A global pandemic and me

I've come a long way from my humble beginnings as a quilter. From sewing on our kitchen table and storing my sewing machine on the floor in the tiny linen closet during meal times to my now supersized Secret Garden Sewing Room where all my machines are always out and ready to use. One thing that’s never changed is my love of making handcrafted things for my home.

When I was eight years old, my Grammy Lola taught me to make basic four-patch quilt blocks; I made many quilt blocks from the scraps my grandmother gave me. I know my very first quilt was one that looked crazy with its many different fabrics, but it was also made with love.

Here's another first.

You're seeing my very first quilt that I quilted via embroidery machine; it's a small one I use on our square coffee table. I'm extremely proud of myself for accomplishing this, as I'm self-taught.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, when my husband was working from home and I needed a break from the constant stress of pandemic death tolls reported on TV and radio, I found solace in my sewing room.

I had purchased my first embroidery machine in January 2020, right before the pandemic hit, and it was a lifesaver; it kept me engaged in creative ways. I bought it not as a business opportunity, but as a tool to add something extra to my quilting projects.

It's been six years and four months since I purchased my embroidery machine, and now I design and make my own machine embroidery patterns and quilt labels; I also create my own quilting and zippy bag patterns, and I can edit designs to give them a different look to suit my needs.

Quilting and machine embroidery brought me through a global pandemic. My hobby saved me from developing depression and crippling anxiety and it gave me strength to immerse myself in creative endeavors and essentially teaching myself a new skill.

“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden”.

The Secret Garden

By Frances Hodgson Burnett