First quilts

[chickenscratch]

I'm curious, and I apologize if this topic has been done before; but I searched for it and didn't find anything.

I was looking at a back issue of FOn's and Porter's LOQ and they had pictures of the first quilts they ever made. Now they make some really neat stuff.

SO, what's the first quilt you ever made, and are you brave enough to post pictures if you have them.

THe first one I ever made by myself was an Overall Bill fishing boy that I machine zigzagged onto an oval of cheap muslin. I made the boys pants out of old jeans and the shirt was an old flannel shirt. Then I put lace around the oval and zigzagged that whole mess onto a rectangle of cheap denim material. I think I backed it with cheap flannel. There really wasn't much quilting. I think I just tied it actually. It was a baby gift for my husband's cousin. Can you believe that little boy is 26 years old now.

I wish I had a picture of that first quilt. It was cute, but knowing what I know now, I would have done things very differently.

So, what about you, especially you experts out there, what was your first quilt???

[Marion]

My first quilt? I used some of my husbands old navy blankets and covered them with patches of scraps from clothes I made for my kids. I didn't even put backs on them and tied them with yarn. They are still in use in our cabin in Van Etten New York. Very colorful. I think the pattern was caleb's choice or some kind of angled star. My first hand quilted one was a log cabin in pinks and greens. Since then have done many more and since 2003 have used machine quilting as I feel like I am running out of time. I have lots of fabric to use and at 76 may not be able to finish all I want to. That is one reason we bought the Millenium. I already had the Mega Quilter from Viking and also a machine DH made for me on a Hinterberg frame but needed something to do a larger design before rolling.

[Patch]

Wow. Now you're asking. LOLOL!! The first "quilt" I ever made wasn't... really. Well, it was, I mean I put layers together and ran it under my machine, but it wasn't really a quilt in the real sense of the word. Well, maybe it was... I dunno. Anyway, what I did was, I took a preprinted fabric that had blocks with a pastoral picture (oh dear, is that the ordained kind, or the bovine kind, I don't know?) with cows and a farm, which was so cute. I wanted to add a couple of other colors, plus this neato velveteeny fabric that matched the background only darker. So I cut the blocks apart, stitched my other fun fab's in between and around the border. Then I got some batting somewhere and THEN - oh boy, you'll love this! - THEN I did the unthinkable today! I backed it all with a double-size white sheet. Yup. And guess what else I did. I never made a binding, because I seem to remember I stitched it inside out somehow like pillowcase or something, then machine stitched the open edge after turning. But I had the sheet hanging down underneath and added a skirt to the sides of the quilt - a gathered skirt. Ya know, I stayed up all night long on Christmas Eve machine quilting that with my old White, which now belongs to my DD, because it was a gift to my parents, who had just that year moved up here to Coos Bay when Dad retired, and gotten a new double bed for their mobile home. Yup.

Mom still has that quilt. Looks really nice on a bed, actually. I did a pretty good quilting job on that, because I just followed some of the lines in the picture, and didn't try to quilt real close or anything. That made it reeeeally easy. It's really warm too. Hmm..... Well, but it's not really a QUILT. It's a bed-spread. Yeah. That's what it is.

Thanks for asking. Now I'll tell you about the first REAL quilt I ever made. I took a class from Nancy Ann Twelker at In The Beginning quilt shop in Seattle the year after my DD was born. Still can hardly believe DH let me do that. That's the year he bought me the rotary cutter and mat and rulers, which I still have and use. It was a completely hand quilting class, which meant we pieced everything by hand. The teacher made xerox copies of patterns she'd had forever. We did not sew in class, much, but learned hand-sewing and she gave us advice as we began our blocks. We never got to the how to quilt part, as it took so long hand-sewing everything we didn't even finish our quilt tops. But it was great to learn all that. I finished the quilt when I was pregnant with my DS, 1994, in PA. Hand quilted, the only time I've done that. Takes too long, and makes my fingers hurt, because I do marathon sessions trying to get it done! I have these blocks in that quilt:

Dresden Plate

Card Trick

Stamp Basket

Honey Bee

Star Signature Block (from 1850's quilt)

Jacob's Ladder

Patience Corner

Overall Bill (Added after my DS was born in '94 - AFTER the quilting was done)

Sunbonnet Sue

Churn Dash

Grandmother's Flower Garden

Dutchman's Puzzle

9-Patch with Hearts

House

I am still very proud of this quilt, even though it isn't my best. I did leave two blank blue blocks in the middle, which I simply quilted to represent my DH and me, with a spiral representing the cosmos for science, and a lyre representing my music.

This is far too long, so I will end now. Sorry to be so windy!

[chickenscratch]

Marion and Patty,

Great stories. I'll bet those quilts gave you such a sense of accomplishment. Isn't it funny how you can feel so fulfilled the first time you do something, and maybe a few more times after, but then you want to improve, change, perfect? Is that just human nature, do you think? Oh dear, I'm getting philosophical. It must be late and I must be tired.

[Patch]

Teresa, I think you're right. When I'd finished that sampler, I had the feeling I could do anything in the quilting world. I knew it wasn't great, but I had learned so much, and it was a work that took a long time and I stuck to it and finished it, and didn't do too badly. I proceeded after that to get the whole family together to make a celebration quilt for my dad's 70'th birthday, which turned out beautiful and was never used until a month before he passed away - at my insistence. Then I made the double wedding ring for my best friend's wedding which is still in my closet - BAD me. Then we moved back here from PA and I got everybody to make Mom a 75'th b'day celebration quilt. And on Sept. 11, 2001, I made the most beautiful quilt I have ever, ever done for my MIL's 80th b'day, which was that day. I remember ironing on the applique'd airplane, representing all her travelling, while I watched the memorial service in the National Cathedral in Wash. DC, and thinking, "Oh my gosh! I hope she doesn't mind an airplane on her quilt after all this!" Of course she didn't.

Well, I AM rambling! Sorry again! Better get outta here before I tell you my whole life history.

[BigPineQuilting]

My first attempt was making a quilt for my sisters dorm room and backing it with a sheet. I believe it is still in use some, well lets say 20 years later. Then I moved on to baby quilts and taking quilt classes before I took a break for a few years while racing with teenagers. And now I am back and having fun. It is good to go down memory lane.

[Sandra Darlington]

My first quilt was a pattern a quilting friend gave to me which was cut from an older quilting magazine. She said it was very easy and would be a good starter quilt for me. It was actually a baby quilt that was to have a ruffled lace edge. The quilt would be sewn together right sides together and then turned right side out. Then the intersections would get tied. It was called a pin wheel block, but it looked more like a rail fence, but with just two strips to make the block. The direction of each block would be alternated.

I made it out of a medium and a dark blue floral print, looking like Civil War repros, but it was just from JoAnn's, along with a thin poly batting from JoAnn's. I decided after tying it with embroidery floss, that I wanted to try to SID, so I bought a walking foot for my old White. I removed the ties and did the SID, then retied it because I liked the tied look, but wanted the SID to stabilize it. I put binding on that quilt because I didn't put the ruffle on it and thought I liked the idea of binding better. But, I did 4 separate strips, instead of one continuous piece.

I gave it to my mother for Christmas that year. She was so very thrilled! I was so happy she loved it. Then....I knew I wanted to make lots of quilts. I think that was the moment my addiction began!

[victoriasews]

My first was in 1972. It was made from mostly knit fabrics in hippy colors and designs from scraps from the clothes I'd made for myself. I was a flower child back then. It had blankets in the middle and was turned, then tied. I didn't make another until my little girl was born in 1986. It was made from JoAnn cotton and I used Eleanor Burns May Basket. It wasn't the finest quilt ever made, but it surely beat the 70's one. The fabrics didn't last long and the quilt wore out quickly.

[dtreusch]

My first quilt was a log cabin in 2003. I decided that year to learn to quilt because each of my kids had handmade quilts from their great-great grandmother, their great grandmother and their grandmother. I wanted them to have one from me also so they would have 4 generations of quilts.

I made the first quilt for my daughter, did SID on it on my DSM. When it was done I made a single Irish Chain for my son and had someone quilt it. I decided then that I was interested in learning to machine quilt, so started researching machines. I bought my APQS a year later and the rest is history.

All total I've made 16 various quilts and wall hangings. I think I'm still pretty new to this compare to some of you that have been quilting for years!!

Debbi

[Mary Beth]

My first quilt was a sampler, BOM, that I started doing at my local Hancock Fabrics. In between piecing that one, I made 3 baby quilts and a twin size Bow Tie quilt. After using my DM on the twin I decide to hand quilt the BOM when it was finished...I had about an 18" square done when DH and I attended the APQS demo show and I bought my Millie...I came home and took out the hand stitching and waited for my "Lucy" to arrive. And the rest....is history!!

[quiltaholi_518]

My first "quilt" was a wallhanging, a kit from JoAnns. 6 years ago, their fabrics weren't too bad, and I still like it. It is mossy greens and purples. I foget the name of the block, but it was strips on one diagonal side of a square, and a solid fabric on the other half. All 5 pieces of the 36 blocks (you do the math!) were cut out using templates that came with the kit. Yeesh, I've come a long way baby.......

[Patch]

Oooo... Victoriasews, you reminded me. When I was a little girl, my mom brought each of us girls (3) into her room where she kept the sewing machine. She had cut big squares, and she taught us how to sew them together. It seems to me it must have been those squares she finally sewed all together years later. We kids didn't want to spend so much time sitting still, so never finished the piles she gave us, but were always running around outdoors (California-no long winter days when you're stuck inside. Well, not many, anyway!). We were in high school and middle school one year, much later, when one Christmas morning here were these three quilts, made of the ugliest polyester material imaginable, two backed with dark green and one with blue fake furry stuff (ugh!), and all filled with polyester batting. She had tied them, of course (I don't think anyone ever could have quilted those things!). Needless to say we loved them immensely, because our mom didn't sew much, and it was a precious gift to each. My little sister still has hers. Mine wore out years ago, being used to protect furniture, line a cat carrier, wadded in the bottom of a box of toys, picnic cloth..... etc. Finally I was tired of looking at it's ugliness, and was starting a whole new life, so got rid of it. Shouldn't have..... But I have pictures! Yay!

Thanks for reminding me. This is such a nice trip down Memory Lane. I suppose you're all getting tired of hearing from me though. I'll try to subdue any more memories that crop up, LOL!!

[jazzsmom]

I made my first quilt 20 years ago. It was a queen size sampler quilt in blues. Its still on my bed during the summer months.

[April W]

The first quilt I made was also made from all the leftover scraps from us girls and mom making our school clothes. I have 2 sisters, mom stayed at home when we were teenagers and dad drove a truck so he was gone a lot. We were always sewing something. I believe my quilt was just squares and tied with yarn which is harder to pull thru the layers than emb. floss. But I used that quilt when I got married the first time and it outlasted the marriage. It eventually got reduced to a small child's play pad.

[quilts2much]

My first quilt is in this picture

<--------------------------

Made it for my neice in 2001

each block had about 50 peices in it. I finished it in about 6 weeks. She was born at 3lbs and i had it done the day she came home from hospital.

Barbara

[Bekah]

Such great stories, I made my first quilt 7 years ago. The lady at the LQS didn't tell me I needed to buy backing material and that material kind of changes from season to season so I have been looking for the perfect back for 7 years. Finally gave up and just bought a light purple for it this weekend and have it loaded on the beasty to start quilting. Like most of you, have learned a lot along the way and become totally addicted.

IF I ever figure out how to post pictures, I will try to do that along with my birthday blocks I have received.

[kellysuequilter]

OK, I had just started my beginners classes at my LQS and I saw this quilt pattern in a book and it was PERFECT for my BIL and I just HAD to make it. My husband and I altered the pattern a bit to make it "easier" to make. I pieced it all together and then quilted it on my brother CS6000-t (tiny throat space). It was my first and still one of my favorites.

[Bekah]

wow kelly really great quilt love the birds

[catsigler]

My first completed quilt was for my first grandchild, Kurtis, started while his mother was in labor (how's that for waiting till the last minute!). It is a tumbling blocks design from a McClun and Nownes book. http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1110455157052995396vocelz

My actual first quilt is still a UFO: http://picasaweb.google.com/catsquilting/UFOsAndWIPs

It has been lost and found a few times since 1996. It is currently found, and I plan to quilt it on my Millie someday.

[Bekah]

Cathy, just went to your webshots, WOW and double WOW, you have some gorgeous stuff there my friend. my goodness your feathered star is beautiful. where did you get that pattern

[catsigler]

Thanks, Bekah. The feathered star is a 12" block, not a quilt. I made it last year for our guild Christmas block challenge. It's the Radiant Star from Marsha McClosky's feathered star book. I enjoyed making it so much that I have decided to make a feathered star every year for our challenge, and what a relief not to have to figure out what to do every year! Did anyone see the recent Fons & Porter episodes on feathrered stars? I want to do wall hanging when I finish up a few things.

[junebug_one]

This is a wonderful thread, Teresa.

What a joy to hear how each one of us fell in love and became addicated to this wonderful thing called quilting.

I mad my first quilt when I was six. MyGrandmother gave my Sis and I hugh baby dolls. Our Mom and Grandmother showed us how to put them together. Whe tied them.

I have made many quilts through the years. I have used all kinds of materials, batting and backings. When I was young we didn't have access to purchasing quilts, so we had to make them .

My favorite was and still is the little Sue quilts. The qirls just love them. My husband also loves them. One of them that I had put a lot of emblishment on he said," don't give this one away . Give it to me". He put it on our bed in out motor home.

I gave my Hinterberg frame to my Daughter about 5 or 6 years ago, when I could no long hand quilt do to arthritides. But I kept on piecing quilt tops.

My wonderful Husband brought me a longarm for my 74th birthday last year, Aug. 5, 2006, I have completed quilting 16 large, "gueen and king" quilts and 6 baby quilts.

Yesterday on my 75th birthday I recieved another wonderful present. A great, great Grandon. So I hope to get his quilts in the mail this week.

Just another addicted quilting Grandmother.

Carol

[quiltmonkey]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CAROL!!! How wonderful for you and congrats on the newest little grand child in your life! BTW, my birthday was this past Saturday (August 4) and I just made the big "FOUR-FIVE" milestone.

My first quilt was a baby quilt for my brand new baby niece, Veaya, who was born November 2001.

My mother in law, Ingrid, had made me & DH a few quilts (a log cabin and an irish chain) before 2001, and I had fallen in love with those quilts and wanted to learn how to do it. It's all her fault!!!! She got me started and hooked on quilting!!!!

So, anyway, when Veaya was about to be born, I told Ingrid I wanted to make a baby quilt. She helped me find a really easy-peasy baby quilt pattern (it was a rail fence pattern with five little appliqued lambs in the center of the blocks). I picked out all of the fabrics (mostly purples and pinks) and she showed me how to piece it and cut the blocks and arrange the quilt top. Ingrid did the satin stich around all of the little lamb appliques for me. I think I tied that quilt with embroidery floss. It turned out sooo cute! I fell in love with quilting even more so.

That was November 2001. I will suffice to say that within a month's time (by the end of December 2001)...again, with the help from my dear MIL, Ingrid... I made three more quilts for my nephew and two other nieces for Christmas. That was it. After 2001, I just went completely bonkers. Since then, I've made quilts for all four of my sisters, and some friends (and for me/DH), made many quilts for charity... and I was (and I still remain) bonkers for quilting. I am like a little Quiltmonkey!

[Phyllis]

Hmmmm, I made my first quilt in 2003...a fan pattern from some quilt magazine. A friend kept NAGGING at me to start quilting. I had lots of excuses not to, the main one being that I really didn't need to start another hobby. Finally, one day I said, "Fine, I'll make a quilt." She had the magazine with the patten in it. I went out, bought the magazine and the material and we got together and each made a quilt from the pattern. I even bought the backing and the batting. Have I quilted it? Ummm, that would be a definite NO! I got my long-arm a year later and at first I didn't want to quilt it until I got "better" at quilting. Now I just haven't taken the time to quilt it. When I do have spare time I want

to piece a quilt. I have about 10 (at least) quilts running around in my head that want to be pieced and I just keep buying all this fabric for said quilts. I just bought the oriental fabric for another quilt today. It's a sickness!:mad: Oh, yeah, and the first quilt is made from oriental fabrics. I really need to get it quilted. Oh, and since I've started quilting all of my other hobbies just kinda faded into the background. It's all my friend's fault!

As "they" say, "She who dies with the most fabric, wins" I'm trying to get in the running.

[ffq-lar]

Happy birthday to Carol!!!

I had sewn garments in high school (a million years ago when patterns were a buck!) and swore when I got my first job I would buy clothes and never sew another zipper or set-in another sleeve again!

Fast forward to 1999 and a job where a new employee was a quilter. It was contagious! I received a sewing machine for Christmas since my old machine from high school was coal powered--or was it steam powered?? I mean, we're talking long...long...ago!

My first quilt was a watercolor--cuz I didn't know any better!!! Loved it. Did another even bigger. My sis loved it! Then followed quilts for everybody! Log cabins, scrappy stars, paper piecing, loved 'em all. Got a Millie--just pieced my first thing since last October. Gosh, I miss piecing. I even scheduled a time to quilt it!

But that first quilt... 24"x24" watercolor heart with two borders and handquilting. It is lumpy and wavey and has horrible hand-quilting on it. It hangs on my wall above my cutting table. I look at it and cringe! But it tells me how far I've come and how much I've learned. I love it!!!

Linda Rech