A little quilt for a little girl

by Melanie in IA

Earlier in the year I was working on several projects at the same time. While trying to quilt one of two projects for friends, I had a lot of trouble with the bobbin tension. Though I fixed it and the project was salvaged, I wanted to try quilting one more before I quilted a more important project.

I didn’t have anything else lined up, ready to quilt as a test project. So I made one. Today I’ll show you the quilt and the little throw pillow to go with it. In a couple of days I’ll show you how I made the quilt’s center block.

For this little quilt I used a center block made last fall. After turning the block on point, I framed it with small squares on point, using the last of the chartreuse fabric. A simple border with block corners finishes it.

No tension trouble slowed me down on this one. I used free-motion flowers and loops all over. A few days later I sorted through a bin and found the star block used on the pillow. It’s one a sister made but didn’t use for another project — an orphan block, as they’re called. A couple of days ago I finally framed the star and made a throw pillow case

I’ll send the quilt and the pillow to my great-niece, who just turned two. It’ll be a wonderful little quilt for a little girl to drag around.

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My first quilt

by Melanie in IA

I made my first quilt more than nine years ago. It was a pretty horrible experience. I was thoroughly ignorant. All I knew was that a quilt had three layers, and that the “top” layer typically had pieces of fabric sewn together. Well, I did that. I cut the fabric using scissors after drawing around a square of manilla from an old folder.

The thread tension on my sewing machine shifted unexpectedly between fine, and not fine at all. I often was tempted to throw the machine through the window. Unfortunately, replacing the window would cost a lot more than replacing the machine!

At my daughter’s baby shower, I told her I didn’t care how many babies she had. I would never make another quilt!

The center of this quilt, everything inside the green border, was that first quilt. The whole quilt you see here was after I repaired and enlarged it about five years later. It looks pretty crude, but my granddaughter still has it and still loves it. (And I still love the pink plaid!)

But after making that first quilt, I had to make another, because another baby was due. It was a guilt quilt. And so were the next two.

By that time, I had learned a few things. I had a new sewing machine and a rotary cutter, mat, and rulers. These simple tools (and a seam ripper!) started me on my way to the quilting I do now.

Since then I’ve made well more than 100 quilts, including finishing twelve last year. Two of those were bed quilts, two were “medium” sized, and eight were lap/nap quilts.

What was your first quilt? (Or are you still working on it??) Did you enjoy the experience? Did you do it on your own or take a class? Who was it for?