Hi everyone! I joined about two weeks ago and have been lurking, reading posts, and I've learned so many useful tips already I can't believe it! Such a generous, giving, and supportive group.
I love to cook, read, garden, and ride motorcycles with my DH and a bunch of scruffy grandpas. We've even ridden up to Canada a couple of times in recent years. Those BC foks are the nicest people on two wheels I've yet to meet. My avatar is my new bike that I bought just last month.
I have been sewing since jr. high and think it's a shame they don't offer sewing classes anymore (and haven't in so long). I sew mostly clothes, more when I was younger. Sewed my first wedding dress and my going off to college wardrobe. For years I went to SewExpo here in the Pacific Northwest with my friend, and although I admired all the quilts and loved the patterns, I would resolutely chant "No more new crafts" to her amusement.
Well... a few years ago I finally broke down. I've collected various tools, books, and even a few kits (because I, like so many of us, have a little more trouble "matching" fabrics). Now I have a quilting stash to add to my clothing-fabric stash. But I haven't, yet, actually started quilting.
I tried to "design" a simple pillow as a starter project, following a colorwheel and using pieces from my stash. But once I carefully cut out the bits and assembled them to look at the overall design, I realized it was hideous! I tried to get myself to sew it together anyway (it's just practice!), but working fulltime with a 17 yr old in college, I couldn't see putting so much time into something I would just... toss. Really, it would have been too awful to give to anyone.
Then I purchased a simple tote bag kit with 5" charm squares to sew into patchwork rows. It doesn't call for quilting, but I thought it would be a great practice project. It has a lining, so I'll just make a sandwich with batting and muslin before assembling the tote. So far, I have the columns stitched together, but I'm having trouble getting the seams to match up in the rows. And then my sewing machine gave me trouble (what IS it with the holiday season? I'm not even working against a gift deadline!), but that turned out to be my fault. My friend told me that I might find I had more leeway making clothes than I will with quilting. Who'd have thought such "simple" piecing work could be such a struggle? I've made clothes that people admired as "store bought" and have had people ask me to make them items over the years, but simple squares in rows are proving to be a challenge. But I'll soldier on.
Meanwhile, I love seeing everyone's work, and with my baby steps experience, have a HUGE appreciation of what it takes to have these beautiful projects turn out the way they do.
Oh, and one of my best recent moments: My DD, who most of her life has shown no interest in cooking or sewing, has suddenly begun asking me to teach her both. I love it!
Thanks for reading if you got this far!
Patty :D