PMQG is all about people who connect over quilting… Social connectedness is a big part of the Modern Quilt movement, and the best way to do that is to sit down and sew together, or chat over a glass of wine or a cup of tea… But when you can’t, the internet is also a great way to get to know people. As well as our Facebook and Flickr groups, our blog is one of the ways we connect. Once in a while, we like to feature a member via a Member Spotlight post. This time, it’s Alex.
Hi, I’m Alex.
Alex and her two sons
I started sewing about 17 years ago when I decided I needed a hobby that was an antidote to my high stress, high tech, male-dominated professional life. I initially tried cross stitch but found it a bit boring. I can’t remember why I tried quilting – I didn’t know anyone who quilted and had never even seen a quilt – but I was hooked right from the beginning. I am interested in lots of other things, and I’ve dabbled in other crafts, but quiltmaking is the main thing I do for my own creative pleasure and to meet like-minded people.
My tastes in fabric and projects are pretty broad. I used to love really detailed and complicated projects (Baltimore Album applique, mariner’s compasses) but these days I’m attracted to simple shapes and scrappy fabric choices. I mostly work by machine, although I have done a lot of handwork in the past, and I always have a handwork project on the go.
I always have a lot of quilts in different stages, and I start way more than I finish. I’m a sucker for a great new idea, a quilt challenge, an internet quilting bee or a sew-along. It drives my husband crazy that I don’t finish one project before I finish the last one, but it makes me happy to be spontaneous and go with the flow.
However, even I admit that the time has come to reduce the backlog of projects and reduce the stash. I knew it was serious when I moved house last year (again) and there were a lot more boxes marked ‘craft’ than boxes for the kids. On New Year’s Day I took all of my UFOs out into the light and counted and photographed them. There were 31!
I have designated this year as the Year of Finishing Stuff and have created a blog to keep track of my progress. I haven’t posted anything to it yet (yes, it is also an unfinished project – Oh the irony!) but you are welcome to watch my progress or join in me in my quest.
If you haven’t met Alex already, catch her at the March meeting! If you’d like to submit a post for the Member Spotlight, please see the guidelines and email us at [email protected]