The Quilt Ladies: Path of Faith Quilt

Friday, June 10, 2011

Path of Faith Quilt

I’m reading a book right now, “Super-Charged Retirement” by Mary Lloyd, her Site. I think with Husbands personality and work ethic, for the past 37+ years, I/we better have a plan going into retirement in the next few years. But, on page 68, there is the paragraph that made me understand what I did years ago in a quilting group.

“Groups take you in and expect you to remain who you were when you joined. When you grow, they don’t know what to do with you. Eventually you will either revert to your old ways to fit in or be pushed out of the group.”

This sentence rang in my ears and I had to put the book down. I rolled it over and over for a couple of days, then went and unpacked a box.

This quilt was the catalyst that made be rethink my quilting. These little ladies walking in a row, did a lot for me ! Funny...... a quilt did that.

I was awarded a ribbon, my first and was thrilled, but what I didn’t except were the comments from some, “Powers” that be in the group.

To me this piece said, I was changing, I was doing what I liked, not what was traditional or expected. I was looking at things different. You know when things are said with a raised eyebrow and not sincere. I never felt the same in that group again, it was not the whole group just a few, but I was not the same. And, did not remain in the group much longer, I was not push out, I walked out very happily.

My “Path of Faith” quilt changed my way of thinking about quilts and my way of doing things. I love traditional quilts and patterns, but these "Ladies" made me outside the box, before outside the box was normal.

Thank you too, Mary Lloyd, you put into words what I had done years ago. All I knew at the time, my late 20's to early 30's, was to remove myself from the group, today??? I think it would be a whole lot different, I'm just a "Bit" older, wiser and a lot grayer !

And, OH BABY, do I love my path.