Hmmmm.. what else can I quilt? (The ADHD Brain in action!)

 Hyperfocus - yes it IS a thing!  When I first taught myself to sew - I sewed everything!  From underwear (even for men) to swim suits to curtains, placemats and all sorts of home decor - even to parade costumes with big fun fur bobble heads!  I even repaired a badly damaged tarp for a fire engine - simply because someone - or shall I say a few firefighters said it could not be done.  HA!  Clothing - oh yes - I sewed all four kids' clothing including jeans and winter coats.

It seems when I get started on some things - I just cannot help myself!  

In fact the thought "what else can I sew?" quite often turns next to "what else can I bake?", "what else can I cook?", "what else can I quilt", "what else can I write" and even sometimes to "who else can I p%*# off?".

This is hyperfocus - part of ADHD. Quilting is just one of those things I hyperfocus on..... ​

Yes, I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was still a young woman... but then who wasn't?  It seems as though we all know someone who suffers (or flourishes at times) with said condition.  In women it is under-diagnosed and reveals itself a little differently than in men.  And one of the issues women with ADHD face is that we were as young girls conditioned to hide symptoms of ADHD.  I'm not complaining - it has on many occasions served me well.  Hyperfocus is just one of the symptoms of ADHD.  Here is what it looks like:

​Kayce Musgraves wore this quilted jacket and not much else when performing on SNL.  
( A Ralph Lauren Jacket )

• Becoming an expert on a new topic of passion (i.e. foraging, antique watches, breeds of chickens, QUILTING)
• Spending excessive time and money on a new hobby (Did I mention FABRIC?)
• Dropping “important tasks” to pursue the one you can’t stop thinking about (Maybe the next pattern?)
• Difficulty shifting tasks or stopping what you’re doing to eat, bathe or breathe (I do remember the wine though)
• Being “in the zone” for hours (YES! Bliss)

Are you laughing yet - or looking in the mirror!

In all seriousness though - there are a lot of things you can quilt!  Last year a customer sent me 3 meters of 2 separate christmas fabrics she wanted quilted together so she could make placemats and table runners. (Brilliant idea!)  And right now I am in the middle of quilting a bedspread out of wideback material - front and back.  It is one of a kind and gorgeous!  For a quick gift I also quilted a beautiful fabric I did not want to cut up and backed it with 'fireside' backing in white.  It was so soft and beautiful I almost couldn't give it away. 

A friend of mine ( a long armer ) was hired last fall to quilt meters and meters of velvet in large diamonds for display windows for Sephora. (Wow what people will quilt!)

Last year I made large roman shades on my longarm - quilting the front to the back on the fold lines.  And I am seriously considering making a quilted jacket similar to the one Kayce Musgraves wore on Saturday Night Live!  I have often thought about repurposing vintage quilts into jackets - an up-cycle trend that is catching on across North America.

Quilted fabric is like a big hug.  There are lots of great things you can create!  Edge to Edge computerized patterns offer thousands of designs - and are very affordable.  In fact quilting 2 fabrics together (not as a quilt) is as reasonable as 2 cents per square inch.  That means to quilt 2 fabulous fabrics together 2 meters long would cost about $75.00.  So send along those fabrics you want quilted into quilted fabric - and then start creating!