My First Quilt

I'm late on adding my first quilt to the quilt parade by Camille and Carrie but I thought I'd throw mine in too (bringing up the end of the parade as spectators are already leaving I guess..) The funniest story is Pat Sloan's. Oh my!
This is my first quilt made in October 2001 at a beginning quilt class at a quilt shop that was located three blocks from my house (!!!!!!) Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), the owner retired and closed the shop shortly after I started quilting. Can you imagine--I could walk there anytime I wanted to. Oh how I miss that shop so much!!! I met some of my bestest quilting friends there (including Sandy, Sharon, and Shannon the no-bloggers).

Sandy helped me pick out the fabric for the quilt. Oh how excited and nerve wracking that was--deciding on the perfect fabrics for my first quilt. The fabrics are MODA! Wouldn't you know that would be the beginning of my neverending quest to have almost every Moda line there is (I think there are a few other bloggers out there that can relate Nicole and Vicky maybe?)

I had the best teacher, which is probably why someone who hated sewing (me) became quilt obsessed. My first sewing machine was a Kenmore that I got for my high-school graduation and I think my mom was the only person who used it. I had the worst problems with trying to get a 1/4" seam and after doing my homework brought my blocks in to find out that they were all a mess with wonky wrong-sized seams. I amazed myself, I guess, by not quitting (which would be the easy thing to do for someone who didn't like sewing to begin with) and dutifully unsewed every block and redid them. Don't look too close though because points were still lost and there are some slightly crooked seams. In the class, we also learned how to pin baste, stitch in the ditch, stitch a border pattern, and do binding. My stitching in the ditch leaves a little to be desired but I'm OK with that. (In the spirit of full disclosure, in the middle of my several week class, I went out and bought a Bernina...)

The quilt is now used for the cat's to sleep on when they feel like sleeping on the dining room arm chair (and there is a lot of cat hair on it right now as well as a whole cat! Hello Stella!).

This is my latest project (although not the best photo...). I finished Glory Bound last night and have a perfect gift-giving opportunity for it.
I am so thankful that I found quilting because it has brought me so many great friends (here and in blogland) and has definitely kept me sane and happy.