What was your first quilting project ?

Hullo Maureen
Just a word about pressing, if you think that might be contributing to
things not being quite accurate.
Two tiny things really help:
(You may do these already. If so, just ignore this and say 'silly old
pernickety thing'!!)
i) before you unfold the two pieces just put together, press the
seam in its closed state;
ii) when you have decided which way you are going to press the seam,
press from the right side, rather than the wrong side. Pressing from
the wrong side often leaves a tiny pleat - invisible, but enough to take
up a sixteenth of an inch. Sometimes pressing a seam open is the better
way to go - you have to do that from the back, but take care to open it
fully to avoid the tiny pleats.
..

In article , Maureen Wozniak
writes
My first was a sampler wall hanging. Four 12-inch blocks (stamp
baskets, monkey wrench, dresden plate, and morning star) in blue, pink,
and white. I did it all by hand with templates. Hand quilted as well.
It's probably one of my best. I'm still working on those 1/4 inch
seams on my machine. I actually think it may be my pressing or cutting
that makes the blocks come out wonky now. They fit together pretty well.

I am getting better though.

Maureen
--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

My first quilting project was a crib quilt for DD#1 in 1968. It was an appliqué Sun
Bonnet Sue from templates my gram had used for *my* baby quilt. The batt was an old
wool blanket, back was unbleached muslin like the base squares on the front, no
sashing, no borders, hand "quilted" with feather stitch just between the squares
('cause wool blankets do NOT shift around), bound with store-bought double fold
bias tape.. It went together like a dream and lasted until the Oakland Hills fire
in 1991.

It was the second project that almost put me off quilting forever. When DD#2 came
along in 1970, I decided to make her baby quilt with pieced 8 point stars made from
a diamond template and then appliquéd and finished like the first one. The
templates were gram's and the points were wicked and all the little stars looked
like hats, they were so rounded up in the center. I didn't just appliqué around the
edges, I appliquéd between the points, through the center, whatever I could to to
flatten the sucker down. But it lasted until 1991 too, so I must have done
something right. I will never, ever, ever, try that pattern again though.
--
Anne in CA
"It's not having what you want; it's wanting what you've got." -- Sheryl Crow
http://home.covad.net/~arudolph/annes.htm



Frosty772 wrote:

I thought it would be interesting to hear what was the first quilt you made.

What block did you choose?

What size was it (wall hanging, lap size or a bed quilt)

What mistakes did you make (I only ask cause im working on my first quilt and
its nice to know some of the mistakes in mine are commonly done in beginner
quilts. Im doing a shoo-fly with a scalloped edge/boarder. I put the block in
a diamond pattern and put the scallops in the triangle areas. Unfortunatley my
blocks are a bit uneven and my points in some areas dont match up. I used
sissors to cut out the blocks and am blaming it on that lol (have since gotten
a cutting mat and big ruler AFTER everything was cut up so my next one is gonna
be awesome).

Tammy

Can't say for certain what my first "quilting" project was, I did lots of
hand sewing as a child. But my first Adult work (college count as adult?!)
was a pieced jacket in Textiles class. We had to make our own pattern and
use fabric from the tons of bags the teacher brought in! I'll find it some
day and add a pic to my website.
Then we made a "folded star"
http://www.hamiltonpipeband.org/berg.../foldstar2.jpg and next
was a trapunto self portrait
http://www.hamiltonpipeband.org/berg.../selfport1.jpg

Outside of that class later on i decided to make my parents a quillow
http://www.hamiltonpipeband.org/berg...s/quillow2.jpg and that
was my first real "quilting" experience. Next i made a patchwork pillow
http://www.hamiltonpipeband.org/berg...mages/debk.jpg for a friend's
wedding gift. Hexagons aren't where a beginner should start!!!! so i went
back to a one patch flannel for the baby of another friend
http://www.hamiltonpipeband.org/berg...ges/angel3.JPG and started
working on a king size jacob's ladder at the same time (still isn't
finished. don't like the fabric choices much anymore!)
At that point, i decided i should probably stop teaching myself and take a
class.... that class was 5 yrs ago and i haven't finished that quilt yet
either... it IS basted and i Have started quilting it though!
http://www.hamiltonpipeband.org/berg...ges/jacobq.jpg

the rest are intermingled on this page... in no particular order....
http://www.hamiltonpipeband.org/berg...e.htm#textiles

too many mistakes on all of them to mention! mostly caused by trying to
rush something or by doing it when it was late at night and i was in brain
fog.....

Trying applique now and think i am gonna like it as an addition to
piecework!

Kellie

Frosty772 wrote:
I thought it would be interesting to hear what was the first quilt you made.

What block did you choose?

My first quilt was just a scrap one patch. I used the fabric I had on
hand, cottons, corderoy, velveteen, etc. I used a poly batting, a soft
corderoy backing and tied it.

What size was it (wall hanging, lap size or a bed quilt)

It was made as a cover for a double bed...I made it to replace my
childhood comforter, that was falling apart....



What mistakes did you make (I only ask cause im working on my first quilt and
its nice to know some of the mistakes in mine are commonly done in beginner
quilts. Im doing a shoo-fly with a scalloped edge/boarder. I put the block in
a diamond pattern and put the scallops in the triangle areas. Unfortunatley my
blocks are a bit uneven and my points in some areas dont match up. I used
sissors to cut out the blocks and am blaming it on that lol (have since gotten
a cutting mat and big ruler AFTER everything was cut up so my next one is gonna
be awesome).


I don't know of any mistakes per say, but it was pretty simple. I used
for ten years or so, before it fell apart.

lisae

Thanks, Kellie, for the photos. I especially love your Black and Batik.
What are the white dotted lines outside the blocks....quilting lines or
fabric design? Nancycog in MD

I've been pressing from the wrong side. I'll try from the right side
next time I start piecing. Right now I'm recovering from a quilt binge
last week when I finished a king-sized monster that has been four years
in the making.

Patti wrote:

Hullo Maureen
Just a word about pressing, if you think that might be contributing to
things not being quite accurate.
Two tiny things really help:
(You may do these already. If so, just ignore this and say 'silly old
pernickety thing'!!)
i) before you unfold the two pieces just put together, press the
seam in its closed state;
ii) when you have decided which way you are going to press the
seam, press from the right side, rather than the wrong side. Pressing
from the wrong side often leaves a tiny pleat - invisible, but enough
to take up a sixteenth of an inch. Sometimes pressing a seam open is
the better way to go - you have to do that from the back, but take
care to open it fully to avoid the tiny pleats.
.

In article , Maureen Wozniak
writes

My first was a sampler wall hanging. Four 12-inch blocks (stamp
baskets, monkey wrench, dresden plate, and morning star) in blue,
pink, and white. I did it all by hand with templates. Hand quilted
as well. It's probably one of my best. I'm still working on those
1/4 inch seams on my machine. I actually think it may be my pressing
or cutting that makes the blocks come out wonky now. They fit
together pretty well.

I am getting better though.

Maureen

Isnt that what first quilts are for? All those horrible mistakes we make
teach us so much more than doing it perfectly the first time would.
That brings me to my first piecing.. not a quilt, but pieced panels for some
purses I made. I dont remember the pattern, but I do remember the bits were
small, and cut from all manner of fabrics from dotted swiss to cordoroy.
They were pretty, at least to my mind.
Later I made my first quilt. It was made of all manners of fabrics too and
was a goofy looking thing, appliqued parts and sashed with .. i dont even
know what type of fabric.. heavy enough to be a coat lining or something! I
am still proud of that ugly thing thought it exists only in pictures.
All manner of things have improved since then.
Diana

--
http://photos.yahoo.com/lunamom44
"Jalynne" wrote in message
nk.net...
I made DD a rail fence baby quilt 5 years ago. The top went together
nicely...sorta.
This is where i made my big mistake, mixing types of fabrics. I wasn't
all that
fabric savvy at the time. Well, I was for fashion fabrics, but I'd never
worked with
cottons before, and thought that it would be no big deal to mix cotton
with a poly
blend. Also, I was on a super tight budget, so i bought the cheapest
fabrics I
could, not really checking for quality. That quilt has mismatched
intersections.
Since DD was a little older when I made the quilt, it was ok for me to put
buttons on
the quilt, which was great for hiding the flawed intersections. Oh, yeah,
and I
couldn't figure out how to do the flipping trick on the corners of double
fold
binding...so that looks kinda funky. It's a really cute quilt, and I'd
not hesitate
doing it again (I have, but in different fabrics) but it's falling apart
now, so I've
definitely learned what NOT to do. Along the way i've learned tips on
pressing and
cutting (rotary cutter and ruler with mat is a MUST for accuracy at my
house...LOL),
and i'm learning to take my time with the piecing instead of rushing
through (i like
to rush through to the end because the quilting is my favourite part), and
my quilts
look a whole lot better because of it.

Good luck on your quilt, show us your progress when you get a chance.
--
Jalynne
Queen Gypsy (snail mail available upon request)
see what i've been up to at www.100megsfree4.com/jalynne

"Frosty772" wrote in message
...
I thought it would be interesting to hear what was the first quilt you
made.

What block did you choose?

What size was it (wall hanging, lap size or a bed quilt)

What mistakes did you make (I only ask cause im working on my first
quilt and
its nice to know some of the mistakes in mine are commonly done in
beginner
quilts. Im doing a shoo-fly with a scalloped edge/boarder. I put the
block in
a diamond pattern and put the scallops in the triangle areas.
Unfortunatley my
blocks are a bit uneven and my points in some areas dont match up. I
used
sissors to cut out the blocks and am blaming it on that lol (have since
gotten
a cutting mat and big ruler AFTER everything was cut up so my next one
is gonna
be awesome).

Tammy

I thought it would be interesting to hear what was the first quilt you made.

What block did you choose?

What size was it (wall hanging, lap size or a bed quilt)


I made my first quilt the year I was in graduate school (1973-74).
Double-bed sized, cross stitch (green) from a Bucilla kit.
Hand-quilted. It's on the bed in my guest room now. The percale and
the DMC floss have held up very well; the binding is a tad worn.

Nann
in Winthrop Harbor, Illinois realizing that 30 years ago today she was
probably taking a few stitches in that quilt