My First Quilt

My love of fabric began with embroidery stitching, which I was never that great at.  I started out buying fat quarters here and there of fabrics I loved to make pillows for my stitches.  Little pillows use about an inch of fabric and so my stash was born. 

In 2004 Mike and I decided to build a house.  We put our house up for sale early hoping it would sell within a month of the new house being completed.  Well, it sold within 10 days and we had to move within a month.  Being the independent couple we are, we didn't want to burden our families with having to take us in for a month or two, so we moved into the Extended Stay...YES you heard me right.  I lived in the Extended Stay.  It was a lovely room...NOT.  We were cramped into a little studio with 2 months worth of clothes, and all of my fabric.  Yes, again, you heard me right...the fabric came with us.  At this point in my quilting career, my stash was small enough that it fit in 1 bin along with all my other sewing supplies.  (Mike dreams of those days, when I didn't have rooms spilling out with quilting supplies and fabric).

It was here in the Extended Stay during those 6 long (SO LONG) weeks that I whipped out my first 3 quilts.  One went to my sister, one went to my mom, and one I kept for myself.  All 3 quilts were of the square variety, and I sewed them together without any instruction or foresight as to how this quilting thing actually worked.  I look at them now and I am amazed at what a have learned since. 

That being said these quilts are still in my top 5 most favorite quilts.  Sure I'd like to unpick and make the squares match up, but boy do I love these fabrics. 

The quilt I made for my mom I loved so much I made one for myself to have at home. 

My first quilt is from an old Sandy Gervais line, maybe, Boo???  I found the brushed cotton fat quarters.  I found them before the bolts came out in the store, and then searched everywhere and hardly anyone carried the brush cotton. Whenever I came across a bolt I must have bought up everything they had.  I loved this line.  I still do!

I took this picture right after it came out of the dryer all crumbled and soft.  The flannel feel of this quilt makes it so warm.  I love the black border.  Little vines and berries. 

I love the colors in the front, but I think I might love the back just as much.

Its the same berry and vine print but in orange, and flannel/woven/brushed cotton feel.  (Why is it whenever I throw a quilt on the floor baby Sam feels the need to crawl all over it???)

This is the replica I made of the quilt I have given to my mom.  The line is Porch Swing by Moda (can't remember the designer).  And these are so my colors.  Sage/olive green, red, brown, gold, cream...this is my whole house right here in this quilt.  I did add the pieced and paisley borders on to my version.  And I have to say, although my sashing doesn't line up perfectly in this one, it is night and day better then the one my mom has!  (and again - with my quilt model Sam).

But the back....

A gingham red/cream flannel back.  I was in love with this fabric, and so scared to do a flannel back when the whole front of the quilt is regular cotton.  But I love how it turned out.  This is still my most favorite quilt to pull out and cuddle up with each fall as the weather starts to change.


**as a side note, I can't tell you how many times I pulled Sam off the quilts to take pictures, the little punk is so quick I am just not fast enough!

Its so much fun to look back at how my quilting projects started, and to actually still love the quilts. 

Now on to new projects!