Well, I did it. I actually made a real honest-to-God quilt. I still can’t believe it. Much thanks to Anne Smith at Sticher’s Crossing for much hand holding and reassurance.

I am pretty happy with how it turned out. Of course there are some changes I would make, different fabric choices being the foremost in my mind. It’s a bit too bright and I’m not 100% happy with how the grays and browns work together, guess that means I’ll have to make another one. ;0)

Patience and accuracy are truly key. Things that I need to work on. I learned that it is about the process and I can’t skip any steps. The slower I went, the better things turned out. I also realized that I have to limit the amount of time I work on the project. After so many hours, I tended to get tired and want to rush things or not be as careful. This just ends up having to be ripped out and started over, so it pays to take breaks and know when your brain is done.

The hardest part was the actual quilting process. My sewing machine is a bit too wimpy, not to mention I had to use a regular foot, not a walking foot. This made things difficult. I am not yet ready to shell out the money for a better machine, but I know that it will be somewhere in the future if I continue to make any more quilts. Especially if I graduate to a larger size. (This one was a “crib/lap” sized quilt.)

Something I enjoyed that I thought that I’d hate? Hand-sewing the binding. It was quite easy and somewhat relaxing to do while watching TV in the evening. Plus, it kept me warm while I worked on it!

I have already signed up for the next class, it starts May 17th!