I Finished the Quilt

Warning:  Quilters, hide your eyes; my quilting skills are on display and I wouldn't want to blind anyone!

Waaaay back in August, I created a quilt top thinking I’d get a head start on a matching quilt for my youngest grandson.  He would be turning two in January and a big boy bed wouldn’t be far behind.

A good friend with real quilting skills had offered to help me finish the quilt.  And-then-life-happened and she had to help her aging parents.  I was on my own for this one.
 
So, the quilt top sat for months.  Then, I found this online machine quilting class on Craftsy.  When it was half off, I jumped.  Slowly but surely, I have been watching and taking notes.

I eventually got the batting and and the backing pinned.  I redid them twice.



And then I folded the quilt up again and it sat for a few more months.  L-I-F-E.  The quilt actually had a very interesting life.  I would move it around from room to room.

At first, the quilt sat folded on the guest bed.  Then, I had guests, so I tossed it on a chair in the dining room.  Then we had a dinner party and it was tossed on a chair in my bedroom.  And this went on for months with the quilt visiting every room in my house.

E-nough!  I had the house to myself this weekend and, by golly, that darn quilt was going to get finished.

At first, I stitched in the ditch.  I actually thought that stitching around the 12 x 12 squares would be enough.  Naïve – I should have to wear a scarlet “N” for thinking this.

 

I used blue masking tape to mark off the stitching lines.  This was in the video and excessively useful.

 

I have a new respect for quilters. I really thought this would be an easy project. Seriously! How does anyone get a quilt into the machine’s throat?

I learned a lot with this project.

1.  Maybe, I should have started with a smaller quilt and worked my way up to a twin size quilt.  I will begin working on my scarlet “N” straight away.

2.  I think I like quilting.  The finished product is really nice.
 
3.  I could’ve bought two twin size bedding sets at Pottery Barn for what I spent on the total project. Is there a source for "How to make a quilt without spending all of your retirement income?"

4.  My sewing machine has lots of “quilting” features that were really useful.  Who knew?

5.  There really is no room in my house to do a such a large-scale project.  I may have to take over the garage next time.  Mr. Seasonedhomemaker better look out.

6.  Once you wash and dry the quilt, all of your mistakes seem to magically disappear. Well, at least some of them do.
  


I feel a bit like Jacob in the Bible – he wrestled with God and lived, but walked with a limp the rest of his life.

Well, I have wrestled with quilting and survived, but am not untouched.  I think I may always sew with a slight limp.