Quiltophobia I

I tremble at templates,
and I spurn applique.
Baltimores are boring,
and redwork turns me gray.
Hand quilting makes me shudder,
and sometimes makes me itch,
and so, I get a rash
before I've made even one stitch.
But yet, I call myself a quilter
despite what some may say.
I just have to do it,
in my unique and quirky way.
©2003 Patricia Littlefield

Quiltophobia II

Templates cause me to tremble.
Applique makes my eyes ache.
Quilting by hand makes me queasy.
Le Moyne stars I never could make.
Paper piecing is messy,
& crazy quilts make me weep.
Baltimores are too fussy,
& Thimbleberries just put me to sleep.
But give me some scraps of bright fabric
for strip piecing makes my heart sing.
1/2 square triangles can turn me all tingly.
& chain stitching is really my thing.
I love to meander and stipple,
wandering all over the place.
No pattern nor marking to follow,
just filling up the empty space.
For out of those scraps comes a quilt
like no other that's ever been sewn,
& I know sure as I am a quilter,
that it's an original, all my very own.
©2003 Patricia Littlefield

Quilt Technique Freaque

I confess I'm a quilter, an avid "technique freaque."
I take at least one quilting class, each and every week.
I have flower pounded,
and I've Stacked and Whacked;
reverse appliquéd, and quilted from the back.
I have learned how to string piece and to tessellate,
and I scissored Snippets and thought it really great.
Sashiko was next, and then Quilts with a View.
I've done beadwork, red work, and ghost layers, too.
All kinds of patch blocks are in my repertoire,
one, two, four, and nine, make up the list so far.
I learned to embellish and trapunto by machine;
Bargello was next, and quilts with a theme.
And for every class I took,
I always bought the teacher's book;
now they sit upon the shelf, unopened and unread,
for I've got a class to take, "How to use Metallic Thread."
©2003 Patricia Littlefield

Ode to the Fabric Shopper

(To the tune of We Three Kings)
Those who quilt, both near and far,
fabric shop wherever they are.
In the malls, and in the stores,
searching out just one yard more.
Oh, there's a shop, let's take a peek.
Maybe they'll have just what I seek.
Fabric calls; I hear its song.
Must be on sale, so I can't go wrong.
©2003 Patricia Littlefield

The Quilt Show

Prior to a quilt show is a harrowing time.
Quilters so busy, they stitch nine to nine.
Now adding a border, then adjusting a sash,
frantic to finish, in a dither they dash
off to the ironing board to press and to steam,
all the same way, each quarter inch seam.

Show Day has arrived; it's finally come.
The quilts now are judged; so let's see who's won.
There's lots of smiles, but occasionally a tear,
as somebody mutters, "Just wait till NEXT year."
©2003 Patricia Littlefield