by Laurie Fagen

 

Quilting is a lot like writing.

You start with an idea in your head and

You toss it around and around until it begins to take shape.

You have a rough sketch or story in your mind’s eye

Of how you think it might look and feel and read.

You gather up your tools and start putting it together.

 

Whether it’s a stitch or a word, it’s time to dive in.

You begin the detailed work

That becomes an obsession as it gains momentum.

It becomes a project you can’t put down.

It’s a part of you that you can’t wait to get back to.

It is like a new love: you wish it would never end.

 

But it always does.

However, unlike the fading love of a relationship,

You savor each remaining hour and minute and second you have with it.

 

And when it’s done,

You stand back and enjoy,

Relishing in the satisfaction of a job well done.

Then you wander aimlessly for awhile

As you contemplate your next creation.