Becky Olsen

“It’s the year of the quilt!” That phrase has rolled off my tongue time and time again for the few months. I just started quilting early last summer and have loved every stinking moment of it.

Sure there are a lot of new terms I had to get used to, and sure I get nerved a bit when I have to square off something for the ten millionth time…but I love it all! There is just something so cool about piecing together piece after piece of beautiful fabric to make something that is entirely yours.

Then…then there’s the connection I feel to all women who came before me. I instantly feel a bond between my mother and I (and not just because she’s my partner and quilt mentor) but because we laugh and giggle through each block we make—even if it doubles the amount of time we spend on a project. I feel connected to my grandmother, my husband’s grandmother, and neighbors—even women I didn’t know in colonial times. Sometimes I imagine myself sitting in a circle of women appliquéing a special block I might be making for a friend’s wedding.

Quilting is escape. It draws me away from the television, Internet and other distractions in life. Sometimes I imagine myself sitting in a circle of women appliquéing a special block I might be making for a friend’s wedding. It brings fulfillment and the unique satisfaction that can only come from a handmade good.

Upon receiving my bachelor’s degree I decided I never wanted to stop learning. I decided that education was more than books and that meant I was going to focus on learning new skills. Quilting was one of the first hobbies I decided to pursue, and now it’s something I find great joy in.

I authors two blogs: Project Domestication and Utah Loves Cupcakes. Quilting is part of my “domestic journey” and one of my new favorite hobbies.

I am currently taking a year-long quilting class at a local quilting shop, American Quilting in Orem, Utah. The class project is Civil War/Americana-themed quilt—each month we make a block and the finished look of the quilt is a surprise. My future quilting plans include designing my own cupcake-themed quilt and wool appliqué ornaments!