Well, I started over after applying tension tips and other advice here.
It looked nicer. I took Loretta's advice on starting with smaller things.
Less frustrating. Of course, there is no quilting, but I will slowly work up to that. I didn't know what to do with it, so I bought fiberfill and stuffed it. It's very plain and simple but I enjoyed learning a few things by it.

its a great pillow and a wonderful first project

It looks great!! Way to go!
your corners line up nicely!!!
I like it!

Great job!
I have turned MANY project blocks into pillows. Funny thing is...someone would see the pillow and ask me to make them one. I'd just toss the pillow at them and say...Keep it! lol

looking good and great idea to make something smaller until you are ready to make something larger..thats my motto too!

Your pillow looks great! And your squares are perfect. You did a great job!! I can tell you aren't going to have any problem progressing.

Very nice.

Well done - I hope this will have given you some confidence to try something a little larger, so that you can work your way up to a full sized quilt one day.

Fantastic pillow. Its good to start small & work up

Nice pillow. Small projects are less frustrating to begin with.

I think your pillow looks wonderful! You're off to a great start.

I think your pillow is great!

I haven't been quilting that long either and find smaller projects
more satisfying.

One of these days, I'm going to make a Queen Size Quilt but for
now little projects like lap quilts, runners, pot holders and the like
are most fun for me! :lol:

I love your pillow!! Good to snuggle with...Great first project!!

We all started with baby steps. It's a learning process. I'm still learning! Pillow looks great!

That's what I do as well! :D
K

I think it looks great....now one baby step out of the way..on to the next!

Thank you for the compliments. You all are so encouraging and inspiring with the awesome quilts/other projects I see on here. It's great to get commentary from all levels! One of these days I will try a quilt, probably sooner than I am ready for since we just found out my partner's youngest sister (he has four) is pregnant with her first child at 38!. I would love to make a quilt for the baby. That sort of prods me to get on with it! I hope to find a simple pattern, any suggestions? For now, a set of potholders is next on my list.

very nice pillow. i always tell people that want to start quilting-start small. then its not too overwelming and satisfaction on a completed job is quicker. I think for a first baby quilt a rail fence ora log cabin with wider logs would be great patterns. My first baby quilt was a log cabin type out of a book of fast baby quilt patterns by Ursula Reikes. That quilt was made in 2001 and went through 4 kids-3 of them boys! I still use the quilt book too because it seems that i always need on e fast.

Very nice and you did a nice job on it.

That is a pretty pillow. Great job.

Thanks for the advice sewmom, I am not familiar with rail fence. Will check it out. Appreciate the ideas.

You did a great job on your pillow!!! Have you picked out your next project yet??? I will be looking forward to seeing it, too :D :D :D

My grandmother started me hand sewing my alternating blocks in rows. She'd tell me now many rows I needed across & how many rows down. I would turn those into little doll quilts & she'd help me hand sew them. Later I worked my way up to helping her hand quilt on the old time hanging frames. We always laughed a lot and had our iced tea. Oh Iced tea is the key to keeping cool on a hot afternoon when you're quilting. Good luck.

I made another potholder, amma. Tossing around ideas of what I'm going to do next, not sure. But my oldest daughter is getting the pillow and so now I am going to make her sister one, too. Sheila Elaine, those sound like wonderful memories with your grandmother.

Yes, both grandmother's sewed for whole family, plus did sewing for whole family. We could look at a quilt and tell whose dress this scrap or that scrap was.

Plain, simple and very comfy. Thanks for sharing.