My first quilt

Very nice. I'm depressed in that I have to find some garden time - way, way, overdue. My lavendar has taken off like crazy, and some perennials I thought gone are blooming - wow. But, "Cousin It" - as we refer to the Weeping Pussywillow - has gone nuts and has really spread more full than expected (it's a dwarf hybrid thing - made by grafting a weeping head onto a straigth willow base - looks like a huge toadstool now) so I think that I may be moving some plants that are too near.

Anyhow - lovely garden. I'm thinking that I'll be in the yard part of this weekend, and the 4th. Before our neighbors really make more fun of us (something about the dandelion weeds growing in our formerly nice lawn).

Ellice

MY first quilt, after 20 years of being carried from apartment to apartment, was finally boxed up and sent to a friend who actually does quilt, with instructions to finish it whenever she next needs a wedding gift for me.

"ellice" wrote

My first quilt isn't a quilt at all--it's a small quilted wallhanging which I have some hope of actuallly finishing. I have quilter friends who coered me into starting; I started with a small patchwork pillowtop with appliqued hearts. Terrific because I could do all the patchwork by hand (having Singerphobia) and just fused the appliques on and decorated them with blanket stitch.

The wallhanging has been cut and the appliques (little sea turtles) fused on; I now have the fun of embroidering some embellishments on them. I will, however, have to face up to my fear of sewing machines to construct this one, so hope that I can make the embroidery so good that I will be enthused about putting it together.

After that (see, it is as bad as stitching for stash) I have another little hanging using reproduction 1930s prints with 3 little aprons on it.

Dawne

My first quilt project isn't a quilt either. It's a little wall hanging made up of 3" squares, each with an odd shaped star that needs to be hand appliqued. The prints are very old fashioned and it's all colonial colors and tea dyed. It came to me in the year of the Bicentennial and was started shortly thereafter.

I love the look of hand quilted things, but since I really don't much like the process of quilting, I'm hoping that maybe it will be done before the Tricentennial, but I wouldn't bet on that happening.

Lucille

The Quarter-Millennium is coming up in 2026. Why don't you set that as a deadline?

Lucille

Thanks! And at least it's not languishing like a few other projects, namely the thread-crocheted bedspread I started a few years before I got married, which would have been around '75. sigh.

Well, maybe I'll have inspired you to finish yours! :)

I was a little leery, since I had picked out the fabric without her. When I finally got around to showing her the fabric, I was relieved that she liked it! You know how picky teens can be! Now, though, she can hardly wait to get it. :)

LOL! I don't think I've ever seen a Weeping Pussywillow! Must check google images. Hm. Couldn't find any decent pics of one. Do you have one?

Have fun gardening!

Joan

LOL! That's the problem with us...once we start on a new venture, it seems to take on a life of its own! I resisted getting into quilting because I just didn't *need* another project. Then, this fabric called my name. And wouldn't hush up. Now look at us.....

Joan

Speak for yourselves. I detest sewing, so I bought fabric for one quilt and one quilt only, simply because I love Dresden Plates and couldn't find an affordable pre-made one. It was going to be one of those things, like working with purple for my cousin, that would be an extreme labor of love.

Dawne, Dawne! Don't be afraid of the sewing machine! All it has to do is sew in a straight line and that's easy! Appliqué was *designed* for stitchers to progress into quilting! It's so very pleasant to add stitchery techniques to quilt blocks and see them pop. I think anyone who enjoys hand-stitching would enjoy making appliqué blocks for quilts. Sewing the blocks together takes hardly any time at all.

My first quilt is just a selection of pretty blue fabrics (DD's favourite colour is navy) cut into heart shapes and appliquéd onto a plain background. I interspersed that with a simple nine-patch and boo-boom! Pretty quilt! The second quilt has mariners compasses interspersed with appliquéd sun and moon faces (embroidered by my DS - it's his quilt). My third quilt is Dresden Plates (for those who Know: I no longer make Dresden Cones! I've found the secret!) and they're all made out of strawberry prints interspersed with plain (strong) colours and blanket stitched on with matching embroidery floss. One day, I'll make an Owl quilt with stitching-embellished owls appliquéd all over it. One day...

The point is, the bulk of the work in such quilts is the blanket stitching. You just make them block by block and spend evenings blanket-stitching away to nice music or TV or whatever. *So* relaxing! I like to do my quilting by hand and so that's another pleasant period of rhythmic hand-stitching.

I spent years and years and years collecting gorgeous fat quarters from various sources, knowing that one day I would quilt. For most of that time, I was petrified to put my scissors into the fabrics, thinking how weird it is to cut up a swag of material and then sew it back together again. One day, my friend (who had been trying to *force* me to quilt by getting me involved in hers) showed me a lovely pattern (the hearts one). That's the one that did it! I could see the appliqué was a no-braner, although my friend *quails* at the thought - she's not a stitcher, and off I went. Now I'm as hooked as anyone!

Find a pretty appliqué quilt pattern that appeals to you and have a go! You won't be sorry! ;->

Hnf. I can't believe how pretty it is, considering you unwisely chose to make it in pu-pu-purple! However (snif!) I must say the colours work *beautifully* together and I think you've done a great job choosing them: they just work, don't they?

About the pussy willow, yeah, I'd love to see a pic as well. I love the idea of an animated toadstool! LOL!

My problem is the farnarckling palm tree that's parked in our backyard. It keeps on having congress with the palm tree next door and guess what?

*My* palm tree is the one that grows dates! I have a continual rain of the blasted things all over the yard. The dog has learned to eat them and hence, her usual - er - leavings are made that much more disgusting and challenging to pick up. Remember those funny plastic popper-bead necklaces from the sixties? Like that, only much bigger.

As I think I've mentioned before, the bats eat the dates and then their 'leavings' are bright orange and gelatinous and don't mix well with the washing on the clothesline. The dates are hard and stony so the lawn mower shoots them out like rounds from a machine gun and they hit the laundry window with a loud report. ('BANG!', they go!) Worst of all, the dates are *numerous* so you don't rake them up, you shovel them. Hnnnnh! I hate palm trees so bad!

There used to be four palm trees, but by dint of my DBIL, we got rid of three of them. It was rather hilarious, since my DBIL is scared of heights and the sight of him perched high up the crown of a tall palm tree with a chain saw and a healthy sense of his own mortality was just priceless! Well, he managed to cut the crowns out bit by bit and then sliced off the trunks right down to ground level. This was made possible because these trees were close to the shed and DBIL could use a ladder from the shed roof. The remaining tree stands alone with nothing close to it to climb from. Our house is a hundred-year-old miner's cottage and is cheek-by-jowl with the equally hundred-year-old miner's cottages on either side. If we cut the tree down at the base, three backyards would be taken out (and probably at least one house - doubtless my own)! It's a big tree.

Just yesterday, DH observed that our next-door neighbour is cultivating

*five* more palm trees in her yard (she has a pool and is clearly promoting the tropical theme) and they're butted right up against our fence.

Oh nooooooooooo!!!!!

So true, Lucille! Reading your post rang bells with me. It's the cutting and piecing part that I hate most. I quite enjoy planning the pattern and choosing colours etc, but the drag of cutting up the fabric and those painful rulers that slip about and the rotary cutter that eats flesh - well - I could do without that. Then, the pain of having to keep all those widgy bits of fabric in the correct order, press the seams and

- bleargh! They're not half as much pleasure as the hand-sewing bit.

You're right! Whatever floats your boat!

Like you, I *do* love looking at other people's quilts! It's astounding to see some of the colour combinations that can be achieved. I love pictorial quilts and some of the Oz quilters who do outback scenes with trees, plants and animals just blow me away. One day, I'd like to have a shot at a stained glass quilt with birds and butterflies or something like that. For now, I'm far too scared!

I remember, years ago some person made a quilt pattern out of MLI's 'The Wedding'. The pieces were about the size of postage stamps and she'd effectively replaced each stitch in the pattern with a square of fabric! I heard so much about it and everyone was amazed at the work and patience that went into it, but I never got to see a picture. Rats! Anyway, it's gawping at that sort of brilliant work that gives the biggest buzz, don't you think?

LOL! I s'pose looking at *anything* beautiful works well enough!

You will appreciate my uncle's idea. He created his own "sky" ... over the picnic table and clothesline, he strung heavy-duty clear plastic sheeting. Voila, the stuff falling from on-high did not get on the benches or the clean clothes. Periodically, he would untie one corner and let the "stuff" roll off the plastic into the trash bin.

Shall I give you my friend's e-mail? She loves to sew, and if you send her all the fixin's, she works cheap.

Too late, Trish. I am suffering from PTHES--Post Traumatic Home Economics Syndrome.

I had to take the requisite Home Ec in Grades 7 & 8 with the Most Horrible Home Ec Teacher ever. (The Proclaimers have a line about a teacher--Shetland made her jumpers and the Devil made her features. I didn't know they were in my Home Ec class)

I was two years younger than everyone else, and had the same stubby little fingers I have now, only smaller. I had had male teachers only for the previous two years, so hadn't made my huck towelling bag with embroidered initials OR my official Home Economics apron (pattern predates 1923. Would qualify as modest dress in any religion. Hideous) so Miss (note the Miss--NO ONE married this paragon of domestic virtue) McCallum was put out from day one.

We used treadle sewing machines---no it wasn't that long ago. Everyone's mothers had nice electric machines. We made broiled cucumbers and white sauce. It just sucked.

I think what finished Miss M. and me was that I played basketball on the day of our home ec fashion show (I was on the sr. boys' team, boys in those days not growing until Grade 9, I at the lofty 5' 3 3/4" I am to this day towered over all but 2 of them, and thus was essential). Outside game, rain, mud, me in nylons which I had to wear for the game ---just not pretty by the time I got to home ec. Most people have never heard so many synonyms for disgraceful.

The effect of having everything I did ripped apart six and seven times has never left me. In theory, I understand the sewing machines are just another power tool (I can use a mitre saw, for example), but seeing one live and in person makes me 10 years old again.

Ah well. Gonna have to happen some day.

Dawne

Ach Dawne ,,,, i know what you mean about the teaching of sewing ,,,, In 3rd grade we had to knit Socks, the wool available at the time , was ugly green. After finnishing my first sock i got bored thus added

2 red stripes to the second sock ,,, I got SCOLDED ,,,,, and my mother was called in and told to Surpres that Overcreativity ,,,, YEARS later the Granddaughter of my Ex Sewing teacher studied with me as my student....I encouraged all her creativity:>:>:>:>:>

I made my daughter a very unconventional Quilt. I just didn`t call it a quilt ,,,,

Sewing machines are machines but also wonderful Colleagues to creating joyfull things !!! mirjam

I was always amazed, too, at how many of our Home Ec teachers had no one to Home Ec for. It seemed to me to be something that you'd major in only if you were going for your MRS in addition to your BA degree.

And, frankly, I was miles ahead of what we were cooking in class. We put together some cinnamon rolls that were horrid. By the time she shut up and let us start cooking, there was not enough time for them to fully bake, and I noticed that even before we put the first ingredient in the measuring cup.

So, she gives us the signal that it's time to pull things out of the oven and clean up, and these things are still gluey. And my stupid classmates are so proud of themselves that they run right down to our next class and present these ghastly undercooked things to the cute young male teacher as if they're the most wonderful baked goods in the world, because they don't even realize that they needed another 5 minutes in the oven to be even moderately edible.

I'm with you. The problem is, with most saws, there is a finger guard. With most sewing machines, it happily and easily runs over your fingers (as it did mine, and I was scolded for bleeding all over my project, as if I'd done it intentionally).

Also, for the same reason that I cannot draw a straight line (I'm right-handed but left-eyed), I cannot sew a straight seam. It does help somewhat that the sewing machine I was given (a friend wanted a new superduper one and in order to convince her husband she "needed" it, had to give me her old one, on the theory that I couldn't afford to buy one) has a guide that can be positioned a precise distance from the seam line. It does not help when, being right-handed but left-eyed, I haven't managed to cut the seam allowance straight resulting in the seam guide occasionally jogging over 1/4" when my cut line does.

Nonetheless, the sewing machine and I get along only at extremely slow speeds (as in, hand sewing is faster) where I can control what I'm doing.

Maureen has an elderly Singer sewing machine that's operated via either a handle on the right-hand end of the machine or via a treadle that's linked to the machine with a leather belt. However, Maureen doesn't like using the treadle as it "runs away with her" so she just uses the handle at a slow, steady speed. I don't know the age of the sewing machine but I bought it from a junk shop about 25 years ago and the original instruction book plus umpteen extra little gadgets were in one of the drawers; the illustrations in the handbook feature a young lady with what Maureen tells me is a "Marcel wave" hair style. Bruce