Beginner Quilting

OK, so after I made that applique pillow I decided to try my hand at making an actual quilt, so I got some fabrics together and found a Rail Fence pattern on the net that looked pretty easy, and I went to work. I cut out all my fabric strips and started sewing them all together into rows, and then cut them down to make the blocks. Everything was perfect or so I thought, until I started making the rows into blocks, and that's where the problem started. The seams of the blocks were not lining up at all, and it was a real mess, so I decided maybe I should take some actual quilting classes so I'd learn how to do this properly. So I made a call to the local quilt shop and they weren't having any classes at the time, so I decided to give up on this quilt for the time being.

Some time later I read in the local newspaper that there were going to be some beginner quilting classes through the Community College, if there was enough interest, so I signed up for that as soon as possible, luckily there was enough interest and they were having the classes. The first day we learned so much and of course one of the things we learned about was the 1/4" foot, which I had never heard of before and didn't have one, so before our next class I had to go to the quilt shop and buy one of these 1/4" feet and a walking foot, and of course once your in the quilt shop there is always lots to see and buy.

For our next class we picked out some fabrics to make a Christmas table runner, so we got our fabrics picked out and went to town on our table runners, they were lots of fun to make and we learned all about the 1/4" seam allowance and how to applique using a button-hole stitch or a satin stitch, we were all so proud of our runner and how much we accomplished that day. Then of course, we had to learn how to put on and finish the binding, now that was tricky, but we did it.

So here's a picture of my very first but definitely not my last table runner. October 2002

Oh yea.... and as for that Rail Fence Quilt that I decided to try making when I didn't have a clue about quilting, such as using only quality quilting cotton, and an accurate 1/4" seam allowance, lets just say that it went into hiding and hasn't been seen since. Actaully it did turn up a few times, and I really did look at it and say.. Gwen you really should take this apart and re-make it.

This year at quilt guild we were to bring our very first quilt, so it has been to quilt guild, pretty much everyone had their very first quilt completed except me, so the girls thought it was quite funny, and again I thought that I should really take this apart and re-do it, but then I got to thinking about all the projects that I would rather make than this old quilt, that wasn't even 100% cotton and wasn't that pretty anyway, so it went back into hiding for the time being.... maybe someday it will come out and actaully get re-made.... but not for awhile I'm sure!