Yesterday I had so much fun, my friend and I kept looking at each other and giggling in amazement that it's legal.
My dear friend T. is an artist and the most generous soul I've ever met. She donates all of the quilts she makes to foster children. Anyway, some time back she made the most incredible little quilt top I've ever seen. The first look at it took my breath away. She had hand- dyed the background fabric and it was truly "my" colors.
Fast forward ... she decided to try the long arm quilt machine at the LQS and asked if I would help her pin on the quilt. She had one class and I spent a lot of time watching my friend Janae, who was a pro quilter, and we figured it would work. The shop has one person who can help a bit but mostly you're on your own and that was what we wanted.
When we got there, I just got bold and asked if I could buy the batting and then she would give that gorgeous quilt to me. She said yes. EEEEEEEEk -- I was already giddy.
So we got down to work and pinned the quilt on the machine and started.
I'm not sure what happened over the next four hours (yes, we worked very slowly and it drove the LQS folks crazy and we didn't care a whit), but it was the most fun I've had in ages. We took turns quilting the blocks and borders. She would give out and need a break and I'd quilt some and then give it back to her. We experimented with different designs and ways of using the machine. We laughed till we were out of breath.
At the end of the day, I have a gorgeous quilt made by my dear, dear friend and quilted by the two of us together. What could be better than that?
If you've never tried long arm machine quilting and you can do so at a nearby LQS, I highly recommend taking the class and giving it a go. Even if you don't like it, you will have learned a good bit that you'll take home to your own sewing machine with you.
And, if you've never quilted with a friend .... well, get going! It's a wonderful experience for quilters. Even the mistakes are precious and beautiful. And we're going to do it again!
Sunny (yes, I'll post pics as soon as I get it bound)