But I am glad it's finished...
I am a very beginner quilter, learned how to use the sewing machine a year and half ago and had to be away from it for about a year of that time, so needless to say, I am still learning how to keep my seams straight. So why in the world did I decide to do this beats me.

The story began two years ago when I first developed an interest in quilting and while visiting my in laws in Houston, I accompanied the aunt to a Quilt Festival. I was in awe the whole time and met so many great designers, Cynthia England was one of them. She was demonstrating her new (back then) technique for picture piecing. Her patterns were awesome, and it looked easy when she was doing it. Novice and clueless me, I bought her Welcome pattern (to her credit ,aunt Linda did warn me). Needless to say since I got my sewing machine I've been working on small mainly beginner projects and I just thought I'll never do that Welcome pattern. Well, a few weeks back I pulled that pattern, got to Cynthia's website and ordered the kit (a first). Received it a couple of days later and started the project and oh my, did I struggle! A lot at first that I almost threw the whole thing out of the window. But I stuck to it, and the more I got into the project the more I started enjoying it and getting the hang of picture piecing. But I was still struggling and had doubts the whole time that this freezer-paper-covered-design will look anything like the pattern. My wonderful supportive husband comforted me by stating that even if that wall-hanging shows a rat instead of a bird and reads go away instead of welcome, it is going on the wall like I had planned. Ha..a comforting thought. To my delight, the pattern turned out mostly like it should, I didn't totally destroy it. Although, it is not all technically correct and I am not that thrilled with it when I look closely, but I am proud of myself for finishing it and I am glad it shows a bird and says Welcome.

If you are not familiar with picture piecing, it is a very tedious technique with many pieces where you are trying to match up freezer paper (but you don't sew through the paper.), but the designs are rewarding. This wall-hanging is 22 by 15.5 and has hundreds (yes hundreds) of small pieces, some so tiny I could barely see. A color chart and organizing baggies were a must.

The best part is that after I finished piecing it I realized that it is an intermediate pattern, so now I sure am ready to tackle a beginner's one :thumbup:

WOW!!! That is quite a project!!!
Glad that you stuck with it, you did a beautiful job on it :D:D:D

wow, thanks for sharing your story, I am also a beginner and having a blast!

I'm sew glad that you finished your wall hanging!! It is absolutely outstanding!!!! You can definitely see the "bird" not a rat & it does say "Welcome" not go away! Kudos to you for persevering and finishing this work of ART!!!

That's beautiful! Those things about beginners are just a frame of mind! :)

You did a good job. You really must keep it. In just a year or so you will look at that and remember how much you learned while making it and how much you learned after that.

Candi, I enlarged the Welcome wall hanging & it looks great to me. Put away your magnifying glass & remember, you're the only one besides Cynthia England who will ever look that close. I'm so proud of you for hanging in there & finishing your project.

Wow!!! If you can do that as a beginner, you're going to be making some even more amazing things later on! Two thumbs and two big toes WAAAAY up! :)

Beautiful!

That's a beauty.