My First Quilt

I've been working on some wedding gifts - and will not post the finishes here until the Brides and Grooms get to see their gift first.

So I thought I would show pictures and tell the story of My First Quilt.

In 1972 our family took a trip across the country.  We camped from California to Maryland and visited friends and family, and every car, train, or airplane museum my Dad could find.  When we were in Detroit we went to the Henry Ford Museum - and amidst all the cars there was a woman quilting a quilt by hand.  I stopped to talk with her and watch as she hand quilted.  She told me that what she was doing was "Shadow Quilting" or "Echo Quilting" around the beautiful shapes on the quilt.

I guess I must have talked about it alot - because my Mom bought me fabric for my next birthday.  Fabric to make a quilt.

Maybe you remember Kettle Cloth?
It looks a lot like linen - but it was The Quintessential "70's" fabric - made of Poly & Cotton.
And my favorite color at the time was this lovely turquoise.

Probably not the best fabric for a quilt.

Additionally - I really liked Holly Hobbie.  So we got an embroidery pattern with two illustrations of Holly Hobby.  I made mirror images of each and worked for a few (MANY) years embroidering the 4 blocks - they are about 12" x 18".



My Mom even bought two sets of Holly Hobbie sheets to match the fabric she had bought for me.



Well, I think this quilt took me 25 years to finish!  By the time I graduated from High School the embroidery was complete.  By the time I graduated from College the top was pieced.  I was determined to hand quilt this quilt - so - it was not completed until I had two girls who would soon be too old to have Holly Hobbie in their room!!



The Kettle Cloth was so thick that I could not use the "rocking motion" technique to quilt this baby.  I, instead, would push the needle down with my right hand and pull it all the way out in the back with my left hand.  Then I would push the needle up with my left hand and pull it all the way out in the front.

It took years.

It, in fact, was in the frame SO LONG that the sun bleached a portion of the quilt!  I promise the quilt was not in a place where the sun could even touch it!  But somehow it was lighter.

 

 I think I did everything you could possibly do to make quilting difficult.
1. I used the wrong kind of fabric
2. I zigzagged the seams..  (this baby will NEVER fall apart!)
3. I pulled the backing around to bind it.
4. I cut every square individually.  By hand.

But you have to admit that I learned how to embroider and I learned how to quilt.

Did I mention that I love this quilt!!

I'm linking up with Lilly's Quilts where she hosts a Small Blog Meet at the beginning of each month.  Check out the other Small Blogs and the lovely work they do!

You can visit other posts on this blog "Cutitstraight" by clicking the "home" button at the top of the blog.  

Thanks for stopping by!

CathyH