Thursday, June 9, 2011

I Did It!

Woohoo!  It's done!  I did it!  I really, truly made a quilt!  High-fives all around, please.  

Okay, but yeah, it's not perfect--I had a little problem finishing the binding in that nice seamless looking way it is supposed to be finished so I just gave up and sewed it together in whatever half-assed way I could manage.  Also, yes, I took the easy route because I tied the quilt top rather than quilted it--but c'mon, it's a picnic quilt, which I thing lends itself to hand-tying and that low-tech, old fashioned sorta look--right?  And really, I was not entirely happy with the combo of fabrics once I laid them all out--too much pattern competing for your eye and also the off-white calico I used with the little purple violets--well, it just did not work for me.  I felt like my grandma came along and inserted her own nightgown in there. 

But aside from ALL THAT, yeah, I am good with it.  It came together pretty easily, and I really, really liked the process of hand-sewing on the binding--mostly because I like to hand sew, but also because the binding just makes a quilt come together, like putting a painting in the right frame.  And most of all, when I gave it to Rae, well, she was just very touched and I really felt like making the quilt communicated the gratitude to her I feel--which is what it was all about anyway. Well, that and banishing my never-made-a-quilt-before-anxiety.  

Next up?  My own picnic quilt.  Except this time I think I will make a Denyse Schmidt quilt design because she already has that whole solid fabric to print fabric ratio figured out and her designs are just so damn beautiful they make my stomach hurt.  And who does not want to have a picnic quilt that makes their stomach hurt?

13 comments:

  1. neat! doesn't it feel good to get one under your belt? i just finished my first one and posted about it today as well. did you use a particular blocking pattern for yours? i'm looking to find another design for my next one.

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  2. Faith--I made the design up myself--sketched it out and then figured out the measurements for each piece. Of course, it is a pretty basic design. You should check out Denyse Schmidt's designs--she has some for sale on her website, but also has an entire book full of amazing quilt designs--this is where my next one is coming from.

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  3. It looks awesome!!!! Good job! It's so scary trying new things but so rewarding when you do.

    - Sarah
    http://agirlintransit.blogspot.com/

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  4. Hurray! Well done Holly...it looks ace! Kate (minieco)

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  5. High fives! And I'm so glad you're already planning your next one. . .

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  6. Looks great! Binding is always a pain in the butt, but keep with it and eventually you'll get it! Nice job!

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  7. Binding is my favorite part- because that means I'm almost done and just putting on the finishing touch!
    Congrats on your first quilt! My first was a picnic quilt and I tied it, because picnic quilts should be tied IMHO ;)
    I'm working on a Denyse Schmidt quilt right now- Single Girl. I'm so excited to finish it!
    I can't wait to see which pattern you decide to use.

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  8. Yay, way to go Holly! Now you're over the scary hump of your first one! It looks great.

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  9. Thanks for all the kind comments. It is nice to share it with someone who cares. :-)

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  10. the fact that you even added binding makes me bow down to you! i just stitch around the edges...heehee. Whoo-hoo! and tis a lovely quilt as well, you rock!

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  11. jek--I actually contemplated just sewing around the edges to be honest--but then figured since it was a gift I should knuckle down and make the extra effort...and I really did like doing the binding--did it all while I watched several episodes of Big Love. I just could not figure out how to connect the two binding ends at the tail end and I actually chopped those up sort of funny and then I just sewed it down in whatever way I could manage--and it does look wonky in that one spot but I guess at least it looks homemade for real--right?

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