About 15 years ago a friend invited me to learn quilting with a group of ladies at our church, Landmark Baptist. They were all making theirs by hand. I finished about half of it and decided that just wasn’t for me. A few months later I attended a quilt show just as something to do on a Saturday. While I was there I saw a mariner’s compass quilt and a lone star quilt. At the time I remember thinking, if I could make something like that I would quilt.

I decided to see if I could teach myself to quilt with a sewing machine. This was way before online videos and classes. I ran across an online community board of quilters and met a lady in Kansas. She helped me via emails and I began quilting. She even encouraged me to learn to quilt them myself rather than tie them.

Since them I have tried to pass along her knowledge and teach other people to quilt. The first person I ever taught was my mom. 15+ years later I am still quilting, still teaching and finally made that mariners compass. I even found a pattern that incorporated that compass into my favorite bargello style quilts.

I had decided to keep this but a new student in my class is starting a series of eye surgeries this week and fell in love with it. I realized it will bring her a lot more joy than it will me. While I love making quilts, to me they are just fabric. I can make another. I am bound to do that lone star before the year is over.