Making my first quilt again
I made my first quilt back in 2019. I’ve learned a heck of a lot since then. And so I’m going to make another one using the same pattern and the same methods. Let’s see how much better this one is!
The book that started it all
For Christmas 2018, my wife gave me “The Handmade Quilt, a Complete Skill-Building Sampler” by Carolyn Forster. It was a way to help me get away from tech in my spare time, to get away from computers. It worked. I’ve gotten fully into quilting. This book is excellent because it covers basic sewing and quilting techniques, taking you from very simple blocks to very complex blocks. By the time you reach the end, you’re going to be sewing curves without even flinching. And the equipment requirement is minimal, because it’s all hand sewn. No sewing machine involved!
I’m making this one for our landlords!
They have been darn good landlords. They don’t know it, but I intend this quilt for them. So I asked what colors they liked. And this is what I was told:
He likes royal blue and baby blue for sure, and my favourite is turquoise, a certain moss green, lavender blue and terracotta So that makes for an interesting fabric range!
These are the fabrics I picked. The ladies at the fabric store were quite puzzled. But having done this quilt once already, I’m confident all these will work super well together.
Improvements
It occured to me that in the last 4 or 5 years, I’ve learned a great deal about sewing and quilting, by hand or by machine. I know more about things like pressing seams, scant 1/4”, and block trimming. To be fair, my first quilt was quite wonky and uneven. I think most people’s first quilt will be like that. So, let’s see how this goes!
Timeline
No rush on this one. Ideally I’d have it ready for the long arm quilter in early September, because it might be neat to put in the quilt show for my guild. But no rush. One or two blocks a week depending on their complexity. It won’t be my main sewing project!
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Published on March 11, 2024