Feb 04 2009
Sewing and Quilting Are Not the Same
After my first disastrous attempt at quilting, I vowed never to try it again. I had picked up a sewing pattern, entitled Easy Baby Quilt, thinking it was simple.
Not so.
Picking up cute inexpensive fabric and batting was easy. Cutting out pieces of fabric that matched exactly and stitching them up exactly did not work out. I finished up a very crooked, though allegedly simple quilt.
Thought the quilt is not pretty; it is warm, colorful, and a warning to others who might quilt.
Three years later, I am now sucked in by the temptation of making a quilt out of baby clothes - as though I am qualified to stitch such a thing. I have learned that a major part of the secret is the rotary cutter and a clear ruler.
Good luck with your new project. I’ve made about half a dozen quilts, all were for Christmas Gifts, and all were Christmas Quilts. I tore all the fabric, as I did mostly strips, and some senior told me long ago that was the best way to get straight pieces rather than cutting them. Most were hand stitched together, as I didn’t have a sewing machine at the time. No, not possible to make them really straight; but thats part of the beauty. I didn’t do any special or fancy stitching for the quilting part. I stitched around the designs in the fabric, and you know how pretty Christmas fabric is, doing that made the back which was solid red or green interesting. Seems I bought extra in hopes of making myself one….hum, wonder where I put all that fabric? Haven’t made one since. I used one of those round stands holding the fabric while actually doing the quilting and I do know where that is (mumbling to self, must look around the basement).
Have a good one, and pop in for a visit,
Sandy