Anatomy of a Quilter

I recently went to a nearby quilting show.  Here's a few things I've learned about quilters over the past couple of years.

1. I'm surprised at how many women wait until at least in their 50's to start quilting.  I guess it isn't that different from me starting after retirement when we have more time to do it.  Of course, you still have some young ones who talk about quilting for years and they had to have been sewing before they could speak.
2. I'm not the only one who likes a bargain.  At first I felt guilty going to JoAnn's and not the quilt shop.  But I couldn't do all the sewing I want and pay over $10 a yard for fabric.  Then I started talking to people and seeing them when I shopped and realized that we all go where we can get the best deal. 
3. Quilters are very innovative.  More often than not it's because they are looking for a better, easier way of doing something.  At the quilt show I learned about Triangulation which is a software program for making half-square triangles.  It really saves time compared to the old fashioned way of using triangles.  This also makes things go a lot quicker for us older ones who have that bucket list and the young ones who still have the job and kids to work around.
4. Quilters need to be good at certain skills such as math, geometry, spacial concepts, and above all how to use a ruler.  Trust me when I say there are still those out there who cannot figure out how to use a ruler.  To successfully finish a quilt puts all these skill to use in a timely manner.  It should be put on a resume as past experience. 

In conclusion the most important thing I've learned about quilters is that they are friendly, helpful, polite and overall a great bunch of people to associate with.