Everyone Should Sew

As far as I am concerned creation is the purest form of spirituality. When we work with our hands and make something unique and personal we are expressing ourselves on a deeper level fulfilling an essential component of our souls. This is why I say...Everyone should sew...

Now I know what many of you are thinking, who sews anymore? Isn't that something they did BEFORE TV? Why would I spend my time making aprons, or worse, blankets!

I plan to address all of these concerns here and in future posts but before I do so I want to tell who how I happened upon quilting...and in turn found the most important piece of myself I never knew was always missing.

Benjamin and I have been together for over eight years now. When I met Ben he was heavily into music and played guitar. Music was his passion and he loved it. I spent my first Valentines Day with him watching his band practice for five and a half hours....oh, but that's another post...

Ben always encouraged me to find a hobby I could enjoy and find the same fulfillment he had with his music. I guess my brief interest in scrap booking didn't count. He wanted me to find something that didn't involve him where I could go out and meet new people, not sit around sorting pictures of the two of us. "Ugh" I would think..."what the heck am I going to do".

Now you may be wondering what 28 year old woman spends her free time quilting...Well you have to understand I am a bit of a old soul. Most of my friends are around my mother's age. I love them. They have the kindness and compassion of a mother with the wisdom and perspective of a treasured friend. When I spend time with them I feel my soul opening up and being filled with love and joy. It reminds me each day what a lucky girl I am.

Who has time with our busy schedules to have a hobby? Not me. I was busy working full time and going to school to finish my masters in education. But Ben's encouragement for me to find a hobby, however, was always present. Gently making suggestions and offering support.

It was not until my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in May of 2008 when I realized I needed somewhere to put all of my nervous energy and anxiety. My loving husband suggested an herb garden...I wanted another kitten but he wasn't having it...so we tried the herb garden thing. It was fun. It made me realize that I like to garden and cook with fresh ingredients but t just wasn't doing the trick.

The idea to quilt literally came to me out of the blue. One day I heard myself say "I want to learn to quilt". I did not even really know what that meant or how to get started but I was determined from that day forward...I was learning to quilt. I marched up to Michaels in Riverhead and purchased my first quilt book. I read it cover to cover at-least 10 times getting more and more excited each time...

Now as an educator it is important to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your students so that you can tailor your instruction to maximize student benefit. Well it also very helpful if you are able to do that for yourself. I know myself and I know that I cannot teach myself something out of a book, I never could, and I did not expect to teach myself how to quilt from a book. I went to Google, typed in "Quilt Class, Riverhead" and in an instant my life was changed forever...

The first link which came up was for Pieceful Quilting in Riverhead. I can still remember my excitement as I looked over the page searching for a begone series of quilting classes. My husband and I marched down to the shop and signed me up for the "learn to quilt" series of classes. I had never sewn before, I didn't own a needle, thread, or even touched a machine...They told me that I could borrow a machine until I get my own. Ben turned to me and said “lets see if you like it first before we go buying you a sewing machine”...The ladies and I still joke about this today.

It has been several years since that first day I went into Pieceful Quilting in Riverhead and it has become my second home. I spend most of my free time sewing, quilting, and blogging on my quilt website. I even opened my own etsy store to help cover the cost of my hobby. To date I have three sewing machines (including one for embroidery) and I plan to sewing everyday of my life.

I get so excited when I make something new. I love when someone teaches me a new technique or a new skill. It helps you feel more connected to yourself and others. I am convinced that sewing is my key to happiness and has given me more fulfillment than I ever could have imagined. Like I said before, Everyone should sew...

If you are ever in Downtown Riverhead or looking for a place to learn to sew please visit my girls at Pieceful Quilting. Angie, Colleen, Alice, Diane, and Bea will make you feel so welcomed it is like you knew them your whole life. Tell them Jeannie Sargent, the Mad Quilter, sent you...

Happy Sewing, Quilting, or whatever you do which brings you Joy

- Jeannie Sargent