Nov 21, 2012 Our Hand Quilting Community Meet the Folk Fibers hand quilting community! From the left: Monica, Juliet, myself, and Mercedes March of this year I reached a point in my studio work that I needed assistance with the hand quilting process of my quilt making. A step that I was not ready to take years ago when I first had the idea to start a quilting business. This year was different, I was now ready. I started by simply placing an add on Craigslist, seeking the help I needed. It began through a process of emails and then meeting individually at a coffee house. Since then we have discovered our shared appreciation for the craft and traditions connecting us with the age-old practice of hand sewing. What I didn't entirely realize before I started my own business, was that I would be establishing new connections with people that would end up growing into such meaningful relationships. One of the things I am most proud of is being able to pay for and provide meaningful work for my friends. The heritage of hand quilting is what has brought us together, and already our craftsmanship and techniques have grown from sharing with each other as a community. We are currently operating in a cottage industry format, which means we work out of the home. It's cozy and familiar, but it comes with limitations on space. So for now, we drop off and pick up quilts from each other, a ritual we all look forward to. As we gathered for a Sunday brunch at my house last month I had a glimpse of the future, but mixed heavily with a historical past. We are a quilting guild, and even though I breathed business into the quilting world, the culture surrounding quilts is one identified as coming together to celebrate, commemorate and remember the value of giving in a community. As I spend time reflecting and giving thanks I see more clearly what I value and what deserves more attention. This year came at me like something straight out of a fairy tale. My life hasn't always been so charmed. I have never been in a spot light this bright for this long. It's bigger than me, and in all honestly I'm quick to get emotional when I take into account all that I am thankful for. The best way I can describe it as a transcending happiness one with tears, much like a wedding or the birth of a child...only this is a birth of a business established by a community. I thank you all for your interest and support as I extend a big welcome to join in and follow along as we grow together. Thanksgiving is not only a time of year, it's an expression of gratitude, continue to share the love!
