It has taken me a couple of years to really feel comfortable making floor quilts. I apply standards to my work that I never would have in making fabric quilts. If there’s a mistake in a floor quilt, I attribute it to my lack of experience. I would never do this in a quilt made from fabric. In fact, I look at mistakes as opportunities, right? I also have to get my hands messy when I make floor quilts (I use Mod Podge, which is like glue, and polyacrylic finish -- 3 coats of each on a floor quilt, then finished with paste wax). I have discovered I don’t like sticky hands! Both the Mod Podge and polyacrylic finish are water-soluble, so I can wash them off, right? Of course that’s correct, but there’s something about glue drying on my fingers that just feels funny. I’ve had to come up with a solution, and that’s to have a damp cloth nearby so I can wipe my hands off regularly.

First of all, my #1 priority is that whatever item I make needs to be made with fabric. I have so much wonderful fabric, and it deserves to be used, displayed, and enjoyed by someone. #2 priority, I want to be an artist. Because I haven’t ever gone to art school, it’s difficult sometimes to allow myself to use that title. With these 2 ideas in mind, I have begun making floor quilts (“art you can walk on”). Yes, these use fabric. (Bingo, #1 priority is met.) And for the patterns, I have played with some of the most popular patterns in my book, Folk Art Quilts, especially the animal blocks. The floor quilts don’t exactly replicate the sewn blocks, but the sewn blocks are my inspiration. Does that qualify me as an artist? I’m not sure, but maybe I’m on the right track... :)

But using my fabric for floor quilts has it’s up side, too. I have been able to interpret my sewn patterns more freely. I have been able to give my animals a personality and an “attitude” by adjusting the position of a head, tail, or legs. I have been able to have so much fun! And in the process learn something new, which is just darned exciting all by itself! And guess what else? I’ve learned that mistakes are fixable on floor quilt, just like they are on fabric quilts! Who knew? Well, I should have known this, but sometimes I’m a slow learner...

And being excited about learning something new has translated into other areas of my life, too. Remember that artist I want to be? I’ve always wanted to learn to draw. Keep in mind I’m confident in being able to do just about anything with a rotary cutter (well, maybe not anything, but most things), but put a pencil in my hand and I feel like I have the skill of a preschooler. I looked around for drawing classes, and found that I could register as a senior citizen and take a beginning drawing class at Seattle Central College. I started in early April, and we have had 4 weeks of classes so far. Friends who know I’m doing this all ask me the same question, “Do you like it?” My answer is, honestly, I’m not sure. It’s so different!!! It makes going from fabric quilts to floor quilts look easy! I’m using completely different tools (I love Conte crayons!). I’m working on paper, not fabric. I’m drawing from real life models, not ideas in my head or ideas from an existing pattern! I’m learning new techniques and meeting new people (the young people in class are really nice to me and don’t treat me like something strange, even though I’m old enough to be their mother). I’m being a student again. And my best supporter and rock, my husband John, often accompanies me to class. He searches for interesting things for us to do on Capitol Hill in Seattle while I’m in class. He visits local micro breweries (is he really doing this for us??). Sometimes we have dinner on Capitol Hill before class. Sometimes we get ice cream after class. Sometimes I walk to class from the Pike Place Market, a 1.5 mile jaunt that’s mostly uphill (another benefit -- getting exercise!).