My Mom Taught Me To Quilt

When I say quilting, I mean real quilting, not the kind that you do by machine or the type where you tie the quilt. My mother takes a small needle threaded with thread to match the fabric and uses tiny stitches going in and out of the fabric as she follows the designated pattern. Her stitches are so little that you can hardly see them.

Although my mom didn’t succeed in teaching me to use a sewing machine to make clothing I did learn to quilt well enough that she’d let me help. If you used enormous stitches, you were never included again in her quilting projects.

Besides quilting, all the girls in my family learned to put a quilt on the frames. My mother has a special way to put it on and you have to do it her way. She is particular and wants everything to be just right. Not everyone is included in my mother’s quilting bees.

Sometimes my mother pieced together her own quilt blocks. I didn't learn to do this because it requires sewing on the machine and I don't sew a straight seam. When these pieces were sewn into a quilt I was excited to help with the quilting.

If you receive a gift of a quilt from my mother, you know its high quality work. Even the binding has to be perfect. She made beautiful temple quilts for her grandchildren who were married in the temple.

Quilting is difficult and some people probably think it’s not worth the effort. I, however, am glad my mother taught me this skill.