Starting from Square 1 - Intro

Hi.

I'm Charlene Wu - a senior at San Marino High School. I'm a lover of cats, and really anything soft. My friends wonder why everything I get my hands on always gets balanced on my head. I've also very arts-oriented - I love crafting, learning new things, and allowing things to just turn out the way they decide to. I also love learning - math and chemistry are my two favorite subjects because there's so much to learn. But then here's the thing

I've never really been a fan of stepping out of my comfort zone, because there's a chance of failure, which really isn't accepted by those around me. I'm also rather indecisive (or at least I think I am...), so picking a topic was, in short, really really difficult. There was so much to choose from and I didn't want to screw up, seeing that I had been hearing about this project from so many of my friends. My friend wanted me to learn how to play flute, I wanted to learn how to swim (preferably with my head above the water like a dog), I thought it would be cool to try writing a book... and never did quilting cross my mind. But then it was suggested, and it clicked.

(Even pigs can swim... I really ought to learn.) 

I guess my inspiration is that I love blankets. It sounds weird when I say it that way, but there's something comforting about them. I have a sensory processing disorder, which, for me, means that being wrapped tightly is soothing for me. I also love feeling different textures. Sewing a quilt is essentially creating something out of nothing, and when I look back at this project, I hope I realize that the risk was worth it. A teacher here at my high school makes these beautiful quilts, and I've always wanted to create one. A quilt would combine all the things that make me feel good: learning, interesting colors and textures, and it's something I can put over my head. :) It's just that I have one problem... and it's a really big problem.

I have absolutely no idea how to sew. I've put pins into two things - a pincushion and my thumb. I'm clumsy; I'm sure that as soon as I sit in front of a sewing machine, I'll manage to make the thread tangle, the needle snap, and the entire machine explode. (I even googled "can sewing machines explode?" and...well... this doesn't bode well.)


Also, I don't even own a sewing machine, so I'll have to do my entire project in bits and pieces at lunch, during school. So it probably won't even turn out that well.

But at least I warned everyone.

But I really do want to at least try, and I can go to Ms. Rushing for that. She is so generous in allowing me to come in during lunch to work on her sewing machines, in allowing me to borrow her rotary cutter and cutting mats, and in allowing me to use her thread and fabric to practice on. Ms. Bush will be helping me figure out how to lay squares and make different fabrics work together in a quilt.


To begin, I'm going to create a practice quilt, most likely a design extremely similar to the one below. I'll most likely design this with Ms. Rushing or Ms. Bush. I'm starting small because I do first have to learn how to sew, and by making a practice quilt, I can practice straight seams and even stitches. I'll have to match colors to create a quilt that's pleasing to the eye, so I may have to head to a nearby JoAnn's and talk to people there. I'll have to learn how to create bias tape... I'm actually not even sure what that is.


Next, I have to begin designing my own quilt, and figuring out a design that works for me. As of right now, I'm drawn to simple square designs, but I'm sure that will change. There're so many cool quilt designs out there that there has to be something else I'd like. I would have to choose a quilt pattern (perhaps not one quite as complicated as the one at the top right of my post...though it would be really cool) and learn how to cut the pieces and sew curved seams.


In doing this project, I hope that I'll acquire some sewing skills, a bit of perseverance, and be able to look back at the past few years with satisfaction. Hopefully, I'll still have all my fingers in the end. :)