I have been a lurker for a week or so and have learned alot and have seen a lot of beautiful quilts.
I am new to quilting. By first quilts were baby quilts just plain squares and sewn to the backs and then turned. No quilting. I wanted to make my son and nephew quilts and almost got a couple of the baby quilt kits. I thought I could find fabric I liked and it ended up great and cheaper then 1 kit. I then tried some pot holders to learn how to bind and did not like my results (I have learned since that the strips were to small for me to learn on). My first real quilt went great, Irish chain lap quilt. My sewing area is the dinning room portion of my great room. Every one saw it comming together and loved it. I loved making the top. The quilting was simple diagonal lines to accent the design. Then it came to binding and I froze... UFO created.... Months later a friend of mine, who for years had been trying to have or adopt a child was picked to be the adoptive parents and had 2 weeks to prepare. I wanted to make her child a quilt and not just a baby quilt one that would grow with the child. So I made another Irish chain lap quilt 50X50 with the families last inital in the middle. Since is was a boy I used dark royal blue and cream to keep it manliy. Well my sewing machine broke when I was completeing the quilting. I tiddied up the ends by folding and pinning and presented it at the shower with some other gifts and everyone loved it (the excuse I gave was I wanted to personaliz the lable with the name and birthdate). It took 3 weeks to get my machine back form the repair guy and the next day I was laid off. Of course I was depressed and could not work on something that was suppose to be filled with love and until then it was. My four yearold helped pull pins my husband helped. We sent blessing and prayers into with lots of love while we were sandwiching it. Well a switch went off in me and I got it to the point of binding and thougth I would do some online searching on how to bind. I found a sight and remembering my other attempts tried it but did add an extra 1/2 inch to the binding strip and it was perfect. I am now working on my UFO and will get it finished today maybe tommrow. I have fabric for my next project waiting to be washed and Have plans for 5 more quilts and have promised my husband no more UFO's or I will try no more UFOs. We will see if I can stick to that one.

Hi G. Welcome from Texas. I do the no UFO quilting plan. My space just won't accomodate too much unfinished "stuff" going on. Plus I stay a little less crazy!

Welcome from NE CA. Glad you found us. We love pictures.

Hi And welcome from Mass.

Hi and welcome from southern Indiana :-) :-)

welcome from Southern California

Thanks for the greeting.
I love this forum, it seems to be the most active one I have come accoss.

I am getting way to many ideas....

G

What a wonderful story that you shared with us all! May I share with you that when things go nuts for me (like when you were laid off) I usually go into my quilt "studio" and either use the rotary cutter (and cut everything in site into 2 1/2" strips) or I sew on the machine (and listed to the needle go up and down in a wonderful hummmmmmmming sound!). Quilting is very personal and has helped me over lots of "stuff" in life...I hope that you will find that it helps you as well!

Welcome to this message board!

Quilting G--Welcome to the board. I live in Georgia too!! I am in the middle of the state--where are you located? There are at least 4 of us GA girls on here already. Glad to have you with us.

I'm with bj in theory...try as I might, I do get side tracked with lots of other quilty things and reorganization of the sewing room and such....but once I'm back on the project at hand I'm good and I don't start another quilt until it's done. This is REALLY hard to stick to, but the to do list wont' get any shorter until you stick to it. All this great advice aside, I haven't picked up my latest project in quite a while so I'm going to have to get to it, too! We'll be here to support each other and encourage you on the tough days. WELCOME!

Marcia,
I live in Dacula. 7 miles from the mall of Georgia.
I grew up in LaGrange and DH is from WarnerRobins.

Everyone,
Thanks for the welcome.

G

Welcome from Northern Illinois!

Hi G--I live about 25 miles north of Macon right off of I-75. My husband is retired military and we moved to GA three years ago to be near all of our kids and grandkids.

What is your favorite quilt shop? I love Little Quilts and Tiny Stitches in Marietta, but Intown Quilters is so fun, too!!! Usually I just stick closer to home to shop, though, in Jonesboro, Stockbridge and Jackson.

Marcia,
I waive Friday night from the interstate on my way to Warner Robins..
Thank you husband on behalf of my family for serving in our military.

I do not think they get enough thanks.

I don't have a favorite quilt shop. I was in one a few years ago and was not realy impressed. The staff seemed snobby. I know I did not know anything about quilting but all of my questions were answered with well we have a book that would cover that. Or why don't you take a class. I know they have to sell but I was not impressed. I use Walmart, Hobby lobby and Joann's.

Best regards,
G

Welcome from Dallas, Texas.

Hi! Welcome from Oklahoma!!

Hello from Florida! saw your name somewhere earlier. not a 'lurker' anymore. your officially welcomed in.
never mind those few 'snobby' ppl you ran into in fabric store, most quilters are the warmest ppl I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. think we all started out as 'lurkers', lol. I keep saying that bc i find it amusing.
I say I got my nickname cause quilting sometimes makes me crazy, but it's really bc sometimes i am just good old fashioned, normal,....(whatever that is :wink: ) and sometimes I am just a little 'offbeat', but oh so harmless, I assure you. I am a nana, four times :D C

Welcome G! :)
I don't visit here very often... competing for computer time with my teenager and her Facebook!
Anyhow, we're practically neighbors, I live in Auburn, GA!
There are a few quilt shops close by in the Buford and Lawrenceville areas.

Welcome G from North Carolina.