My 1st Quilt

(sorry for the dark photos!)

Okay, so this title is a little misleading.  I have started 3 quilts over the last 2.5 years.  I've finished two.  One was for my mom for Christmas a couple years ago.  The other was for my sister for her birthday.  So my first finished quilt was completed December 2008.  It was probably started November 2008. :)  That's how these things usually go with me.  I choose to make something for someone, but it's sort of last minute.

Well, even that's not completely true.  The idea is swimming around in my head, waiting to become something tangible, well before it's due.  But the actual making happens in a relatively short amount of time.  Like my mom's quilt.  I knew I wanted to make her one, I designed it, thought about colors, went out and bought fabric, then put it away for a short bit.  Then I started up again and would sew, sew, sew until I had no time left in the day.  I completed her quilt on Christmas Eve evening.  About 60 minutes AFTER I had planned on being at Mom's house (good thing she's only 5 minutes away).

And like the baby gifts for my friend's baby shower in August.  I had everything planned out around June. Started knitting the end of June/early July.  Finished the last item and blocked it the day before the shower (took pictures day OF the shower).  But in all fairness - I couldn't start on those before I knew the sex of the baby. :)

And my sister's quilt was meant to be finished by her birthday, but my sewing machine wasn't working when I realized I wanted to make her a quilt.  So I had to borrow Mom's...and...well...it got completed that summer when she came home from Colorado.  :)

So what I'm sharing with you today really is my first quilt, it's just not finished yet.  Why?  Probably because there is no impending deadline, hovering over my shoulder, tsking and wagging it's finger at me when I take too long.  I hadn't so much forgotten of it's existence so much as ignored it for awhile.  And as the saying goes, "Out of sight, out of mind."

I rediscovered this project a few nights ago when I was taking photos.  I needed so show an Etsy customer some fabric samples, so I was digging through my fabric stash.  I thought about the quilt, then promptly ignored it.  Then I changed my mind, opened the tote and pulled out this quilt.  Where was I on this thing?

I see the pins keeping it all in place (my solution to hand- or machine-basting).

Yep, see, there's backing there too.  The binding's not done, but there's plenty of fabric on the back for that....

Oh...now I remember.  I'm still quilting.  Yes, I've completed a portion, a very tiny portion.  I think I overestimated my stamina on this project when choosing the quilted pattern.  I was machine-quilting and it was all done free-hand.  I should have just stuck to stitch-in-the-ditch, you know, the simple stuff.

Anywho, to make this long story longer, my first quilt still sits unfinished.  I created the design myself, but if I were to do it all over again, I would have chosen different fabrics.  These are okay but I really could have done better.

So on my to-do list this quilt has been added.  And at some point I'll be able to snuggle up under it on the couch!  Wish me luck!