This quilt was made for my friend Julie, a diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan, for her bridal shower. It is by far the most traditional-looking quilt I have made, but it was a self-drafted original design. I found a cozy fleece blanket on Amazon that I used for the backing, which ultimately dictated the finished size.
One of my earliest quilt ideas was to make a Colorado State flag since I am a native Coloradan. I drafted something on my graph paper and started construction in 2016. Not knowing what I was doing with sewing curves, I got frustrated and gave up.
As I mention on my About page, I discovered the South Florida Modern Quilt Guild through Instagram because I saw Latifah Saafir was in the area. I attended her trunk show on a Friday night where she previewed her class for her Pickled Beets pattern.
I’ve always been a little bit of rebel not wanting to make or follow a pattern, but I could “see” my Colorado State flag idea in this quilt. In the class I learned how to foundation paper piece, a skill I use all the time now.
My first foundation paper piecing, the change in Kona red, and triangles prepped for piecing.
This quilt was started in August 2017 but I bought my fabric in 2016. By the time I wanted to finish there was a change in the Kona red that is visible in the finished top (see picture) and has frustrated me ever since. I have the backing fabric and plan to piece it, but it is one of my two WIPs that I have right now. One day I will finish this one!
I naively decided to tackle a 60-degree equilateral triangle design for my second quilt. Althea’s quilt was also for a special birthday girl and finished almost a year after my first quilt, in May of 2015. This quilt, however, was made on my own sewing machine! I purchased a Janome DC2014 in January of 2015 and this was my first completed quilt on it.
I tried several different layouts with the triangles before I sewed them together, and ultimately decided on the heart. As you can see here I do not have a design wall, but a design floor.
This quilt also doesn’t have a label, but it is still with the original owner and I plan on adding one next time I am home (Tanja and Matt – I am coming to put a label on!).
Here is a picture of the back. I used Alison Glass Ex Libris in pink.
The Details
Finished size: I don’t remember, I’ll have to ask!
Fabric front: Kona cotton
Fabric back: Alison Glass Ex Libris in pink
Binding: I don’t remember but it is a black and white stripe
We all have one, our very first quilt. Despite not having any known quilters in my family, it was something I always wanted to try. Aria, the granddaughter of a close friend at the time, was about to turn one and figured I would dive in!
I created a Pinterest board the year before, saving images of modern quilts I liked. I researched on the internet what supplies I needed and bought fabrics to match her bedroom colors. This was a very last-minute decision so I borrowed a friend’s sewing machine and kitchen island for 3-days to complete the task (thanks, Basia!). As expected for my very first quilt, I knew nothing. I did a stippling quilt design, with the feed dogs up! I hadn’t heard of a walking foot and I didn’t do a very good job squaring it up.
Quilting in progress and the washed, finished quilt.
The most important lesson of all, is to put a label on your quilts. Sadly, I think this quilt ended up at a thrift store or in the trash so I will never see it again. I can only hope that someone has found it and is loving it as intended.
