Saturday, October 10, 2009

My First Quilt

I'd like to extend a warm welcome to visitors from Park City Girl's Fall Quilt Festival.  I am sharing my first quilt - made June 2009 as a gift for my Mom's Birthday.  Thanks for stopping by - I have been inspired by all the quilts and stories that you have shared and hope you enjoy my story.

Quilting - that mysterious blend of art and function, color and design, labor and love.  I have been firmly bitten by the bug.  I have completed a grand total of "ONE" quilt so far, but am starting my second and can definitely foresee many in my future. 

Whilst traveling the online highway of crafty blogs, I happened upon one called Old Red Barn Company.  Hey - they are doing a quilt along - perfect for a beginner (that is me for sure).  So I decide to join in and went fabric shopping.   I almost hate to admit this, but my first stop was Walmart.  I know, I know - the fabric police are banging on my door.  Oh well, limited budgets mean limited fabric options. 

The quilt was a rail-fence style and it was suggested that we get 12 different fabrics.  I originally had planned to use hunter green, burgundy, navy and cream, but couldn't decide what went with what and had bolt after bolt pulled off the shelf, in my cart, back on the shelf, back in the cart.  My hubby and boys were patiently perusing the aisles while I tried to decide.  I love my guys, but they had had about enough, and so I quickly went with 6 fabrics, in two shades of green, with a dark green print for the binding.



Following the directions that were posted on the ORBC blog, I pulled out my mini ironing board and hunted for my iron.  Ironed more in one night than I have in the past 3 years (I probably shouldn't admit that).  Then it was time to cut strips -- wait a minute -- you want me to cut this fabric!   I was so scared to make that first rotary cut -- I measured, then measured again, then took a deep breath --- slice --- I did it!!!  Six yards of 2.5" strips and two nicked fingers later I was done the first step -- I was on my way to making a quilt!

I sewed strips together till I was dizzy, but enjoyed every minute of it (other than when I threaded my machine incorrectly and didn't realize it and had a massive jumble of thread on the backside of my strips and caught between the bobbin and the feed dogs-- took me about two hours, three attempts to take the bobbin casing apart and tons of frustration before I thought to rethread the machine and lo and behold it worked again.   Sigh.....I felt like the biggest doofus -- but knew what to do the next time it happened.

Then it was time to cut my strip sets into blocks and then decide on a layout.  I had sewn my strips in three kinds of groupings -- all light green, all dark green and light and dark mixed.   So I spread out a sheet on my living room floor and put my blocks out.  First this way and then that -- no don't like that layout - how about this one?  Honey - come look at this one, what do you think?  I don't think he saw any difference, but mumbled something positive-ish each time.  Finally decided on a layout and got my blocks sewed into rows.  Then my rows went together and I had a completed quilt top -- I had done it!   Happy dance time!!!

The sixth and final layout - not yet sewn together.



I decided to attempt to machine quilt my top -- Dana from Old Red Bark Company had explained how to free motion quilt and made stippling look easy-peasy enough for even me to try.  Unfortunately, although I got the gist of the method, my sewing machine hated it - constant jumbles and broken threads.  Luckily I was practicing on leftover block scraps I had sewn together to make a coordinating throw pillow.  Stippling on left side - notice the clusters of thread towards the back-- right side was done using the regular sewing foot (not free motion and I don't have a walking foot), but I decided it would be too hard to do in a larger format, so tried straight line quilting...


oh, okay, wonky-ish straight line quilting!

The finished pillow being modeled loved by Joey, my 2.5 yr old - now onto the quilt top.....

Went with "organic" straight line quilting - aka not-so-straight line quilting for the quilt top.  I think it turned out great - just don't look too closely.  Then on went the binding and it was done - my first quilt.  It's not perfect, but it is perfectly crinkly and soft and lovely, at least my mom thinks so.  It was a birthday gift for her.  She was very surprised to say the least -- when I told her I had made it, she thought it was a panel that I sewed together with a backing.  I was very proud to be able to tell her that it started out as 7 yards of material, and after lots of labor and love, became the beginning of a new passion.

The completed quilt and pillow -- finished two days before my boys and I flew to visit my parents -- took about 6 weeks of late night hours, two or three nights a week, to complete.  Didn't get a photo of it hanging in the breeze cause it was raining two days straight and I had to get it into the suitcase. 


Here's the material (from Joanne's this time, thanks mom) for my next quilt along quilt - a wonky log cabin - this one led by John, aka Quilt Dad - it is the third quilt along for the Old Red Barn Company quilt-along family - I didn't do the second one - half square triangle zig zag - because I was out of town for three weeks.  I'm behind on the log cabins - many of the group are done their quilts, but I am determined to finish (I have one block almost done - needed to get a ruler and had to wait until it fit into the budget to get it).

I'm guessing some of you are cringing at my fabric choices, but that's okay.  I like the way they work together - I think learning about color combinations and how to decide what works with what is my biggest challenge.  But I am definitely enjoying the journey, and that, I think, it what it is really about.  I put my love into what I am doing, and that is what makes a quilt truly beautiful, in my opinion.

The quilt along group is already talking about round 4 and trying to decide what to do -- circles, disappearing nine patch, crazy nine patch --- I don't care, but count me in, because I am a quilter!

 

23 comments:

  1. The quilt in green is lovely. Cherish it!
    margaret
    www.quiltsoflove.blogspot.com

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  2. Love the green quilt and think that your colour choices for your new quilt will look lovely in a logcabin quilt :)

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  3. I think you did a lovely job with your first quilt; I really like the green! I'm also showing my first two quilts on my blog as part of the Festival.

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  4. can't beleive this is your first quilt. Great job! Keep up the great work.

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  5. Congratulations on your first quilt; it looks lovely!

    Thank you so much for the kind comment you left on my entry to the Festival. I’m so overwhelmed by all the response and wonderful comments I have received; I was not prepared for this as I have never been present where the quilt has been exhibited, and am totally new to this whole blogging thing. I am happy (probably not the right word..) though that my quilt touches so many people, even if I made it as a way to deal with the whole thing myself. I have to add that I did ask my daughter’s permission to tell our story, and she was only happy I would do it. Some stories just need to be told.

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  6. Your green quilt came out perfect. I still need to sew mine together. Good luck on your next quilt

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  7. That's a wonderful first quilt--I love how it almost looks woven with the different shades of green. Congratulations on all your hard work (oh, and that boy model is squeezably cute!). You know you are hooked for life, when all it takes is one quilt block :) Thanks for sharing your quilt's story.

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  8. I love the greens together - and ouch rotary cuts are the worst!

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  9. What an awesome first quilt! I wish mine had looked so good! You should be very proud, and your mom is lucky to have such a pretty gift. :)

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  10. Welcome to the wonderful world of quilting! well done for a very first attempt.

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  11. You did a great job on your first quilt! As far as color choices and materials are concerned, only you need to like it so don't worry what others might think!
    Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving a comment.

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  12. Hi, Cindy! I'm so impressed that you made your first quilt start to finish. I recently started quilting too, but I took the easy way out and sent mine to a long-arm quilter for finishing. Next time I'm going to do the whole thing myself!

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  13. Amazing first quilt! You are so fearless - a born quilter:) Love your colour choices. Keep going - but I think you are anyway! Thanks for sharing ALL the gritty details - trials and triumphs. You may have helped a few other newbies out too!

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  14. Wow the green fabric is so striking! Love how it turned out.

    Jocelyn
    http://happycottagequilter.blogspot.com/

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  15. You are very talented. I love the colors, fabrics & design. Love, love, love it. You are going to be a great quilter!

    Thanks for sharing and for participating in the Bloggers Quilt Festival.

    SewCalGal
    www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

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  16. Yes, you ARE a quilter!!! Congratulations on completing your first quilt. You did a great job. Thanks for sharing.

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  17. Nice work. An online quilt along is a cool idea.

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  18. You should be REALLY proud of yourself!!

    and yes, you are a real quilter, doesn't matter where the fabric comes from!!

    I think the green quilt and cushion are lovely (and the model is beyond cute) also like the fabrics that you have chosen for your next project

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  19. Your quilt is so beautiful and fresh. I think your wonky log cabin will turn out great. Glad you caught the bug!

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  20. Your fence rail looks great! I need to skip ahead in your blog now to see how the log cabin is going :)

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  21. Thank you for coming by blog today.

    Your quilt looks AMAZING. I can not believe it is your first one. Great job!!

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  22. Welcome to the wonderful world of quilting!!! You did a fantastic job! Thanks for sharing. : )

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