When I'm doing work at the machine my mind works constantly thinking of things I should be doing. I might be thinking of organizing or I might be thinking of the future. I might design a new 10 to what quilt in my thoughts or maybe even a new art quilt. None of which gets done because I'm working at the machine. I make lots of notes!
What was on my mind yesterday was window quilts. There had been some discussion on the longarm list about making these. This is what had me asking myself...... why did I get rid of my window quilts a few years ago?
Back in 1981 when I got my first quilting machine I was struggling just to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. I quilted pieces of plain fabric for practice. Being the frugal person I am; I used the practice pieces to make quilts for all my windows. I couldn't afford real curtains at the time.
There was nothing elaborate about those window quilts. I made them to roll up like regular paper window shades using string and eye hooks. The quilts served two purposes. They gave me curtains and helped save on my utility bills. These quilts stayed on my windows for several years. Probably 20 years or so.
I couldn't remember why I had taken them down and replaced them with just plain fabric for curtains. When my daughter called me at lunchtime I asked her if she could remember. She reminded me that I had taken the quilts down to wash and some had rotted from years of hanging in the sun. She didn't know why I hadn't replaced the quilts with new ones. Ok, now I remember...... I got a longer waiting list.
I took the quilts off the windows believing I would replace them with new "real" curtains. For some odd reason I related window quilts with poverty. I believed real curtains were a symbol of success. I was wrong! Or maybe not. I can either..... be thrifty with window quilts and have money in the bank.... or I can "look rich" with real curtains and not have any money. I'm planning on making more window quilts. The heck with giving my hard earned money to the utility companies. I want to keep as much of my money as I can for other things.
I've got my sketch book near my machine where I can sketch designs for window quilts as my mind comes up with ideas. My thoughts right now are should I make the quilts as art, country, contemporary, or just plain scrappy? I'm sure I saved all those eye hooks. I only have to figure out where I've stashed them.
Sewing the quilt tops together will be the easy part. Finding machine time to quilt them will be the problem. I'm already far behind schedule on customer quilts. Which reminds me.... I have to end this post and get to the studio.
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