It seems Charli finds balance for a life of adventure in the serenity and beauty of quilting. How did she come to express her creativity creating marvelous shibori-dyed quilts? We asked her to talk about her creativity and how it fits her life.

This is what she shared:

“I come from a family that makes things.  My father made furniture and small items (cribbage boards, boxes, bowls) from wood; my mother knit sweaters, socks, and afghans; my grandfather carved iron molds in a foundry; my grandmother braided rugs and crocheted tablecloths.  My sisters and I started our creative lives learning to sew and making clothes for ourselves.  Now Janice knits, sews, beads, and does woodworking.  Diane and I make quilts.  I also dye patterned fabric using Japanese shibori dyeing techniques.  I grew up expecting to make things and learned early on the satisfaction that comes from designing and making things.

Making quilts has given me the pleasure of seeing work materialize before my eyes.  Even though hand stitching is slow work, it is visible.  When I work for 15 minutes, I can see 15 minutes worth of progress in front of me.  This concrete feeling of progress was especially valuable when, practicing law, I would sometimes work for years on a single case without seeing any signs of progress.  Hand stitching admits me to a place of focus, of meditation.  When I was too sick from chemo to read or watch or listen to anything, hand stitching took me to a quiet, calm place of flow.  It kept me from being in despair from not being able to do anything.  

Things I’ve learned about creativity: Talent is almost completely irrelevant: practice is everything.  Almost anything can be learned.  Stop working at a point where you know what’s coming next so there’s no hesitation in picking up work where you left off.  When stuck on a design issue, look at the piece right before bed.  In the morning, go directly to look at the piece.  Often the solution will pop into your head then.  Above all, just keep working.”

Contact & Inquiries:

Reach out to Charli regarding purchase inquiries, other questions, or just to catch up. You can connect with her at:

email: charlifulton.wv@gmail.com
phone: 304-552-2235

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