I am so excited to welcome Barbara Douglas as my guest blogger today.
Barbara has been quilting for more decades than she wants
to contemplate. Beginning at the tender age of 8 with a cardboard square, a
pencil, scissors, and a needle and thread, her grandmother started her on a
path that would stay with her throughout her life. She describes herself as an eclectic quilter
because she enjoys a wide variety of quilting styles; pieced, appliqué, and art
quilting, she loves it all. Designing is a passion; seeing if she can make her
vision work in fabric is a challenge that she can’t resist exploring. But, by
far the most favorite part of her quilting career is teaching. Mentoring, and
encouraging brings her the greatest joy in quilting; for sharing the passion,
passing on the tradition, (traditional, or not so traditional) is to her what
quilting is all about. Alas the tradition skipped the next generation in her
family, but settled on three of her six grandchildren.
Please join me in welcoming, Barbara!
Quilting has been a hobby, a business and a passion for many
years, but most of all, it has been an incredible journey.
Oh my life is ordinary enough. Laundry has to be done,
dinners cooked, husband cared for, adult children to still be a mom to, and grandchildren
tracking in mud while bringing me a bouquet of dandelions. I get stopped at
crucial points in a project to go pick up the car at the mechanics, all the
normal things in life that we all have to do.
Then one day a friend emailed me. She works in an office;
she is a real people person, so during the off season in the tax world her days
can be long and slow in the office. She was bemoaning the fact that while she
is sitting in the office not having much to do, she could have been sewing on
her quilt at home and how blessed (her word) I was to have a job that allows me
to be quilting every day. I was going to write back with a list of woes of my
own; that many days my job is just a job, as well. Then I stopped myself; she
didn’t need me to be trying to one-up her in job-woes, and it really started me
thinking, why would I be complaining when I AM incredibly blessed in
being able to work in a job that I love.
As the old saying goes, I started counting those blessings.
Bear with me, as this may sound a bit scattered, but this incredible journey has
not been on a long, straight and boring highway, starting at Point A to just to
end up at Point B, but rather on curvy and interesting paths; up breath taking
rolling hills, and into deep verdant valleys.
I am an eclectic quilter for lack of a better word. I love
traditional quilts, I love art quilts. I love quilted handbags and clothing. I
love looking at them, designing them and making them all. I love color. I know
that many designers find their ‘voice’ and create their treasures in similar
palettes and designs. Me? Not so much… my ‘voice’, at best… is ‘all
over the place’, My ‘voice’ is eclectic, and it suits me, even if it is
all over the place.I have had several quilts travel around the country in
national shows.
I was honored to have
my Morels
in May hang at International Quilt Festival/ Market.
I have had the privilege to film with Martha Pullen.
My book Singular Sensations was on the
publisher’s ‘best sellers’ list.
Wow! Wow! Listing all of these blessings sounds incredibly wonderful. And they are! As I write this I am absolutely
awed by the opportunities that I have had! I am awed, because, these are things that other
people accomplish, not little Barby Jo, who was scared of her own shadow. All in all, though, as wonderful as these opportunities
have been, the best part of my job and my real passion in quilting, are the
people! Yes, the people - Quilters!
I have met, taught and worked with people from
around the country and around the world. Each sharing in this same passion we
call quilting. This boggles my mind! I get to mingle with people everywhere who
love the same thing as I do.
From teaching beginner quilters, to encouraging more
seasoned quilters to step out of their comfort zone, or just interacting with
quilters, this all feeds me with creative energy. Each encounter encourages me
to go forward, to build upon the foundation laid for me many decades ago by my
mother, who taught me to sew, and my grandmother who started me quilting. And… it encourages me to continue to encourage
others. 
Even having a bad hair day is a good day when I am able to share my passion and fun with other quilters. Lesson learned: Even if you leave home without your hair dryer and curling iron, quilters will have fun with you anyway!
Working with people in the industry has also been an
incredible part of the journey. You haven’t lived until you stand before the ‘Greats’
in the industry, tongue tied and in awe! Then you realize they are people just
like you, looking for another thread to try, or dropping proud tidbits about
what their children are accomplishing. I
even had the opportunity to work with the Dutch Ambassador to Spain, whose other job is General Manager
of a European thread company. What? How was that even possible!
Today, I have the opportunity to work for a quilting
magazine, The Quilt Pattern Magazine as a copy editor.
I get to have sneak previews of upcoming new patterns and articles by new
designers and seasoned quilters who love doing what they do, as well. Working
with the staff at TQPM, who share the same passion as I do, is such a joy, how
great is that?
I have not yet
reached Point B of my journey and I suspect it will continue to be on paths
that curve around mountains with awesome vistas, because I choose to continue
this journey with that view in mind, but more importantly I know that I will
continue to encounter people of various cultures, who will share with me the
beauty of their work, and their own passion in quilting, and that excites me
more than anything else. We quilters are a blessed group of people, doing
what we love, QUILTING!
Even with all the daily grind of running a business, with
all the interruptions by my family, my friend was absolutely correct: I am one blessed
Quilter! Thank you for sharing a small part of my journey with me.
Barbara Douglas www.stonecottagequilts.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stonecottagequilts
Thank
you Barbara for sharing your fascinating journey with us.You are truly blessed and so are we hearing your story. You have captured the passion that we quilters feel.
I
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Until next time...
Nan
Until next time...
Nan
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