Monday, February 15, 2010

New skill in progress

Last night, I attended my first quilting class. A local shop regularly offers classes, but they are almost always during the weekday mornings when I cannot attend. This term, they offered one nighttime class, and most conveniently, it was their beginner class for making a basic squares quilt. I intended to pass it by this term and try next term, but then they told me this would be the last time a night course would be offered so I bit the bullet and signed up. For a while now, I have had the idea that I'd like to make a quilt for Ellie's birthday. This year, she'll be 5 (unless you ask her, because she'll tell you most vehemently that she already is 5), and I think that's a pretty big birthday. A quilt just feels like the right gift, and with several months to go, I think it's do-able. Thus, the class.

Last night was about proper cutting technique. We all started with 8 fat quarters and had to cut them down to 48 6.5-inch blocks. I bought this fat quarter pack a few months ago when I first had the quilt idea. I thought Ellie would like all the pink, but I have had second thoughts on the actual fabrics just about ever since. I decided to stick with them anyway. I think not having the perfect fabrics will make me a more relaxed learner. I won't fret about it being perfect, and I'm sure it will turn out nice, even if it's not quite me. My homework was to lay out the squares in a 6x8 grid (the look of the finished quilt) and get my patterns in the places I wanted them. She suggested we lay them out how we liked them and then walk away for a while, come back with fresh eyes, and see what we think. I took a photo instead and cleared them up again. Here's the potential lay-out:


What do you think?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like the layout - it has a strong diagonal trend. I also like the fabric, though must agree that it doesn't seem like 'you'....just a little too "floral traditional" to be 'you' :)

I need to remember to bring you some fabric back from Nigeria -- they've lovely things here,

D

Karly said...

I like the layout. How cool that you're taking a quilting class...machine or hand? My mother in law showed me how to hand quilt...I'm still working on quilting a blanket (first project before cutting out squares and piecing together) for Sam. I like it a lot, but tend to find that for me, it's one of those things that I am either working on feverishly or completely ignoring. That's why poor Sam's blanket that I started 2 years ago (yes, 2) is still not done! :p

I've really got to pick it back up and finish it...thanks for the inspiration! Keep us updated on the progress of this quilt.

Anonymous said...

Well, being a pink lover, I love it! The fabrics are great! Personally, I think the layout you close is lovely! If you want to change it though, how about having Ellie put it in her personal preference order? It will be so fun in the future, to see how her little artistic mind was functioning when she was "only" 4!

Mimi

p.s., I love that you are quilting! We both have such a passion for the hand crafts! When are you going to learn to cross stitch? :-)

Anonymous said...

Oooh Jennifer, lucky you having a class! Lovely 5th birthday present idea and what good timing. Your pictured layout looks good but I'm quite sure you'll have tried 50 different formations by now ... Good luck with it and keep us posted!
Gayle x

Gail Weaver said...

Look at me - I'm reading blogs! Hooray! And just in time for quilting. I'm an amateur quilter, and they do make great gifts. Do not start with the world's most perfect fabric - you will freak out with every stitch. And don't fret too much about the perfect layout, either. There are dozens of ways of putting those squares together in a pleasing way - yours looks great. And I love Amy Butler fabric. Good choice ... (Are you sure we weren't separated at birth? Same wavelength, as usual ...)