The Quilter's Quarters, Free Quilt Pattern

Webster Defines Quilting As "The Act Or Process Of Making Quilts"

Mr. Webster describes quilting as "the act or process of making quilts" and a quilt is "a bed cover made of two layers of cloth filled with down, cotton, wool, etc. and stitched together in lines or patterns." If this is quilting, then why the interest?

Ask a group of quilters and you will get as many answers as you have needles present. Quilting is so very much more than the mere making of bed covers. Quilting is painting with fabric, color, pattern, and textures. When a woman (or man) quilts, she is creating; she is reaching back to her grandmother and stretching into the future.

The modern world is too fast paced and hectic. Everyone is working at a pace our fore-mothers would have considered silly and sinful. Our work is important, meaningful work, but often does not produce a tangible product. We finish our days without the fulfillment of something we can touch, feel, something we can hold. Because of this hectic pace, we often have no one with whom we can truly share our thoughts and joys, sorrows and fears. 

Quilting with friends provides all these things and more. Time with others who share our enthusiasm for the beauty of art we have created with our hands is time spent sharing. Time to talk time to listen, time to discuss everything and nothing. Lest you think I refer to a bunch of chattering magpies, let me explain it further.

The interaction of quilters is definitely not chattering. It's therapy. Therapy in the form of women caring for women in the manner women have cared for each other since the beginning of time. Mother to daughter, sister to sister, neighbor to neighbor, friend to friend. Caring through the act of creating. Caring for each other through marriages, births, deaths, cancers and life in general. Creating through the caring. Often without words. Just in "being there".

Easing the pain.
Sharing the joys.
Facing the fears.
Drying the tears.
Playing with colors.
Satisfying the sense of touch through texture.

Gaining approval for effort spent. Quiet, inner peace through the repetitive motion of needle gliding through layers of fabric and the knowledge that you receive as much pleasure from another's effort as your own. 

And when you finish..."a bed cover (wall hanging, pillow, etc.) made of two layers of cloth, filled and stitched together in lines or patterns."

Place background squares on top of colored squares, right sides together. Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner. Sew 1/4" seam on both sides of line. Cut apart on drawn line to create half-square triangles, press open. Sew squares to create rows (following pattern), and sew rows together to create block. Make as many blocks as necessary to create quilt of desired size.