My first quilts ever! Lots of mistakes made, but that's how you learn! ♥
I rarely have time for hobbies.
By the end of the day, when I am done with housework, cooking, homeschooling, taking care of plants and animals, I am out of gas.
Sometimes I like to try and squeeze in some hobby time though.
I LOVE to read. I like coloring, drawing, crocheting, drinking coffee, (wait, is that even a hobby?!), but one thing I had never tried was QUILTING!
My mother-in-law had given me her sewing machine, (practically new and unused!), and being inspired by a friend who makes quilts for her grandkids, I thought I would give it a try!
My first quilt was for my daughter.
I had all kinds of fabric scraps laying around, waiting for 'someday' that I would find a use for them.
Well, it was finally 'someday'!
I was tight on money, I didn't have extra cash laying around for fancy batting and backing and such.
I went to my local Goodwill and picked up a pretty sheet for the back, and a couple generic sheets to use for batting. So it was basically 4 layers, the top, the two sheets in the middle, and a pretty sheet for the back.
The top was made mostly from old clothes and a few pieces of discount fabric that she picked out.
It was a LOT of work, but sort of fun and quite satisfying to finally get it done.
When it was finished, I saw loads of mistakes I had made. Wrinkles here and there, uneven spots, all kinds of things, but my daughter didn't see any of that, she saw a "super pretty pink quilt that mommy made for me!"
Now, I have three kids, so needless to say, the other two need quilts as well!
I'm still using the same approach. Two sheets for the center, one sheet on the back, and the top made of clothes and scraps. This next quilt is only partially done. I haven't taken a picture of my most recent progress, but here is a picture of the top:
Since then, I have got all the layers pinned into place, I have run some rows of stitching 'in the ditch', and am currently working on the time consuming task of sewing one large, colorful button in the center of each square. (His idea, and I agreed to it, not realizing what a huge, time-consuming task it would be!) Ill have to make an update post when I finally get it finished.
My oldest son was quite wise. He knew that as I made the quilts I would get better at it, so he volunteered to get his quilt made last. Smart cookie!
Anyway, this is how I got started quilting! I am still not very good at it, but I am trying and learning, and while I doubt I will be able to put enough effort into it to be able to make some of the amazing quilt patterns I have seen online in quilting groups, I think I will become more accurate and more efficient at it!
Thanks to @apanamamama for her quilting post that inspired me to make my own post!
I hope you enjoyed reading! Please go ahead and leave any tips or advice you might have for me, and drop pictures of quilts you have made!
Have a blessed day Steemians!
I'm not a quilter but I've really been enjoying knitting and making macrame lately. It feels so good to work with my hands and create! And handmade things, like a sweater my mother made me, just feels sooo much better to wear than something corporate-machine-made. Well done!
It does feel good, doesnt it? I remade an amber bracelet of mine the other day. It was on elastic cord and I was afraid it would eventually snap and send the precious amber beads everywhere! I remade it onto stainless steel beading wire and it came out so nice! Felt satisfying to recreate it stronger than before. :) And satisfying to wear since I made it myself. Homemade stuff is the best!
Yessss, totally! That's awesome! Yea it feels good to take care of the things we have, so they last longer and we don't need to buy more stuff. I'm all about mending things 😜
Oh yeah, me too! You'd better believe I will fix something over and over until it cannot be resuscitated anymore!
Haha same! I gotta get better at mending tho, I aspire to be as good as my mother at mending 😂
Those look so pretty, and whimsical, and your kids will treasure them!
Thank you! 💖
Yea! I love seeing the quilt and the quilt in progress! I have 5 kids and have not made quilts for the last two. I have two quilt tops, but I'm not sure they are what I want them to have... My husband thinks one is too baby-like (I started when he was born)! Lol. I should have finished then as well. Stitch in the ditch is a good way to start. I learned how to do free motion on my own - starting small with bibs and then a small quilt. By the way, your quilts are huge! Mine are usually considered crib size (in other words, too small to actually cover up with). I bet your kids love having them. I totally understand about having no time except the end of the day and being too tired by then to want to do anything. That is my life as well...but one of these days I'll get back into quilting. :) Great post!
Thanks!!
I think they make great things to give to your children! Something made with your hands for them to treasure. ♥
Yes, I think I was a little over ambitious starting out, but I wanted them to be big enough to use even when they are grown. With them being this big, I dont think I can really do free motion designs on them, it'd have to be by hand. I dont think I would EVER finish one if I had to do all that sewing by hand!
By the way, I was also learning to use a sewing machine the same time I was learning to quilt, haha. I had not used one before. Luckily the model she gave me was pretty straightforward.
Getting better at it, but I dont want to try making our own clothes yet or anything.... ;)
I have done a very small amount of hand sewing for a class I was in...and I never finished it. I mean a tiny amount. I would never do it either. Yeah free motion on this size would have to be done on one of those huge machines that take up the whole garage. Nice - that's how I did my sewing/quilting as well! I learned both pretty much at the same time. That's the way to go! The only thing I do on my machine is quilting. I don't do anything else either - I can't follow a pattern!!
Haha!
I have seen those machines! Priced them too, out of curiousity... they are expensive!!
Like, it only makes sense to buy one if you have a quilt business or something...
I dont like hand sewing. I do it from time to time, if I need to fix a stuffed animal or something, but I am bad about stabbing myself with the needle. I have a zillion holes in my fingers from sewing on these buttons! Ugh!
Yes, I agree you'd need a quilt business to necessitate one. You can find them on eBay too. Lol. Not that I've looked... They have one at a quilt shop in the tiny town I live in here in Panama. I haven't used it yet, but I plan to. It's super cheap to rent!
Oh cool!! It never occurred to me that you might be able to rent one!
Ill have to look around and see if that is an option here...
Yes, check with a local quilt shop or even google large quilting machine and your area and you might find one. I used to live near Dallas and there was only one where the person would let you come use their machine. But it's so cool that the tiny town I live in here has one. I need to get some lessons and get in there. I have some quilt tops waiting to be quilted! It would make it so fast. I think they rent it for $2 an hour here or something ridiculously cheap!
Oh wow, how lucky for you!!
I will definitely have to look around...😁
I have made zero quilts, so you have already made more than I have! Ha ha! My sisters have made them, but the quilting bug never bit me. I do embroidery, and am finally learning to knit. (Just dishcloths so far!) And I sew clothes from time to time, but mostly it's mending that happens. However, I am now in possession of several beautiful quilt tops (mostly small ones, like wall hangings) that my mother-in-law made, and I need to learn how to finish them with backing and binding. Fortunately, I have a good friend who knows how to do that, so I may get to it one of these days.
Haha! Thanks!
Embroidery sounds neat! I've never done that before. I stitched 'I love you' and the date on the quilt tops, but it doesnt look professional at all, haha. I've never done knitting before, but I do enjoy crocheting! I made a blanket for my oldest son, but never got around to making them for my other kids...
On my long list of things I want to do 'someday', haha!
Good luck with your quilt tops! How nice that she gave you them! ♥