Reverend Garrett of The Way, The Church, a non-denominational congregation in Inglewood, California, had all the attributes of a dedicated quilter. It just took her a while to figure it out.
To begin with, Reverend Garrett has quilting DNA in her blood. Really. How did she discover this? When her brother was working on their family’s genealogy, he learned that their great-great-great grandmother on their father’s side came from Gee’s Bend, Alabama – a small community along the Alabama River where descendants of African-American slaves have received national attention and critical acclaim for their quilt making.
She had a sewing background and was originally a garment maker. About 34 years ago, when Reverend Garrett’s five adult children were younger, her daughter had heard that you should save fabric for quilting. So, Reverend Garrett started a stash – even though she never considered starting to quilt.
Finally, four years ago, Reverend Garrett ventured in to quilting. She had been commuting along the 10 Freeway in Los Angeles and every day passed by a sign that read, “If you were here, you’d be sewing.” The sign’s message interested her and one day, she decided to stop at the store when they were having a sale. She wasn’t interested in all the cotton fabrics they had, but a longarm quilting machine caught her eye. That machine fascinated her so much that she decided to sign up for a quilting class. She’s been hooked ever since. Reverend Garrett has found quilting so addictive that “it takes over your life.”
She recently shared her love for quilt making with members of her church as they worked together to make beautiful quilts for those in need.
This year marked Reverend Garrett’s second visit to Road. She came for the whole week, taking classes, getting answers to questions, and learning something every day.
You just never know when the quilting bug will strike.
What motivated you to start quilting?
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