The machine quilting class on Saturday was taught by a thread enthusiast.
“I love thread!” she enthused enthusiastically.
“Thread technology has come a long way in the last ten years,” she said. “I want you to forget everything you’ve ever heard about thread!”
Apparently I’d already forgotten everything I’d ever heard about thread, since I couldn’t think of anything to forget.
She passed around various thread samples so we could all see and feel and experience the worlds of difference between cotton, polyester, silk, and all the permutations and blends thereof. I couldn’t tell the difference between any of them.
But I now know that there is much to know about thread. Though I don’t share her love of thread, I do appreciate her passion for it. Everybody needs to be passionate about something; that’s what keeps us alive and motivated and happy. That’s what gives us a reason to want to get out of bed in the morning.
Whenever I find myself between passions, I make it my first priority to find a new one.
This may well be one of your funniest posts…so what did she recommend for quilting?
Thanks, mudmama (and you’re right, I did tuck a little tongue-in-cheek humour in there). As for her recommendations, I don’t think she came right out and recommended anything. Everything depended on variables specific to the project. For example, did you want your quilting to stand out or take a back seat to the quilt top, was it an ordinary everyday quilt or was it a very special quilt? Stuff like that. She did say King Tut and Aurafill (sp?) were both excellent threads, and she recommended that we use them for learning.
I don’t know about ‘funny’, but I wholeheartedly agree with what you say about passion!!
Thanks Flo! I’m quite passionate about passion!
I am so glad that you didn’t adopt a new passion…this one wouldn’t have lasted long, I feel.
Ha! You’re probably right. (But at least thread is small….it wouldn’t take up a lot of space.)
I have to admit that I can tell the difference between polyester, silk and cotton thread. And they are remarkably different to sew with, both by hand and in a machine. I also remember when I was a kid and my Mum did needlework, she would buy small hanks of embroidery floss that were glorious colours. I still yearn to take up embroidery (again) one of these years but my passion for thread takes a back seat to my passion for philosophy. However, I should ask my Mum to give me her embroidery accoutrements in her will, for later. All sorts of hoops for keeping the fabric tight, needles, hooks, etc. I probably won’t get back to it before she gives it up for good anyway. Not that she’s in danger of kicking the bucket any time soon but she has passed 80.
Interesting. I’ve had an urge lately too to do some embroidery. I did a little as a girl, living in the country, where embroidery was one of those skills all rural girls learned. I still remember how to do a French knot, sort of.
I found this post very entertaining. Also, I loved this: “Whenever I find myself between passions, I make it my first priority to find a new one.”
Thanks Alejna. I’m glad you liked it.
Linda Palaisy, by any chance? Her hand-dyed quilting threads are dreamy…
No, not Linda Paliasy, although you’re the second person to ask me that! It’s a new teacher at the Running Stitch. Her name is Lesley.