My First Quilt - Completed! With a fun story...
03-27-2011, 08:49 PM
#1
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Stevensville, MD
Posts: 463
I posted in this forum earlier with an in-progress shot of my top ready to be pieced into rows. The quilt itself is a baby quilt for a friend's little girl, Gabriella Grace, who I have yet to meet but hope to sometime soon. It's their first child and quite a new experience for them. Her Dad was my Dungeon Master in college and is an absolutely awesome father, from all accounts.
While this is the second quilt I started, it's the first I've finished. I'm 23 and very new to both sewing and quilting, having touched a sewing machine for the first time in early 2010. I decided I needed an easier project to complete than the first quilt I started so as to bolster my confidence and convince me that I could see a quilt through from beginning to end. And, well... I can!
The top is a rail fence with solid flannel blocks at intervals. I'm not sure what its technical name would be? I started it intending to make all blocks a rail fence but eventually decided that I wanted another fabric in there. I'd also originally intended to add a border and decided last minute that I really didn't want to.
The backing material is flannel that my Nanna used to use on nighties for my Mom and Aunt back in the day. I plucked it from her stash a little while ago and there was just enough to use with this quilt. I was delighted!
This is the machine responsible for all of the piecing, my Nanna's old Bernina 530-2 Record. She brought it with her from England (she's Swiss originally but married an Englishman) and so I have to use a converter, since the motor is European. She got it sometime around 1957-58 and used it every day until she lost her sight about ten years ago. I only recently managed to dig it out of the chaos that was her sewing room and brought it home for some TLC with her blessing.
My bedroom is also my sewing space, hence the foldout sewing table and mini armoire surface. Much caffeine was consumed today in the form of coffee and tea! I had the top in rows this morning and completed everything else throughout the day. It's a stitch-in-the-ditch with a small pink tie at the center of each block.
And this is me, savoring the glow of victory for a few snuggly seconds!
While this is the second quilt I started, it's the first I've finished. I'm 23 and very new to both sewing and quilting, having touched a sewing machine for the first time in early 2010. I decided I needed an easier project to complete than the first quilt I started so as to bolster my confidence and convince me that I could see a quilt through from beginning to end. And, well... I can!
The top is a rail fence with solid flannel blocks at intervals. I'm not sure what its technical name would be? I started it intending to make all blocks a rail fence but eventually decided that I wanted another fabric in there. I'd also originally intended to add a border and decided last minute that I really didn't want to.
The backing material is flannel that my Nanna used to use on nighties for my Mom and Aunt back in the day. I plucked it from her stash a little while ago and there was just enough to use with this quilt. I was delighted!
This is the machine responsible for all of the piecing, my Nanna's old Bernina 530-2 Record. She brought it with her from England (she's Swiss originally but married an Englishman) and so I have to use a converter, since the motor is European. She got it sometime around 1957-58 and used it every day until she lost her sight about ten years ago. I only recently managed to dig it out of the chaos that was her sewing room and brought it home for some TLC with her blessing.
My bedroom is also my sewing space, hence the foldout sewing table and mini armoire surface. Much caffeine was consumed today in the form of coffee and tea! I had the top in rows this morning and completed everything else throughout the day. It's a stitch-in-the-ditch with a small pink tie at the center of each block.
And this is me, savoring the glow of victory for a few snuggly seconds!
The finished quilt! Sure, the binding is machine-sewn and messy, but the baby won't care!
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Rose flannel backing was a blast from the past for my Mom. She had a nightie made out of this!
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Nanna's old Bernina 530-2 Record machine. Now mine!
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A cup of coffee. Tea? Coffee? Could be either!
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Sweet, snuggly victory!
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03-27-2011, 08:58 PM
#6
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Stevensville, MD
Posts: 463
Thanks you all! Yes, the stash is mostly flannel from Black Friday at Joann's. It's perfect for making small pet furniture, but I was also happy to discover its usefulness for baby quilts. Gotta love color!
Connie, I absolutely won't forget. Posting for other people is a help in motivating me to get off my duff and get sewing! Ella's Daddy just gave me their new mailing address, so it should hopefully be on its way as soon as I figure out how to label it.
Connie, I absolutely won't forget. Posting for other people is a help in motivating me to get off my duff and get sewing! Ella's Daddy just gave me their new mailing address, so it should hopefully be on its way as soon as I figure out how to label it.
03-27-2011, 09:26 PM
#10
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 10,357
Love the quilt and your story. I think it is really special you can have Nana's machine and be using fabric from your family history. It is a great little quilt...and I hope the first of many...Look forward to seeing more of your work.
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