As I mentioned in my last post, I have recently acquired a new hobby…quilting…more specifically, machine quilting. About 3 years ago, my sister-in-law Lori and I were talking and we both said that we really wanted to learn to machine quilt. We had both decided we wanted to take a class to learn the basics. When I had started Simply Delighting, I was unemployed…so I had a lot of time on my hands. It just so happened that when I interviewed for my current position, my would be boss was a machine quilter. Over Christmas break 2010, she gave me an all day lesson about machine quilting, and I was off and running. I decided I would tackle a huge project (I had no idea how huge at the time!)…a quilt for my baby niece Leah. This quilt had 1800 pieces. Each 3 inch finished square had 5 parts. Oh. My. Nerves. I started that quilt in December 2010, and thought I would give it to her for her 1st birthday in March 2011. I was wrong. It was so overwhelming for me that I didn’t pick it up to finish it until the beginning of this year, 2012. I was determined to get that quilt done for her 2nd birthday. I worked feverishly for 4 weeks straight to finish up 360 squares to combine to make her quilt. However, I must admit, I did not quilt it myself. I took it to a long arm quilter and they quilted it for me.
Here is a picture of the top, before it was quilted.
So…having finished it for her 2nd birthday, I was hooked. And I mean hooked. Since March, I have finished 6 other quilt tops, and have completely finished of those 6 quilt tops (meaning they are quilted and bound). I have read countless blogs, watched several you tube videos and now subscribe to about 6 or 8 quilting magazines. I simply cannot get enough. I love fabric and color and texture…oh it’s just completely sucked me in and I have so many projects either started or on a list to start its crazy!!!
This weekend, I made my first ever baby quilt for my great-nephew Parker, who is turning one in a couple of days! I quilted it myself (which really is very daunting to me) and it’s all ready to get wrapped for his party!
I found the pattern for this quilt online, and modified it just a little to use all the fabrics. I used 15 fat quarters (I love fat quarters!) from the Richard Neuman for Clothworks Fabrics Red Go collection. I just love it, and I think it screams little boy…don’t you? The finished quilt measure 34 x 42.
Simply Delighting 