Monday, December 30, 2013

Yikes! I'm Blogging!!

My first post. . . I have been playing with the idea of starting a blog for awhile, talked myself out of it several times and here I am blogging!  This blog will be all about my quilty journey.  That journey only started a short time ago but 20 quilts later, I know I am hooked. 

My vision for this blog is to detail what I have learned about the quilting process so far and all the fun and not so fun things I know I will continue to learn along the way.  I will post pics of the quilts I have made so far, my initial posts will cover each of the quilts I have made and the details of the quilt including the pattern (if there was one.... I find I do not do well with patterns), fabric line if it was from precut fabric and most importantly, what I learned in the process of making the quilt (the good the bad and the ugly).  Some of my quilts were made from tuts online and some were inspired by the wonderful bloggers out there, I will provide links to the inspiration and most definitely give credit where soooo much credit is due!

OK, so this is my first post. . . . here is my first quilt . . .

I had no idea what I was doing... I used three very large pieces of material, two of them microfiber suede and that middle striped fabric is berlap!  I quilted it myself on a Necchi home machine with a 6 inch throat space.... No one told me that wasn't possible!!! And it only took me two weeks!! And yes, made the matching pillow and the dust ruffle too!!

Lessons learned in no particular order:

Sewing large pieces of fabric together is not as 'easy' as it looks!
Securing the quilt backing to something (ANYTHING) before starting the process of pin basting is not optional... we won't discuss the wrinkles that are mostly hidden on the back!  I did not secure it to anything.... Picture a very befuddled person walking around a VERY large piece of fabric moving it this way and that trying to get all the wrinkles out and then, just when it was 'perfect' trying to put batting on that nicely straightened piece of material... you get the picture. 
Free Motion Quilting is doable on a practice sandwich.... a super size king is an entirely different animal... doable but much different than moving around a fat quarter sandwich.
Moms who quilt are the best! :) I was on the phone with mine almost every day asking questions and discussing the day's progress.
I LOVED the process of creating and was hooked :)

I could go on and on about this quilt, but I won't.  The making of this quilt is what gave me the quilty bug.  I had no idea I had a creative side and would find so much satisfaction in creating something beautiful.  

As I was finishing this quilt I started to search the net for tutorials and videos soaking up everything I could find.  Next post I will show you my second quilt and the tutorial that cinched my quilting addiction. 

Until next time, keep on quilting!

6 comments:

  1. Welcome to blogging land. (a technical term). I just started blogging in November. I have been reading over your posts, and am excited to read more. You are much more adventurous than I was as a new quilter. (Granted I was barely a teenager.) You are doing great!

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  2. Hey Judy...enjoyed learning a little bit more about you through reading your first post. Love that you don't like to follow patterns! Ironically, THIS is one reason I grew quickly bored of quilt classes ect....I felt restrained and uncreative. I love the freedom I'm finding in quilting and look forward to some more exploration once I begin my summer break from teaching. Your blog always inspires me to play!! I added myself as a GFC follower and have ya on my blogroll! I hope you'll stop by and do the same. With smiles! V:) myplvl.blogspot.com

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  3. Great first post!! Love your quilt, wrinkles and all. I'm off now to check out the one that cinched you as a quilter.

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  4. Wow your 1st post is great...I remember my first quilt...I used a sheet for the backing and had a hard time getting it all together without toooo many wrinkles!! Got here thru Val's linky.

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  5. Basting sucks! My first quilt was a queen sized quit, I had no idea what I was doing, and I made up the pattern myself. Crazy stuff, but if you jump in the deep end you learn to swim pretty quickly, right? :)

    You have been very productive! I have only ever made 3 quilts.

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  6. Now this is really funny! You spent the day of my birthday (29th) planning this blog post to post today! I'll always remember your bloggoversary!

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