Serious quilter?

A couple of people (non quilters) had remarked that, "You are serious about your quilting."

I heard the remark and let it sink in. What does it mean to be a serious quilter?

Perhaps I should say that one commenter noticed that I "went sewing" on New Year's Day. I didn't realize it was New Year's Day when I made prior arrangements. We meet up every Tuesdays and that Tuesday was not going to be any different. Afterall I was in good company. The activity is stimulating, the conversation almost always interesting and the things I learn from my quilting friends are valuable, mind you not just about quilting techniques but life lessons as well.

And nobody's going to look at me funny when I tell them about my frustration of not being able to sew or not getting corners meet. For us going out buying fabric is a good reason to congregate and hangout.

Not all of them share my zeal when it comes to pre washing, ironing and starching fabric. But the moral support from fellow quilters and how much they are willing to share information is phenomenal.

I cannot honestly call myself a serious quilter because I don't enter competitions nor do I even sew enough to qualify as one. I didn't finish a whole quilt last year. Only a top. But yes I am passionate about quilting. I can spend hours with my fabric, arranging them, looking through books and patterns looking for inspiration, surfing through other quilting blogs for ideas and inspiration. I trawl through the net looking for a manual for my sewing machine. I make my DH drive for a couple of hours or 3 so that I could get the needles and the feet I needed.

For me quilting is not about making a blanket for use in cold winter nights. Quilting is about a work of art. I put my heart and soul together in different colors of fabrics to create something with my hands. It makes me aspire to try new things. It allows me to translate or recreate something I have seen into something I have made.

Quilting is part of who I am, it is what I do and what I love. My passion.

Now I just have to figure out a way to make money from my passion.