My Quilting Efforts

For Christmas last year, Momma Kimball gave me a quilting book because I wanted to learn how to quilt. Naturally, I felt the best way to learn how to quilt was from a book. This did not prove to be as simple as I thought it would. Apparently, there are all sorts of tricks and tips that books do not always provide.

When I found out Marie was pregnant, this provided me the perfect opportunity to make my very first quilt for her baby. I figured that a baby quilt would be nice and small and a good project to start with.

So, Marie went shopping with me and we picked out some fabric for the quilt and me and my book did the math to figure out how much fabric and the type of pattern I wanted to do. I didn't want my first quilt to be too simple of a pattern because that is boring and not challenging at all. Sarah made a quilt with her in-laws before she got married and it turned out really cute, but it was just squares sewed together. Thus, I decided to go with a windmill pattern. Don't know what this is? Just keep reading.

So, first thing I had to learn to do was cut out the squares using my brand new cutting mat and rotary cutter, compliments of Momma Kimball's gift card she sent me. I messed up right away and accidentally cut my backing rather than my squares... oops. Then, I messed up again when I cut all my squares with a 1/2 inch extra for seams when I should have added more seam allowance for the smaller pieces. Luckily, I anticipated my own messing up and had bought extra fabric for such an occasion. I eventually got it right and cut my squares accurately.

Then I had to cut my squares into triangles and some of my triangles into smaller triangles. Then came the sewing, the hard part. My first square that I pieced together was awful. I had to redo it three times before I even got the pattern right and even then the corners didn't match up. I got frustrated, decided I couldn't quilt and gave up for two weeks. I got over it eventually.

Once I finally figured out that I was matching up the wrong corners, I figured out how to put together a block. Then, I sewed those blocks to my solid blocks and then made rows. It eventually all came together to make a quilt top.

At Marie's baby shower, we tied the quilt. It made for a fun activity. I considered sewing the quilt along every seam like most quilters do, but then I decided that that was way too much work and tying was easier.

Mom came over today and helped me figure out how to sew the border and back on and now it is done! Behold my accomplishment! Now I am going to make a quilt for my sister-in-law, Lisa. I am now a quilting fiend!