’ll just wrap up. A grandmother’s quilts are irreplaceable, quilting friends are to be treasured, and Fall is my favorite time of year.
Much love.
-t
