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