Making the quilt

If you read my last post, you'll know about the quilt I am working on for my sister's 40th birthday. I knew I wanted to make her a quilt months ago, but since I was still working on another gift project (which, by the way, is still unfinished), I didn't get started on the birthday quilt quite soon enough. I realized about a week before her birthday that I wasn't going to get it done so I resigned myself to the fact that I would just give her an unfinished quilt. If I had planned it right, I probably could have paid to have it quilted and had it completed in time...BUT, it was important to me that every stitch in this quilt come from my hands. OK, OK I'll admit that my Mom helped me baste the quilt sandwich but I assure you that's the only help I got!

The first step of picking fabric was pretty easy since I knew what colors I wanted to use. I chose the green paisley as my focal fabric and then picked the others to coordinate with it. I love these fabrics together, but I will say that the green paisley kinda lost its impact once the quilt was pieced. It probably would have been better in a quilt with bigger pieces so you could really see the pattern. Oh well!

The cutting took me about a week.....lots and lots of little squares! I'm also at a bit of a disadvantage because of our living situation. I laid my cutting mat on the coffee table....that was the best option available but really not a good option. I did a lot of the cutting there (aching back!) until my father-in-law came home with a big round folding table that he found at a garage sale. So, he and Jason set it up and made that into my temporary sewing room.

Side Note: I spent the past month hauling my sewing machine and all my quilting supplies back and forth between my father-in-law's house during the week and my parent's house on the weekends. I was a quilting maniac!!

Once the quilt top was together,

I took it to the fabric store to buy the backing fabric which I love! Then, Mom and I basted the quilt sandwich together (aching backs and sore fingers!) so I could start quilting. My original thought was that I would hand quilt it, but then I changed my mind and decided to machine quilt it. That's where I'm at now. I still have quite a bit left to quilt and then will have to put the binding on.

I can't wait for it to be finished!! Not that I'm not enjoying the making of it but it will be so satisfying to see it done and know I did it all myself. I think a quilt is a piece of art and also a piece of family history. I hope to make many more quilts in my lifetime....I LOVE this hobby!!

I already know what the name of this quilt is, but I'm not sharing that yet - not until the last stitch is in place. And the first person to know will be my sister. I hope she knows how much of my heart is in this quilt.