I wasn't sure it was meant for me to be a quilter!
 

Well this newbie has done it!! I have FINALLY finished my first quilt, I didn't think I would ever see the day!! I just finished an 80x80 rag quilts for a dear friend who is moving back to Ca. I have been collecting flannel for quite a while so that I could make rag quilts for our 10 g-kids and was really excited to use my first attempt for such a dear friend who has always been there with a smile on her face during my darkest days after having to retire due to a disability. What a trip--designing a pattern using the different materials was easy, but then when I started to cut it out, things seemed to be telling me I should put it away. First thing I did when I started to cut it out was to take my rotary cutter out of the pkg and immediately cut my finger. Yes, I knew they were super sharp but my hands shake and sometimes I have no control of where they go, got it all cut out and followed the directions to a T and have figured out that there are a couple of steps that I won't use again. Sewing it together was also easy--even all of my corners fit like they should. Then I started cutting the fringe--bought fringe cutters but found my fabric scissors worked better. The fringe was a stop and go thing because those 'darn itis brothers', the ones that seem to decide to live in our joints were raising s fit both in my hands and shoulders. Both days that I figured I would have it finished in the afternoon, I ended up going to the hospital--ER, the 1st time with my daughter and the second was ER again with my gg-daughter who is expecting a baby is 3 weeks and had fallen. I finally finished last night, of course my friend left the day before--this morning I was going to take a pic to show all of you and the darn camera isn't working! Oh, well--next time, yes I have decided to continue and maybe one of these days I will no longer be a newbie. I spent this AM cutting out a quilt for the new baby!

Congratulations on finishing your first quilt! It's very addictive isn't it!

i think we all have projects that make us doubt our abilities, or 'why did i ever think i could do this?'. hang in there and try different methods of doing things. you will find something that fits you.

congrats on your first finish-just keep plugging along it gets easier

Congrats on finishing your first quilt! It will be the first of many, as the first just whets the appetite for more....LOL. If I had only found this website before starting that first quilt, I wouldn't have made near as many mistakes. We are a very helpful bunch and will answer any questions you may have. Good luck in your next quilt.

Congratulations on your first quilt - and you're on to your 2nd already. You are hooked my friend! Join the rest of us - you couldn't be in a nicer group of addicts.

Hang in there. Some days are definetely better than others, and some projects are way better than others. I still pick projects - and half way thru say to myself "self - what were you thinking". Last night for instance, I had a black and white picture of a finished quilt. I had the measurements of the quilt, and I had fabric. No pattern, but gosh darn, I wanted to make this. So I tried to figure out to the best of my ability the size of each piece, so that I came somewhere near the size of the finished product. I got it all cut out. Layed it out. Saw immediately that one color I had was not going to work. So I started cutting out pieces in a darker fabric. But, today is another day.

We have all been there but the pride of a beautiful finished quilt makes it all worth while.

Always remember, we ALL started with a first quilt and you actually finished yours. Just keep going, it even gets to be more fun.

They get easier the more quilts you make. Just keep making them.