Thursday Thoughts - New Quilters and My First Quilt!

I have "new quilters" on my mind this week, as we as quilters and bloggers all post about helping Madamm Samm find all of the "Newbies"!  Tons of quilting prizes!  Calling all Wantobe Quilters! <---Click on it if you are Newbie! Also Click on the Link in the side bar too-->


Makes me think about when I started making quilts... It was 1981.  I was in my second year of marriage, 23 years old, and pregnant with my daughter, Jewels.  With the assistance of my mother-in-law, MaryAnn, we picked out the fabrics to make my first quilt.  I chose blues and yellows.  I was to choose several blue and yellow prints from light to dark. She told me the fun of making a quilt is choosing all the fabrics.  We shopped a couple different times for fabric.  It was fun!  I liked buying fabric!

I started sewing when I was 13, but I had never made a quilt.  I made clothes, curtains, pillowcases, and little tote bags.  I even made my own prom dresses in high school with a matching bow tie for my boyfriend.  All of those items, you buy one or two fabrics and then you sew the item.  This quilt making was cool ... I liked buying fabric! If you want to see more prom dresses and bow ties <--Click Here.

"Quilt as You Go" was the newest rage in quilting in 1981. I washed the fabrics and ironed them.  MaryAnn had me cut out cardboard templates for the pieces.  I would place the cardboard on the fabric and draw around the rectangle with a pencil and then cut out each piece with a scissors.  It took forever compared to today with rotary cutters!  But I was having fun with all the fabrics!

By the time I got around to starting to sew my first quilt, I was about 8 1/2 months pregnant and pretty uncomfortable.  We ended up sewing it together and taking turns.  We sewed it together pretty fast and kind of uneven, but it didn't matter is was looking great!  I loved seeing how the blocks were coming together and forming the log cabin. MaryAnn made curtains to match the quilt from the leftover fabrics.  I had bought way too much fabric...remember I really liked buying the fabric!  She also made three cool pillows to go with the quilt too.  Our bedroom looked so cool with the new quilt and everything matching!  There's my tiny Jewels all cuddled up under my first quilt. - Nov. 1981.

I was comforted by my first quilt for 22 years.  I washed it way too much and the fabric was  tearing, but I still loved it.  Finally in 2003, I washed it one last time and carefully folded it and hung it over the quilt rack in my bedroom.  I now enjoy looking at my first quilt.  I have fond memories of making it with my Mother-in-law.  We both share the "joy of sewing and quilting!" 

Look at the binding!  It was large and full of batting. 

Make your first quilt for you!  Years from now you will be glad you did.  I am.  Sweet memories of the good old days...30 years ago.


Marcia