Quilting Success!

The amount of credibility I’ve gained by starting this blog is funny to me.  All of a sudden people think I know how to do everything.  I hear things like, “ask Erin, she has a blog,” or “you probably know this, since you have a blog.”  I have to remind everyone that the basis for my spot in the blogosphere is my elementary state of domestic skills.  Sure, I may show you some projects or skills that I happen to have mastered, but there is much domestic adventuring left to be done.

Take this quilt, for instance, which I made for our friends Liz and Tony who are having their first baby in June…

Yes, it looks like I am showing you how I miraculously developed the knack for quilting seemingly overnight.  But trust me, I have a lot of work left to do before mastering this skill and providing anyone with a how-to tutorial!

You might remember how this project started out with a seam ripper and un-read directions.  I was able to make a save by simply arranging the blocks in a different order than specified by the directions.  So, the finished project definitely did not look like the design in the picture, but only I need to know that (well, and now a few hundred blog readers).

(Don’t you love the little guitar fabric?  I did that as a nod to the mom’s musical background seeing how everything else this little guy has will be about baseball!)

I had great intentions of actually quilting this piece (sewing around each square or rectangle), but this quilting newbie picked out a rather fluffy batting, which was creating weird bunches when quilting with the sewing machine.  After attempting to quilt one third of the quilt by machine, I gave up and brought the seam ripper back out.

Perhaps I could have quilted by hand, but I would have had to quit my full-time job to have time for that.  So, I opted for tying the quilt using embroidery floss at the corner of every block (which was quick and easy to do!)

I did learn a few things along the way and came up with some pointers for other first-time quilters.  So, here are my words of wisdom (which you should heed because, after all, I have a blog!)

• Don’t be afraid to ask for the easiest quilt pattern in the world when you step foot into your local fabric store.  If you can, go to a “mom & pop” type shop where you might be able to get some serious one-on-one attention.
• Go ahead and get a rotary cutter and cutting pad.  Using the rotary cutter is sooo much easier than scissors and produces really crisp, even cuts, which is important when you are trying to piece together squares that are exactly.the.same.size.
• Speaking of keeping things even, when you are sewing the blocks together, be sure to use the exact same seam allowance, otherwise your squares will be uneven.
• Inevitably, some of your squares will not be exactly the same.  When you are lining up the blocks for sewing, just be sure to pay attention to the edges and trim as needed.  Or, just pin the pieces together accordingly.
• Make sure to iron each seam flat on the backside of the square.  This helps with making sure all things are even
• Try to have patience and don’t be afraid to use the seam ripper.  It will pay off in the end!

As far as quilts go, I might have to stick to baby-sized quilts for a while.  The thought of making  a larger quilt is rather daunting.  But, I have plenty of time to learn and, maybe someday, master the skill of quilting.

Any tips for first-time quilters?  Have you tried making a quilt before?  If so, please leave a link to your quilt in the comments section so that we all can enjoy!

Linked this week to:

A Soft Place to Land – Do It Yourself Day

The Persimmon Perch: Made it Monday

Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorphosis Monday