IT'S QUILT WEEK!

So, Erika over at Oops! I Craft My Pants has told me that I need to start sharing some of the quilts I have made. I didn't really think of it as a big deal. It's something I love to do but never thought I knew what I was doing. Then, I went around last night and took pictures of all the quilts I've made. Wow! I've made more than I thought. So...I'm going to share one a day (pausing for any family birthdays that crop up) until they are all posted. I hope you enjoy them.

My Very First Quilt:

About eight years ago I got a bee in my bonnet and decided I wanted to learn to quilt. Growing up, there seemed to be a quilt "on" everywhere I went. My grandma Leavitt, my aunts, my friend's moms, and my mother were excellent quilters. My oldest sister, Rhonda, was president of the quilter's guild in her home town. I'd always been interested but it was when I watched my neighbor, Angela create such beautiful pieces, I knew I wanted to do that too. I asked her where she learned and she looked at me like I had another hole in my head and said "I taught myself, duh!" I never thought of that. So, I set out to teach myself.

For about two years previous, I had been saving my spare change in a ceramic pot. I had no idea how much was in there but I knew it wa

s substantial. I decided (before I counted it) that whatever was in it I would use to fund my first quilt. There was $68.55. I went to a little shop in SLC and went to town. Two hours later, I had purchased the fabric, the rotary cutter and mat, thread, rulers, hoop, and probably some other stuff too but I can't remember. I had already picked out my pattern which I found in a quilter's magazine. But the best purchase I made was this book:

It is a book I reference almost every time I quilt. I highly recommend it.

So...I got busy. From the first moment I rolled that rotary cutter over the fabric, I was hooked. I loved it. The designing, the color choice, the cutting, the sewing, everything. I finished the top and was happy with it. I chose the log cabin pattern. It's still one of my favorites.

Here's the front, along with a close up:

It looks kind of crooked but, it really isn't. It's how it's hanging.

Promise!

As much fun as I had with the machine quilting...I was beside myself when I discovered the hand quilting part. I.LOVE.THAT.PART. Any part that is done by hand is my joy. (even the binding!) I got all creative about it too. I wanted to make the quilt personalized. So, I stitched each of our names around the boarder. Hopefully you can see them in the following pictures. Now, I'm aware that I'm not a pro. My stitches aren't as short as a real professional. But, each stitch was a joy to me. Hand quilting is something you have to experience yourself to understand.

Let me know what your think! I'd love to see your quilts too.

Can you see Erika's name?

Here's Melissa's.

And...here's Terry's side.

So, where's my side?

I had to cover it up with the piece of fabric that

I added to the back to hang the quilt.