Being under level 4 lockdown has left a lot of people with time on their hands. I was not one of them obviously as I work online yet the sense of being denied freedom left me restless enough to pick up a patchwork quilt that I had started 7 years ago but had never finished.
I wrote about it in 2015 on the blog Whaleoil.
I am currently close to completing my first quilt. I was going to machine stitch the top but found that my machine did not have the necessary attachments. Instead of buying the special quilting foot I decided to hand stitch it instead as I have selected a very thick batting and handstitching results in a much puffier looking quilt.
To my surprise, my mind switched off and I totally relaxed as I sat hand stitching my quilt. There was no room for worry just the task in front of me and the tiny decisions to be made for each stitch. I am now totally hooked on this hobby as nothing else gives me serenity quite like it.
Whaleoil
Despite the serenity hand stitching gave me I never found the time to complete my quilt until the lockdown. Somehow, being denied freedom made me crave a mental escape, and taking a break during the day from my job to stitch while listening to music or to podcasts provided that escape.
My inspiration for attempting a project this size came from Cameron’s grandmother. She is no longer with us but we have three of her quilts in our home that she made with all the leftover samples from Cameron’s Dad’s textile business.
I also was inspired by the puffy, homemade, heavy feather duvets that my Nana had in her home, with each large square packed tight with tiny feathers.
I wonder how many others have rediscovered the joys of traditional crafts while under lockdown? For me it has been an excellent reminder that not only do we all need to be able to escape the confines of our home on a regular basis, we also need to escape the confines of technology and get back to a more peaceful time.
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