My first adult quilt that I remember making was a turquoise and white around the world brick quilt....I had taken the measurements from a quilt my step grandmother had made for my mother. I didn't know about adding a seam allowance, so it turned out smaller than I needed. But I still have it on the back of the couch in our office. When I get to take a nap it's the one I use.

I walked by a quilt shop and saw a quilt that I thought was perfect for 2 of my granddaughters and went in the shop. I did not own a machine and the quilt was machine embroidered on top of that. So I looked at the Bernina embroidery machines that they sold, bought a machine, the sports kids design that was out of print and they had to find for me. Since the quilt was designed by the shop owner and there was no pattern, her husband took pictures of all of the blocks. As soon as my machine and the embroidery disk arrived I went home and made my first quilt. Hard, YES but so worth it. Have been quilting ever since.

This is my 1st quilt. No machine, no embroidery disk, and no pattern.

My first big project was an Eleanor Burns Lone Star quilt. No, my friend said "it will be way too difficult for you". Well, as usual, I didn't listen but did have enough sense to get help with the cutting & measuring from a very experienced quilter. Finished it, looks great, everything fell into the right places & I am super proud of it. Even my
friend had to admit, we accomplished a lot.

I started quilting 16 years ago, made a couple of quilts from panels stitched together, no real piecing. The group at our church was doing bargello hearts so that was my first truly pieced quilt. I had a million "what was I thinking" moments during the construction of that quilt and almost quit quilting altogether about 10 times! But I am happy to say I persevered and the quilt was completed and looked pretty good! I gave it to my then 6 year old niece as a bribe to get her out of her mother's bed and room and into her own. And I have made at least 2 other bargello hearts since then--I rather like the pattern!

Wow - you all are amazing!

My first real quilt project was a row a month in Quiltmaker magazine. Actually I have been sewing since I was 7, clothes mostly. I used to make applique quilts as baby gift but never a pieced quilt until Quiltmaker. I was poor and only used scraps. The top is done but never has been sandwiched. I have the backing but never the time. And now it is in a box somewhere. Sewing is not hard for me. I make 4-10 formals a year (Think bride dresses). Now I make baby quilts again and Quilts of Valor when I have time.

My first quilt is still unfinished after 40+ years. I don't remember the name of the pattern, but it had some very difficult piecing, so I decided to only piece about 1/2 of the block and then applique it to a big square of white fabric by hand - it was a scrap quilt - with each block a different print. The pieced part had about an 8 piece star/seams all coming together in the middle - which did not fit whatsoever - big humps in every block. Then a few years ago, my BFF was selling her long-arm machine and asked if I had any quilt tops that needed machine quilting - so I took my top to her along with a plain white backing and she machine quilted it for me. There was enough backing all around to just have a self-binding. I did not want to even do that because I would have to hand sew it down and I am SURE that the first time it is washed that it will come apart. So, it sat for a few more years and now my youngest DD (a quilter herself) has taken it to Kentucky to finish it. Yeah right - she is too busy now, so it probably will be a few more years before it is finished.

Mad Quilter- it is never too late to take it of the box and finish your Lone Star. Check out my post "These Diamonds Took Forever" and you will see mine that I started in 1974 and finished up in 2016! I too traced all the diamonds, no clever rulers back then, but it all worked out eventually. Well worth the wait.

My first was hand-cut, hand-pieced, hand-quilted GFG, queen sized with special border that didn't cut off any hexies. Took me 2 years, as I was working full time and was single mom at the time. Love it, have had many compliments on it and still use it occasionally (rotated with some of the others I've made).