First quilts....

Ok, so what was your first quilt? I started my first quilt in 1974. I was taking a quilt class with my sister in law. My older sister, Lynda, saw some of the blocks I was appliqueing, and said I could give it to her.... LOL . I decided to do just that. I managed to finish 25 blocks and set them with a then stylish coin gold sheet. (YUCK). I presented it to Lynda for Christmas, with the intention of finishing it. I was in college at the time, and didn't have the space, the time, or the knowledge to actually hand quilt this king size monster I had created.

Over the next several years, I would come across that top as I was moving, or doing some deep cleaning. At one time, my sis and I talked about resetting it in a blue floral.... that never happened either.

It wasn't until 1999, that I dug that gold monster out of the tote it was in. (now.... I had actually purchased some poly batting for this in the 70's. I had wrapped that batting in a piece of cotton ducking fabric, tied it with twine, and hung it from the ceiling joists in my Mom's basement. It looked like a striped blimp hanging in the corner.) I had since used that batting on some baby quilts after Mom insisted I get it out of her basement sometime during the mid 80's.

Don't get me wrong.... I love the color gold, and have plenty of it in my support stash.... but that coin gold sheet was UGLY as sin! I finally decided to tear it all apart. I then put the bright blocks in one pile, and the pastels in another. more brights than pastels.... I chose two different settings, and treated each pile differently. The pastels I set with alternate white blocks, and quilted by machine with my first attempt at feathers. The brights I set in attic windows with black sashing. With Christmas just around the corners, and it being the 25th anniversary of my first attempt to give the quilt to Lynda, I put them in the washer and dryer.

Argh! some of the fabrics I had picked in 1974 were not 100% cotton, were not tightly woven, and had frayed when I washed the bright quilt. My origial zig zag was not close enough together, nor wide enough to firmly hold the fabric. I also didn't quilt it quite close enough to support the pieces in the washing process.

Christmas day came, and I presented Lynda with both quilts, and then promptly took the one that needed repair away from her.... "I'll figure something out to fix it" I told her....

That quilt made it's way to the bottom of a pile, and then to the bottom of a tote in my sewing room, and became forgotten over time.... This spring, Lynda mentioned that the quilt she used all the time was in need of repair.... It was raveling like the darker one had in a couple of places....

I am now proud to say.... that I have mended both of those quilts.... re zigzaged all the flower petals, (through the batting), and added extra quilting on each petal to help keep them from lifting and shifting. I will be giving her these tomorrow. Both of these quilts are pictured here. They have been a true learning experience for me.