Go BIG or go home. {a.k.a. The Tale of my first Quilt)

Last week when I shared the intersecting lines whole cloth quilt, I mentioned that it was not technically my first quilt.

Nope.  It was my second.  I began my first quilt (the one above) a year ago with a dream, a pin (of the Pinterest kind), and some fabric.  Forever ago, I mentioned that making a quilt was on my bucket list.  At the time, I didn't have a sewing machine but apparently my husband was listening (err, reading) because on the following birthday, he gave me the best sewing machine in the world.  The lady who sold it to us mentioned that free motion quilters love the vintage model that I now own--I nodded as if I knew what she meant and made a mental note to "google free motion quilting".

In all honesty, I thought making a quilt would be something I'd try later on--muuuch later.  Like retirement age.  But one fateful day, I came across a quilt on Pinterest that really piqued my  interest.  This quilt:

Hello Luscious Quilt by Ashley of Mommy by Day, Crafter by Night

photo used with permission

Awesome quilt, right?  Yeah, I thought so, too--so armed with the inspiration, I moved forward.  It took a few weeks to choose the right fabric and I settled on Domestic Bliss by Liz Scott for Moda.  I used a layer cake, which, if you're unfamiliar with the term (as I was) is a stack of precut 10"x10" fabric squares from the coordinating fabric line.  It's a great way to showcase lots of fabrics that were made to coordinate.  (Just for your info: I bought the majority of my fabric from Donelle Fritz on Etsy and was very pleased with the service I received over two different orders.)

There were so many lessons learned along the way.  Now that I've made two quilts, I'm working on a post specifically about the what I've learned so far as a rookie quilter.  I thought there may be others who want to dip into the world of quilting and perhaps my noob's perspective could be helpful.  A lot of the advice I found on quilting came from seasoned professionals, and though extremely legit, there are some tidbits that could be gained from a beginner--for instance--don't feel the need to buy all of the things the quilters specifically suggest, like curved safety pins, because it may be overkill for your first quilt.

I am SO proud of the quilt that I made for Elliott's bed.  It's fun, colorful, and girly, and though very imperfect it's structurally sound and should last a long time.  As I quilted along, I'd think back on the pioneer women who did everything by hand from scraps of fabric from here and there and I felt so proud to be joining the many who have wrapped their children in blankets made with love.

-Tristin

Intersecting Lines Quilt

Like many days, today is a busy day, and though I have 3.5 million things on my to-do list, I'm using some coveted naptime--a.k.a. my 'freetime' unwisely to share a quilt.  I just feel like it and I don't want to let the feeling get away, you know?  I'm sure you do.

I made this quilt for a friend who recently welcomed her third son to her beautiful family.  Being the third boy, I know there's plenty of hand-me-downs to share, but certainly little baby Ridge (cool name, right?) could use a quilt that belongs only to him.

I wish I could say that this is an original idea--it's not.  I found this quilt on katie did and just knew I had to make one.  I love the idea of whole cloth quilts.  It's economical, fun to customize, time-friendly for moms of babies, and great practice for new quilters like me.  If you're new to quilting (like me) this is an excellent place to start.

The colors of nature provided the perfect palate for this cozy blanket.  Robin's egg blue, leafy green, and tree-bark brown worked together well for a masculine yet still baby-ish quilt.

The front of the quilt has a small square of Joel Dewberry faux bois fabric with the new baby's name embroidered into it.  The quilt was begging for just a bit of personalization; after all, it is rather plain otherwise.

The intersecting and imperfect lines of this quilt proved to be a great way to practice my quilting skills and a super-fun way to get aquainted with my new walking foot.  In case you were wondering, I fell head-over-heels-in-love with my walking foot.  It makes this teeny tiny clicking sound that's just so comforting as it marches along the fabric with ease and confidence.  Didn't know a sewing machine foot could have so much character, did you?

I haven't shared it yet, but this baby quilt is actually my second quilt.  Earlier this year, I completed a MASSIVE undertaking by making  a queen-sized quilt for Elliott's bedroom as my first.ever.quilt.  It's a chevron design made of half square triangles and I even learned the sacred art of free-motion-quilting (and consequently fell in love).  If you're thinking "boy, she's crazy for making a queen-sized quilt as her first", I wholeheartedly agree with you.  It was crazy, but sometimes diving in head-first is the way to go.  Maybe soon I'll share that finished quilt that has become so near and dear to my heart.

Much love,

Tristin