And then she began...

Bonnie,you are an inspiration regarding quilts and now I'm "blogging"..hurray ! As age 65 approaches, I can't start any younger..*VBG*
I amretired, due to multiple eye surgeries, living in rural Wisconsin. I sold my house in 2002, took an apartment and let someone else do the mowing and snow shoveling.

I have all the time in the world to make quilts, and that is my passion. I am a traditional quilter, having begun this process back in 1977. My first quilt was a Grandmother's Flower Garden...LOL...why DO we do that?? But it got finished, taking a total of 10 years to be handpieced and hand quilted. And I still loved quilting...*S*

I pre-date rotary cutters, having begun with cardboard templates. I'm still not much of a gadget person, but rotaty cutting is a huge plus.

I'm a big fan of Bonnie's Quiltville site. I love traditional patterns and her creative use of scraps. Scraps are a big part of my life... I adore them. I've been having a love affair with fabric over the years. I'm excited to make some of the "new" things that Bonnie has listed. I also happen to be one of the Queens of UFO's...LOL..but maybe some day?? Ya, maybe *VBG*

I have made hundreds and hundreds of quilts over the years, many that aren't in a pictures. I take the picture before they leave these days, but suppose there are probably 10 that I don't have, for every one I do.
Oldest DD asked one year(for her christmas letter) how many quilts I had made that year...probably 1998 or 1999, and I counted back what I could think of, or had pictures of, and came up with 54, more or less. It amazed even me, as that is better than one a week. Of course some were table squares or runners.
Since then, I have had 7 eye surgeries. I still make alot of quilts, but far less than before. I continue to make lots of baby quilts. I can manage that size easily, and all of my daughters friends babies have one. Some of the friends are beginning to buy quilts from me, for their friends babies. I'm always glad to think of a baby or a child with his/her own quilt.
I have photos at Webshots. You can see them at http://communitywebshots.com/user/finnleah

About a year ago, fragile "scraps" of memories began drifting to the surface of my mind, and I write them down. Memory scraps will appear here also, as they form the "patchwork" of my life. I have come to believe that life is much like a quilt. As the Quiltmaker, you are given pieces to work with. How you view them, and how you choose to use them is up to you. There will probably be outside influences, they are hard to avoid. Everyone has an opinion it seems. Sometimes you must find someone to trade with, and at other times you may have an abundance to give away. Some pieces you would rather not have at all . The challenge lies with you...what will you do with what you have ? And as with quilts, the possbilities are endless.