My love affair with quilting began 8 years ago. I was searching for something to do with my hands at night, while being able to both spend time with my husband and recover from my days of chasing around 3 kids under the age of 5. I thought quilting might fit the bill. Fortunately, my mother had been quilting for a while and was more than happy to share her expertise and her sizeable stash. After searching through several pattern books, I finally decided to make a bow tie wall-hanging. My mother informed me that with inset seams, the bow tie block was not really for beginners, but I was convinced that I possessed an Amish streak and that I would simply do the entire quilt by hand — templates, piecing, quilting and all — problem solved.
I planned to make a small quilt, 4 blocks by 4 blocks, with a simple border. But, oh, the fabrics. I had no idea. I couldn’t limit myself to only 16 and, needless to say, 16 blocks soon turned to 64 and I discovered that collecting fabrics for a quilt is half the fun.
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| The first block |
After making templates and cutting out pieces for the 64 blocks, reason prevailed and I began to sew. The first block took me three nights to piece by hand and I decided that I wasn’t Amish after all. I realized that if I wanted to finish this quilt before my youngest was in college, I would need to pull out my sewing machine. So I set up shop in the dining room which, alas, prevented me from spending time with my husband, but my priorities were beginning to shift.
I worked every night on those 64 blocks. I got the hang of the inset seams and learned that the iron was actually my friend. As I generated block after block, laid out the quilt top, and added the borders, I fell in love with the process and a quilter was born.
When it came time to quilt, I decided to give handwork another try. And after a few lessons and several missteps, I finally got the hang of it. My stitches weren’t very small and I was extremely slow, but my husband was happy to see me on the couch again and I began to enjoy the rhythm of hand-quilting. Several months later, yes, months, I finished the quilt and I LOVED IT! I loved the pattern, the fabrics, the quilting. I loved knowing that I had taken a few scraps and made this gorgeous creation. I loved knowing that I could do it again and that the possibilities were endless. I was hooked.
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| My first quilt |
I’ve gone on to create many more quilts, but that first quilt is still special to me. Even though my tastes and skills have evolved and I’ve moved three times since I made it, my bow tie quilt still graces the wall of my home today. You never forget your first love.
