I made a quilt

Do you ever write blog posts in your head as you are making something???

Well, this post has been written in my head on numerous occasions in numerous ways. 

Over a year ago, I won a jelly roll of fabric from Jodi at Tickle and Hide.  This inspired me to hunt through the library for a book with a suitable quilting pattern in it.  Good old 'Jelly Roll Quilts' was made for the job.

So picking one of the easiest patterns I ordered lots of White fabric and off I went.

The cutting out and sewing together of the strips happened quite quickly.  Although I soon learnt that my cutting skills left a lot to be desired, my accuracy at sewing 1/4 inch seams also left a lot to be desired, and the overall effect was therefore not geometrically accurate.  In fact 'extremely wonky' was more the order of the day.

The buying of wadding caused another delay.......  but I got that fab bamboo type stuff, and that sorted that.

Then the decision of what to back the quilt with (by this time the price was mounting up, and I was unsure if this would ever be finished, and if it indeed did get finished, whether it would ever be allowed to see the light of day).  The lovely Tracy solved that problem, and gave me a purple sheet which was just right.

With quite a lot of excitement I started to quilt the layers together (ooooo forgot to say that I didn't really know how to stick the layers together properly - I have since been informed about spray basting - so it was a few pins and some bulldog clips borrowed from work.  This had limited success, so I sort of repinned as I went along).  I must clarify these are not techniques I am advocating - and nor will I be using these methods again.

So, once again I am starting to quilt......  with a turqoise colour - because it seemed to match the front - I now know you have to also consider the effect on the back of the quilt.  Turquoise is not looking so good against the purple backing, and is also very unforgiving - so every mistake is very obvious.

Can I remind you at this point that this is my sewing machine.  It is old, temperamental, and has a tendency to do it's own thing, go at whatever speed it likes and and alter the tension whenever it fancies.  This old lady (although I love her dearly) was not impressed at being asked to undertake this task.

This lead to a lengthy pause - almost a year............

Until recently I got fed up of the heap of half-quilt at the bottom of the wardrobe and decided to just tackle it once and for all and get it done.  Two left over annual leave days before the new leave year did the trick, and I set to.  I cannot say it was an altogether pleasing experience, but along the way I learnt a lot about quilting, sewing in general, and a fair amount about myself.

I decided to quilt in straight lines.  Sort of following the pattern of the quilt - so it made sense to me to quilt squares...... until I started and it soon became clear that the squares would pucker up and there are folds all over the quilt top as a result of this.  But having started it seemed there was no going back.

By the time of choosing the binding, my enthusiasm was fading, however I like making bias binding, so got a renewed sense of umph and soldiered on (this thing was not going to beat me).  I like the hand sewing on of the binding, and during several children's DVDs and then this weeks episode of Broadchurch the binding was completed.

Hey - check me out, I have only made my first ever quilt.

Things I have learnt:-

1) Buy spray baste
2) Quilt in a colour that blends in and cannot be seen so clearly
3) Make thinner bias binding
4) I am not a perfectionist
5) That I am in absolute awe of you guys out there who make the amazing quilts I see on your blogs
6) That I love my quilt, with all it's hundreds of flaws.

It's only two days old and we have played under it, I watched the Sewing Bee programme snug and warm under it, and it is going to take it's place in the lounge