Day 2 – My First Sampler

December 2

VERY humble beginnings!!  Really, this should have been post #1.  I think I did this one before I did the Log Cabin quilt featured yesterday.  With each post I will try to share a lesson learned… none of my quilts turned out exactly as I wanted it to, so I learned what NOT to do on the next ones, and this one was a REAL learning experience!

Technically, it is not a quilt, it is a TOP.  I’ll explain why it is still unquilted later!  (You can click to enlarge the pictures if you think you can stand looking at it!)

My quilting journey began the summer of 1994 (WOW!  15 years ago!)   – This is a picture of PART of the quilt… it is HUMONGUS!!  (116-120” across, 120” down)

I had no stash, so with each block I went to Wal-Mart and bought 1/4 yard of 3-4 fabrics (many of them blends) to make that  one block.  I made 30 of them this way, and as a result NOTHING goes together.

I was planning on making this a bedspread for my king-size bed.  That is the reason I added 18” of plain border around all sides.  WHAT was I thinking?????  I got braver as I went along, even doing some curved piecing.

 

Some blocks suffer from lack of contrast (Attic Windows block).  (I LOVED that cow fabric in the fan block!  I wish I still had yards of that, but I have used it all.)

 

Turkey Tracks was one of the last blocks I made, and my skills were improving.

I even resurrected some fabric… the Bear Paw block on the top left has print fabric in it that I had a maternity blouse made from in 1979!  I had given the scraps to Mrs. E.  She used it in several quilts.  When she passed away in 1994 I got the fabric to go in my stash and used it in a number of quilts, also.  I LOVED that fabric too…. it’s all gone.

So why is this “beauty” not quilted?  Because it is full of problems.  Remember that I was teaching myself, and had no idea about squaring up blocks.   As I was joining the rows together I started at the top and sewed the blocks into rows.  Rows 1 & 2 did not quite match up so I just cut off the extra and kept piecing.  Rows 2 & 3 didn’t quite match either so I cut off the extra and kept going.  Repeat this for 6 rows and you’ve got a REAL problem!  This quilt is almost 4” wider at the top than at the bottom because of my trimming!!!

Every now and then I toy with the idea of finishing it; I even bought lining fabric for it several years ago.  First I would get rid of about 2/3 of that 18” border, and then do a panto.  Someday when I run out of other things to do….

The good news is… I photographed quilts ALL DAY today… I have much more than the needed 25, so this quilt show will go on through the entire month of Dec.

See you tomorrow, and please SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT MY VIRTUAL QUILT SHOW!!  You will see everything from my utility quilts to show quilts that have won awards.  I’ll try to go in order of construction so you can see the growth in skills and “phases” of quilting I have gone through.  I promise you some real eye-candy later in the month.  I hope you enjoy!

Kat