Three Years Ago...


I took my first quilting class in March of 2006. It was a class my mom talked me into taking that her friend was teaching for a project called the fat quarter quilt. Sounded like fun, so I bought the 7 fat quarters, found a coordinating orange (not my color from the get go, but I really liked how it looked with the others), and went about my cutting homework before class.

About 30 minutes into the class, I knew I was in way over my head. To that point, I had made one quilt top and the hardest piecing element in it was 4 patches. This one included an intricate design, multiple assembly steps per row, and set in seams! I did get through the first two rows of the quilt in class and thought I was doing fairly well. I continued to work on it at home until something else caught my attention, at which point I set it aside to pick up later.

I tried for a while to do a row at a time, but it was just too hard to remember how to do it, put together a row, then put it all down. And usually by the end of a row, I was so frustrated that I didn't want to touch it again!

I renewed my resolve about 4 months ago and I got her done! It has been pieced on three machines, each of which was my main machine at the time, and has who knows how many threads in it. It is a little wonky to say the least - 1 1/4" difference in width from the top to bottom before I put on the borders! That's a lot to work in, but there was no way I was taking anything out to make it better! I put the borders on Saturday at my sewing day and am so very happy to have it ready to quilt. It doesn't count in Waun-a-quilt yet, but if I can pick out a backing and get it quilted this summer, it will.

Comments

Moneik said…
It looks great! I can't believe it was one of your first quilts though. How challenging!
Gina said…
It's great. I love colour combinations

love and hugs Gina xxx
Unknown said…
Love it Jen!
Betty said…
Wow!!! This quilt is a therapy quilt -- you forget your job, children, MIL, the teacher.. .... .... everything except sewing that little square.
And finished, everyone is in awe at your originality, your colors...and you.
Way to persevere!!! It looks awesome!
Cindy said…
Way to go. It looks great and now I can't wait to see it quilted.
Regina said…
Wow -you do jump in with both feet!!! Looks wonderful - love those colors (and knew Gina would, too!)
Linda said…
Jennifer,
I can't believe how accomplished you are for being a fairly new quilter. You're going to put the rest of us to shame! The quilt is just lovely.
Jen said…
Should you not quilt it up because of needing to purchase backing, you can call it done. You just can't take a second point later in the competition should you do the quilting and binding. Cause for those that send their quilts out for quilting, it wouldn't be fair to not count it as finished just because its not in the budget to do so. Know what I mean?