Tynelle Meets Quilting (Part Two)
Tynelle’s quilting story begins when she wants to replace a tattered and worn baby quilt she was gifted when born. Go ahead and eavesdrop so you can learn more about Tynelle’s “Weird Quilt.”
In my August, 2025 blog, I tell you about Tynelle and the start of her “Weird quilt.” When I left you, I was telling you that she went to her favorite fabric store to get the rest of what she’d need for the Nova Star pattern by Then Came June. When approaching the fabric counter, she overheard the owner of the store say to another customer that “…yep…this is a weird one,” likely referring to Tynelle’s fabric choices. It annoyed Tynelle a bit but she embraced the comment and decided to name it her “Weird Quilt.” I love that about Tynelle. She could have been hurt, frustrated, even quit the entire process right there. But she powered through and leaned into that comment and let it be her guide. She is the first to tell you that yes, her quilt is weird but she is also proud to say it’s one of the most beautiful thigs she’s ever made.
Does that feeling of beauty come from her fabric choices, her color choices, or the fact that it took her a long time to make? Does it come from the idea that she had to grow her patience with each block she made? Does it come from the planning it took to make each of those blocks? Perhaps, and maybe it also comes from the fact that she learned so many new skills even though she made her share of mistakes. She became an expert chain piecer and learned the art of making flying geese. She learned to work with fabrics that weren’t all the same density or material.
This quilt, to Tynelle, represents a “weird” time period in her life. She states that when she started this quilt, she was super heartbroken from a recent breakup and was feeling quite lost. Quilting gave her joy and something to look forward to. “By the time I was finished,” she says, “my heart was healed, everyone I know wants to steal the quilt from me, and I felt I could wait a little longer on the romance thing…” She has become a “cat mom” to “the world’s cutest cat” who also loves to quilt!
If you ask Tynelle why she quilts today, she’ll tell you that she loves the way quilts feel and how they can be customized. She loves all of the options open to her in the quilting world. She says her love of quilting compounded the more she did it and I think that probably defines most quilters. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. She describes quilting as healing as she’d put on her comfiest clothes and go quilt with Ruthanne on Friday nights when she’d normally have been with her boyfriend. It took her mind off of things and filled her calendar.
She says this about the quilting community, “…it’s not just grandmas that quilt! I love how social media is able to connect us with other makers everywhere.” (Incidentally, it is how I met Tynelle). She also says, “I think I’m showing people my age that it’s not a grandma’s hobby. In fact, a lot of people have reached out to me to ask if I could teach them. And I think that’s really cool.”
Tynelle is a joy and I’m glad that we have been in touch. Tynelle reminds us all why we quilt; the deeper meaning in all of our stitches and fabrics. She reminds me, at least, that with quilting can come mending…mending of our quilts and mending of our spirits. If we are to believe this, we must each bother to get in touch with the side of ourselves that loves to create in the midst of our grief, whether it is over a breakup or a death or even just a life adjustment of some kind.
So, what does quilting mean to you?
To read more quilter’s stories, stay tuned here on my blog. If you have a story to tell about a quilt, message or email at the address below. Let’s start a conversation! And if you need help telling your stories, my journal, The Story of Your Quilt, may help. It’s full of inspirational prompts and motivational quotes to guide you on your journeys. It’s available here now.