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Friday, May 21, 2010

Blogger's Quilt Festival



Amy, the famous Park City Girl is hosting the third Blogger's Quilt Festival. Over 200 talented quilters have posted their beautiful quilts for all to enjoy. Take a minute to feast your eyes and inspire your creativity. The online quilting community has some serious talent, but you probably already knew that.

Here's my little story of my very first quilt. It's not stunning, modern or anything like I make now, but this little quilt still has a place in my heart since it got me started in this crazy hobby.

I have always loved textiles (vintage tablecloths and napkins, feedsacks, fabrics, bandannas, handkerchiefs, quilts, funky clothes, etc.). I've collected my share of these items over the years, but never thought about sewing. My mom sewed when I was younger and my dad made repairs to his sailboat sails and whipped up Barbie doll clothes for me on my mom's ancient green Singer. They were too poor to buy maternity clothes, so mom picked up a used Singer and made all her clothes when she was pregnant with me. My grandmother gave me her Brother sewing machine when I got married, but I never used it. Sure wish I had those old workhorse machines!

When my children were younger, I decided I wanted to learn to sew. My dad (and my husband!) both bought me inexpensive Singers for Christmas. I made bathrobes for both kids and a fleece jacket for my daughter. My daughter's kindergarten friends all begged me to make them each a jacket just like hers. I could have gone into business! Garment sewing was just not for me. The patterns made my brain hurt. I packed up the machine and it sat for years.

In 2007, I decided I might want to learn to quilt. I dusted off the Singer and started with a postage stamp quilt using 1.5" squares of my vintage fabric scraps. Yeah, what was I thinking? 252 finished 1" squares!  I was so proud of my first effort, I hired a machine quilter to quilt it (I'm still afraid of the actual quilting part). I bet that longarmer burst out laughing when she received my little 19" x 23" flimsy! I didn't know enough back then to ask how or if she ever loaded it on a frame. She supplied the batting and backing and made my first quilt look good!


Fast forward to today, and I am still totally hooked on all things quilting. I have enjoyed the online quilting community, which has been a constant source of inspiration and education for me. I've made hundreds of quilts, tried numerous tutorials, bought thousands of yards of fabrics, have a virtual library of quilting books, given quilts to charity, cut my teeth on Blocks of the Month, hosted doll quilt swaps for a year, written a quilting e-book, joined a guild and basically learned everything I know about quilting from books, tutorials and my online quilting buddies. My guest/fabric room may never be the same and my graphic design studio has to share space with my quilting studio, but what a rewarding three years it has been. I'm never turning back. Thanks to all of you!

17 comments:

  1. Adorable quilt! and a great first quilt! Loved the story!

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  2. Such a sweet little quilt. I'm so partial to scrappy quilt, and yours in gorgeous! A truly great first quilt.

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  3. All of your quilts are most beautiful, my dear friend. Thank you for sharing. Happy Quilting!

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  4. I love postage stamp quilts! Fun story!

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  5. Great quilt and great story! I keep telling people that they can just start!!! like the "Nike" commercial...just do it! Your first quilt is gorgeous!!!

    hugz, Pam

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  6. sweet quilt...and I really love what your quilter did with it. She definitely helped to make it a work of art. But you can definitely do that too!

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  7. Michele, I love your first quilt. Great story too. I like the way your quilter did the loops in the border. So glad you started your quilting journey as I have been inspired and motivated by your work!

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  8. it is so cute! I got started almost the same way...funny!

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  9. Great quilt, and great story!

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  10. I love this little quilt!!! I like your newer stuff, too. (I seldom meet a quilt I don't like, even if it isn't something I would make...I am going to attempt to get out of my comfort zone...)

    You should just jump in and try machine quilting...especially if you just make small quilts. I only glanced a little bit at your blog, but going to go look around more.

    You can see my entry HERE....my blog is just a general blog...a bit of everything. If you click on the label 'quilts' you can see some of my quilts...they are machine quilted mostly on a Juki 98Q..Not on a frame, but it does have a slightly bigger harp area.

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  11. Lovely quilt.

    SewCalGal
    www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

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  12. What were you thinking starting off with such small piecees???? But you were hooked. This quilting thing is so addictive isn't it? Its a lovely quilt and like you said a great reminder of how it all started.

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  13. wonderful quilt--what a brave person to make such tiny pieces--very impressive. love the colors, your borders are nice also. fun story!!

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  14. isn't it great to look back and see where you came from and how you got there? what a delightful story and sweet little quilt!

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  15. aw, what a sweet classic quilt! it's lovely to see how far we've come in skills and bravery. :o)

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  16. Precious and priceless. Darling little quilt in auch vibrant and fun fabrics. Thanks for sharing and have a great day

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