As I look back on my life, always a good thing to do during one’s birthday month, I realize that the information I value most is that which I’ve learned within the last 25 years or so. Life is a process of personal growth and evolution, a constant state of “becoming,” and that is a good thing!

Choosing to enter the testing program to become certified as a master craftsman in quilting caused me hone my skills and expand them from 1991-2000. It required me to think beyond the “Quilt in a Day” mentality. Don’t get me wrong. When I began quilting, it was a very appealing notion to finish a quilt in a day or a week. Now, I undertake projects that often take much longer, sometimes as long as a year. I am one of those pokey people. I still hand quilt, hand piece and hand appliqué most projects. I savor every moment.

After all, I have only self-imposed deadlines as I do not make quilts to sell. As I age, I realize that time is more precious than gold. I don’t give away my time without thinking twice.

Constantly challenging myself as a quilter has resulted in learning practical math skills, and caused me to embark on a study of History, in general, if only to investigate the “times” in which a quilt was created. In doing so, I have learned about cloth production, mill girls, women’s studies, slavery, literature and poetry, and American history.

In presenting programs to groups, I have remembered principles of teaching learned in my university days of formal study to become a certified teacher of Spanish. No matter what we learn, it is all “good” and always has other applications in our lives. More than once, my knowledge of Spanish has come in handy to communicate with native Spanish speakers who are learning to quilt.

The most valuable course I ever took in school was a one credit, Personal Typing class, at the university. For a writer, the ability to type well is invaluable! Truly, it was a gift of knowledge to someone, like me, who was banned in high school from taking Business classes, as they were reserved for “dummies.” In my day, the suggested careers for women were teacher, nurse, or secretary and little else was mentioned by guidance counselors!

Today, I am pleased with all of the learning opportunities I have had. Life is not worth living if we do not continue to improve and learn… every day! Quilting is responsible for leading to other recently-acquired knowledge about 19th century Literature, History, and Women’s Studies – and I’ve loved every minute, and the joys of “making connections!”

Patricia Cummings

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