I get requests all the time to make quilts for people and I rarely turn anyone down, although as the time seems to be speeding up a whole lot and I am slowing down at the same rate, the tasks are getting more difficult. Picture this: Shopping to find the perfect fabrics; hours spent leafing through books and magazines and browsing websites to find the right pattern and then at least a hour studying the pattern to figure out how it all goes together and which fabric gets cut into what shapes; 2-3 hours standing at a cutting table using a rotary cutter and ruler; 12-24 hours piecing the top; another 2-3 hours cutting the backing, the batting and layering the three layers (top, batting and backing together; 4-10 hours sewing squiggly lines to keep the quilt together; 1-2 hours preparing and sewing the binding on by machine; and finally 1-3 hours hand sewing the binding to the back of the quilt. And THEN "selling" that quilt for the cost of the materials and maybe 50-60 bucks for my time!! At the top end I get maybe 3.00 a hour.
So believe me when I tell you, that what gets sent out in those boxes thru the mail, IS love... I love making them, and I love the joy I know they give to the people who have asked for them.
And any of you people who are ever given a handmade quilt I sure as heck hope you will remember reading this and acknowledge with a huge smile and a hug, that you really do appreciate the effort that went into making that treasure that you're now able to wrap around you!! Because even if the quilter is a totally unknown to you, you are still wrapping yourself in love.
And I guess that's the real reason that I will continue filling those boxes and making my trips to the post office! I am sending Love from Lethbridge!
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