One Oak Quilts

My blog this week is about blogs. I’ve read a few of them. Some are very interesting, if it is a subject I want to learn more about or someone I want to read about and get to know.  Many of them I feel that I have wasted my time reading. Many of these I have just come upon, probably like you, reading this one. I could have been sewing, spending time with loved ones or doing something more productive. Instead I was alone at the computer, reading about other people’s ideas and life. So this will be my last blog, until I really have something more important to blog about.. and to take time away from my quilting. So if the date is old, I have been quilting, being with friends and loved ones, exercising, working, or just having fun. So if you are reading this… go quilt, go shop, go have some fun!!!!

love to all of you, Karen

I love to see everyone come into the shop and love on the fabric. We are all guilty of it. touching, rubbing and lord knows what goes on in the privacy of people’s homes. One customer takes a bolt down and smooths it, so lovingly. Im sure she was one of those sweet mothers who rubbed their child’s back to get them to sleep.

Another young woman customer, whom I happen to know was recently divorced, says she likes to just take her fabric out and touch it and play with it. Im so happy it gives her companionship and comfort during her lonely times.

One of my favorite moments, is when I finish the quilting and I un-pin it from the machine and start to unroll it. I love the feel and weight of the quilted quilt.  To me this is the quilt, … as compared to a comforter.. (of the type that I can afford).

All quilters and fabric lovers everywhere know exactly what I am talking about here.. so why the White Glove.. at shows. My husband has a friend who got fussed at.. for touching.. shame on his wife for not telling him.. but we all have that urge.

Of course we understand the need for the white glove.. especially when there are thousands of not so clean hands reaching towards those antiques.. but we really need to start a category of “Please Touch”.. for those of us who cannot truly appreciate until the tactile sense has had its fulfillment.  Tactile judges? Which quilt feels the best, has that firm and comforting weight. Which quilt feels the best laid over top of us on a cold night?   What about our vision impaired? they should not be discriminated upon and should be able to touch and feel a quilt’s beauty. I have never had a quilt that I thought was beautiful enough for a show entre…. but all of my quilts could be entered as a touch/ fondle quilt.

Now how about a smell category?

Last year there was a horrible tragedy in our city involving a couple in separate cars who had been drinking, they were both speeding through a construction zone, one car hit and killed a worker, and the second car hit the first car and killed him again. They were both tried and convicted and sent to prison and a family lost their husband and father.

Recently, a quilting friend whom I had not seen in a while, and I were driving to Charlotte, NC for fabric of course. We were chatting away about projects, fabric lines, patterns and everything else, when, (and I never saw him coming).. I got pulled over for speeding.. I was doing 80.. in a construction zone!! I will leave out all the expletives here.. but I would never, never, intentionally place anyone’s life in danger. (Im a nurse too!!) I was totally oblivious of anything going on except for the quilting conversation.  I deserved to pay the high fines!!

Then this week, I was talking with another friend about going somewhere away to quilt for a weekend. I was talking about the cheap price of a place, but then added that we would of course have to buy food etc,  her comment was: well when Im quilting I don’t eat anyway..

Another friend (new to quilting) also last week said that  she has started getting up in the middle of the night to quilt instead of sleeping..

we have all done that..plus call in sick to work, ignored our significant others, and lied to them about spending habits. Made our children wait in cars or fuss at them for whining in the shops and on and on.

The medical dictionary defines addiction as  “persistant compulsive use of a substance known to be physically, psychologically, or socially harmful”.  Can not all these behaviors be considered harmful?

Is quilting going to be outlawed? Will shop hops be outlawed and quilt shops closed down. Can shop owners be held responsible or negligent by letting the quilter leave with too much fabric? Can we be contributing to the delinquency of minors if we teach our young people to quilt? Will there be a rehab for us? Will we be able to sneak in our machine? maybe just a little hand project?

In the July issue of The Quilter, there is an article on prisoners quilting… Is this a good idea? Is the couple from my town exchanging alcohol for quilting? Will they let us quilt when we get there?

Be careful out there!!! Take care of yourselves and others before quilting!!

Several people have asked me about the name One Oak. Why that name?  The story behind the name is a personal one that I only recently shared. Now I will share it with you, as I think it is a fairly common one among those of us of a certain age. (I read recently the average age of a quilter is 59)
So about 6-7 years ago, my children were leaving home, I was depressed, my marriage was suffering, and I really didn’t have anything or do anything that said “this is me”, “this is really who I am”,  outside of being mother, wife, and nurse for 25+ years.
My husband and I separated  and it was during this time that I bought a new sewing machine, (my old one was also 25+ years old) and returned to sewing and quilting. I had quilted occasionally through the years, making scrap quilts for the beach, and kid’s rooms,  but never had the time to be totally addicted.
During this time of being alone, the quilting saved me, gave me time to think and reflect and make peace with my life, my children’s choices, and my advancing years, my lack of satisfaction at work . I quilted and cried, quilted and thought, quilted and made goals, quilted and cried, quilted and became whole.
My husband and I worked through our issues, and decided to buy a new house to start the second half of our life together. We found our dream house, and it was already called One Oak, due to one ancient oak tree on the property and many pine trees. It signified to us a new life, deep roots in family, one god, and to me personally one quilt at a time.
So five years later, we are happy, my children are happy and I am happy for them, and I am starting a new life in this career change after  30 years of nursing.  One Oak signifies again to me a new life, family roots and trust in God.
My story is a common one, nothing unusual, but I wanted to share that if you are experiencing anything up-rooting sorrowful in your life,  Quilt.. and quilt… and quilt until life feels better. One quilt at a time, you will get there….. believe in the quilt.

Dear Quilters everywhere,
Do you ever feel like everyone is ahead of you? In everything? Electronics? Social networking? Blogging? Downloading? Everything is difficult to accomplish from watching a movie, listening to music, keeping up with the news?  And maybe just in life in general? Everyone is making more money, having more fun, going more places than you?   BUT at the same time, all you want to do is quilt so does it matter what everyone else is doing?
Well that is how I feel very often, so I thought I would start a place where everyone is a beginner, including me.  So this is my first blog, my first web page and my first start into combining my life of  quilting with all that other stuff, I know nothing about.
So follow along with me as we go forward and we can teach each other.
My new web store and “live” store (I hate “brick and mortar” store as it is so much more!) are going to be places of relaxation, friendship, sharing and new beginnings. No action, question or project is considered ignorant, too simple, or rejected.  Everyone’s ideas and projects are accepted and applauded.
I believe in keeping life, and quilting, simple and affordable.
One Oak:   One Strength (God),
One Root (Family)
One Tree Hug (global)
One Life (it’s short, so be happy)
One Quilt (or as many as you need)
Quilt for Life
Talk to you again soon, Karen