Quilt Post #1 – The Beginning aka a lot of Embroidery
After a few traumatic events in my life, I found myself leaning heavily into art therapy across different mediums. For almost two years, I took a painting class that became both healing and grounding — and I was just starting to explore other creative outlets in the city.
Embroidery had always caught my eye. It felt more accessible than sewing full garments, and I loved the tactile, slow nature of it. So, in February 2020 — just before the world changed — I signed up for a class at a cozy NYC spot called CraftJam. It was a lovely Saturday afternoon spent with strangers learning basic stitches, and it came with a little kit to continue practicing at home.
After that class, I did a few small embroidery projects, but my focus remained on painting — especially once the pandemic hit. Painting became a lifeline in my small apartment. It got me through some very long, very quiet days.
Embroidery lesson from Craft Jam aka the limited knowledge about this I had…
Fast forward to 2025.
I was doing one of my usual Etsy scrolls when I stumbled upon the cutest embroidery patterns on a site called Pattern Bee. I ordered a random Christmas kit (my husband keeps campaigning for more Christmas decor) and two vintage quilt kits — one with alphabet letters and one with state flowers.
I was traveling back and forth to NYC for work and thought this would be a great portable project — something I could do on the train or in little quiet moments, even if my painting supplies were still at home.
In February, I was laid off from my job. It was devastating — but also, I think, divine intervention. I suddenly had space to reconnect with myself and the parts of me that had been buried under stress and survival for years. I thought I might go back to painting, but when I opened the paint box… my hands hesitated. Something in me nudged toward embroidery instead.
Over the years, I’d taken other creative classes (more on that in future posts!), and the idea of returning to something tactile and handmade felt right. The quilt kits especially intrigued me — not just for the embroidery, but because they’d eventually require sewing, fabric dyeing, and finishing. It wasn’t just a project; it was a journey. A slow, intentional, evolving piece of work.
Between the alphabet quilt and the state flowers, I went bold: I picked the 50-state flower quilt. It felt like the challenge I needed to decompress from 9.5 years of nonstop job stress. I told myself the goal was to finish the embroidery portion by the end of summer.
I didn’t know what I was doing exactly. I skipped reading the full directions (classic), cut my fabric squares bigger than necessary just to give myself room for error, and jumped right in. I started Rhode Island on March 31st and finished it on April 1st.
And for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t hard on myself. I wasn’t nitpicking. I knew it could be better — but I loved it anyway. Each kit may be the same, but the color choices, stitches, and quirks make every version unique. And that’s what made me feel proud. It felt authentic. It felt like mine.
From there, the vision opened up.
I knew I wanted to try natural fabric dyeing for the border fabrics. I knew the quilt’s backing would be made from one of the gingham tablecloths we used at our wedding — a fabric I recently used to upholster a bench in our bedroom. I didn’t want that cloth sitting in a drawer. I wanted it to live.
And then I realized: I didn’t want to make this just for me.
I’m making this quilt for my unborn child — as a labor of love and memory. A future heirloom. A piece of me they can hold, stitched with quiet moments and hope.
I shared my progress weekly on Instagram — not as a “look at me” moment, but more as documentation for myself. I normally hate accountability posts… but this felt different. It felt sacred. Sometimes I included my dog or my tiny American Girl dolls for fun — and I was surprised by how many people followed along, asked questions, and cheered me on.
I saved the states I’ve lived in (AZ, CA, PA, NY, IL) for milestones and finished with Maine — a dream future home — as my final state.
On June 12, just over two months after I started, I completed the 50th block. I have no idea how many hours it took, but I know it gave me just the kind of therapy I needed.
🎞️ Enjoy this little reel I created — a blink of the eye compared to how long it all actually took.
🧵 Next posts in the series:
Post 2: The Fabric Dyeing Process
Post 3: Cutting, Assembling, and Sewing (maybe more than one post, this is going to take awhile!)
