Encouragement for New Hand Quilters! My VERY First Quilted Item (humiliating myself here, LOL)

[speckledhen]

I've never made that block, but in similar ones, there is a lot of bulk. Here is an article on the pinwheel block with suggestions on how to press the seams. Hope this helps some:

http://www.frugalquilting.com/quilting_pinwheel_block.htm

 

[seminolewind]

Make sure you have a good seam ripper!

 

[tiki244]

Thank You for the encouragement Karen and Cynthia. It really helps. I do have a seam ripper and also a pizza cutter thingy. I think I have most of the supplies I need but will probably end up having to get something else new. Now I need to learn how to thread my machine. lol

I think it is so sad that people would mistreat their gifted quilts after all the time and everything you gals put into making them. I hope that when I do make one *cross fingers* and gift it, it will be taken care of. I did call my daughter the other day and suggested I was going to try and make a quilt for her. I asked her what colors she liked and from the response I got it just seemed like she was thinking it would be finished in a short time. Hmph! well hmph! We got to talking about some family heirlooms and I asked her about the rocker I had given her from my great grandfather. She said it had been in the basement and there was a flood so it was being stored in the garage.( I thought her garage leaked ) Well I was ready to go to her house immediately and reposses it, telling her I would take care of it until she had more room to keep it. Lucky a wise friend told me to settle down and let things cool off before I went there. I am still anxiety ridden over it, and will find out about it, but am waiting a while.

 

[tiki244]

I was reading on making quilts and the book said to do 'this' and 'this' and 'this' to the pieces and at the end it said, but don't handle your pieces too much or they will stretch!

That was kinda funny.

 

[seminolewind]

Yea, I don't see how you could handle the pieces a little bit. I'm old school I guess. I wash and dry the material, then iron it. If one quilt book doesn't do it for you, get another one. There are hundreds, and sometimes if you click with an author, it all makes sense faster.

I'm going to try and manuever that quilt away from DD. Muahahaha!

Okay, I found the pic"

 

[speckledhen]

That's nice, Karen! I have finished 13 log cabin blocks and have most of the Courthouse Steps bed runner quilted, at least most of it up to the border. I would like to get the bed runner done and sold so I can concentrate on Ellie's bed quilt, then I have one more bed quilt in mind to do (well, two, but I really don't like big projects, generally).


Tiki, check out youtube for quilting instructional videos. You may find one on that exact block you're having trouble with. I wish we'd had youtube and internet when I was learning to quilt!

 

[tiki244]

That is really nice Sem. I hope you can manuever that quilt from your DD. That is a neat way of saying it. I find daughters can be a little touchy to deal with sometimes. At least mine can be.

You tube is a good idea Specks. My computer can't handle it, but I could watch some at the library when I go to town. I like the book I got from Fons and Porter~I am borrowing it from the library. I found a book there also that had pictures of American quilts from the mid 1800s on. One I saw was a red and white square patch and the whole quilt was a red rooster on white background. Neato!

Is it good to hang the quilt up when not working on it? I think I will try to get a picture up here of my first attempt. Need to do some other stuff today, but am ready to start piecing together some blocks to try my hand at it. I guess it is time to break out my pizza cutter. lol I will be machine piecing though. I am not sure what I will be doing for the quilting part, too soon to tell.

 

[NanaKat]

Lovely quilt photos Cynthia and Karen.
Tiki, check out the thread in my signature. It's a thread on quilt helps and sources.

 

[country lady]

Cynthia, I'm thinking about making a bed runner. How big is yours and have you posted a picture of it? I've been away from BYC and the computer for a while, so I haven't seen the past posts here. I didn't realize that bed runners were so popular until recently. I'm working on one that has just buffaloed me. I intended to make it a lap quilt as a gift but I have a quilter's block in my head.. It is novelty fabric of the Sat. Evening Post by Norman Rockwell, the flirty 50s. A bed runner would be easier than a lap quilt, I think.

 

[speckledhen]

You know, I don't recall the exact size, but there is good overhang on a queen mattress. Would have to remeasure. Here it is-I've been working on it today so it's wrinkled from the hoop right now, plus, still have to fill in some open areas before I get to the border.

Took one with the flash, then took another with flash off so you could see the quilting better.