The First Quilt

I started quilting in the Fall of 2006. My very first project was a bed quilt for my Mom. I had several terrific resources to help me through the first quilt journey: 1) my local (at the time) quilt guild, Lake and Mountain Quilters. Those ladies (and a gent or two) were lifesavers! I can say unequivocally that having a group of crafters to spend time with will increase your skill level by leaps and bounds. I asked those wonderful women question about everything from number of stitches per inch to how to bind off. They were a friendly, helpful group and I miss the monthly meetings since I moved. 2) Quilt in a Day: Log Cabin Pattern, by Eleanor Burns. Granted, my first quilt did not take one day, but the book is a fantastic step by step for beginners. And I would venture to say that every (or almost every) experienced quilter has made a log cabin quilt, so it's easy to get help if you are confused or make a mistake. Though, having said that, mistakes in fabric placement sometimes serve to make the quilt more interesting...

So, the first quilt. My Dad was up for a visit and we spent an afternoon perusing junk shops, where I found an old (1970's) Singer sewing machine, set into a sewing table. We purchased it for $25... And then had to take the sewing machine to a repair shop for another $75. All in all, not a bad price for a first sewing machine. I haven't upgraded that machine yet, so it's been the workhorse for all the quilts I've done so far. I picked out some reds, pinks, whites and cream colored fabrics from various locations - fabric stores and such, opened the Quilt in a Day book a dove in. I have a tendency to pick projects that are way above my skill level, but the log cabin style is a great beginner's quilt. The squares are sewn assembly-line style, so you complete them all at the same time. I've done several log cabin quilts since this first quilt because it's such an easy construction and looks great when you are done. You really can't go wrong with a log cabin. There are also several patterns that will appear in the finished quilt, depending on how you orient the squares. I chose a starburst pattern for this quilt. Quilters traditionally name each of their quilts, a practice that I find charming, but one that I am bad about implementing. So I guess for posterity, this quilt will be known as "Mom's Rose Star".

One thing I learned from this project: never use stripes or plaid. Well, never say never, I suppose, but if I ever use striped or plaid fabric again, I will be much more precise in my cutting and sewing. On a small scale it's not a big deal, but if you look closly at the plaid, it looks like the fabric is off kilter. The fabric is straight, it's just the pattern that's off kilter... Lesson learned.

When I took this quilt to my guild for "show and tell" and to ask how to finish the binding, the first comment I got was, "My. It's so... Big!" :-/

Oh yeah. I eventually made a pillow to go with it. (Leftover log cabin squares.)