Handicrafts, like knitting and spinning, were essential in the colonial American days because of the need for clothes, bed coverings, and window treatments to keep out the cold. Many of these early crafts no longer are needed for their utilitarian functions, but continue to be done as hobbies and people keep the American crafting tradition alive.
One such craft that is extremely popular is patchwork quilting, the art of sewing pieces of fabric together in creative designs that show the true skill of the quilter. One extremely skilled quilter is Kay Buffington, my mother, who has been making quilts since 1982. She has her own business, Kay’s Quilts, designing original patterns (42 in total) and has won several awards for her creative and precise handiwork.
For years at the holidays we have made a quilted item together so this year we decided to make a miniature block sampler and in the true traditional sense we used what we had on hand. Because my mother has hundreds of colorful fabrics we weren’t as limited in materials as the early colonists who would save every portion of worn garments to be used in quilt tops.
Quilting, for Kay, has always been a hobby and a form of stress-relief from her job as a kindergarten teacher (now retired after 35 years of teaching). Even today she works part-time as a clerk and teacher at quilt shops in Erie, Pennsylvania and Naples, Florida. The 31 years of experience shows because while we were sewing our quilt, she showed me little tricks of the trade like cutting and pressing (ironing) a seam in a certain way so it lays down very flat.
My mother tells me that she quilts because she simply enjoys the challenge of learning, designing patterns, and teaching others. This quilt we worked on as well as all the hundreds that she has made previously will be treasured family heirlooms for generations to come because of the painstaking handwork and creativity involved. I consider my mother to be a true American artist because she continues the great traditional craft of patchwork quilting while also adding her own personal designs. If that isn’t evidence enough her license plate that says, “I’m a quilter and my house is in pieces,” should serve as confirmation.
One such craft that is extremely popular is patchwork quilting, the art of sewing pieces of fabric together in creative designs that show the true skill of the quilter. One extremely skilled quilter is Kay Buffington, my mother, who has been making quilts since 1982. She has her own business, Kay’s Quilts, designing original patterns (42 in total) and has won several awards for her creative and precise handiwork.
For years at the holidays we have made a quilted item together so this year we decided to make a miniature block sampler and in the true traditional sense we used what we had on hand. Because my mother has hundreds of colorful fabrics we weren’t as limited in materials as the early colonists who would save every portion of worn garments to be used in quilt tops.
Quilting, for Kay, has always been a hobby and a form of stress-relief from her job as a kindergarten teacher (now retired after 35 years of teaching). Even today she works part-time as a clerk and teacher at quilt shops in Erie, Pennsylvania and Naples, Florida. The 31 years of experience shows because while we were sewing our quilt, she showed me little tricks of the trade like cutting and pressing (ironing) a seam in a certain way so it lays down very flat.
My mother tells me that she quilts because she simply enjoys the challenge of learning, designing patterns, and teaching others. This quilt we worked on as well as all the hundreds that she has made previously will be treasured family heirlooms for generations to come because of the painstaking handwork and creativity involved. I consider my mother to be a true American artist because she continues the great traditional craft of patchwork quilting while also adding her own personal designs. If that isn’t evidence enough her license plate that says, “I’m a quilter and my house is in pieces,” should serve as confirmation.