My buzzy quilting friend.

I’d like you to meet my quilting buddy and check out her first quilt (finished now).

Her, another friend and I have been meeting most weeks to ‘do craft’, and she’s been working on this project for her textiles course at high school. Her family say's she's going to hang out with the 'Aunties' to learn woman craft!

Coaching her has been rewarding but not without its challenges! I told her not to bother reversing after every seem when piecing but that wasn’t the right advise for her school teacher. I’ve also had to work out when to encourage her to get it ‘perfect’ and when to say ‘Don’t worry, that’ll be fine” especially as the due date loomed.

She had to do it all herself with photos to prove it but...confessions... I did unpick a few bits to fend off the despair and frustration when things weren’t right!

Here she is mitring the corners of the binding.

I think she’s done well to combine such a range of technique for her first quilt. Some weren’t sure about using black on a babies quilt but I think it adds good balance. Using satin ribbon as a boarder was challenging (not that she knew it was harder to sew when she chose it!) but it adds sparkle to the quilt. It is for her newborn nephew and I’m sure it will be well used and loved.

Blessings, Cheri

More on the Quick Coin Quilt...

Welcome and thank you to Catherine of Catalina's Cottage for being my first follower. It's exciting to see 'stats' that show that people from around the world looking. It gives a feeling of connectedness (the social critics would be say it gives a 'feeling' of connectedness without the actuality - but that's another story...)

So to the quilt... and my attempt at machine quilting.  As a novice I wanted a pattern and I discovered the patterns that long arm quilters use called pantographs - I'm not sure what they are if you buy them (!) but they're continuous patterns so you don't have to stop sewing to do the entire quilt (or row in my case).

I downloaded a sample of one for and I would love to give credit to where from but I can't find it anywhere! I'm not sure of the copyright implications of me using it but as I looked some sites today I see that 'nothing is new under the sun' and many of them are similar.

So here is 'Wildflower'.

I zoomed into it on my computer (a HP mini with a little screen!) and then traced one flower and two leaves from it directly off the screen onto some clear plastic off the front of a spiral bound AGM report.

Who needs a light box!

I cut around the template (only a little at first but found it easier in two parts - a flower and a leaf)
I used chalk to trace them onto my quilt and then went for it - free style - and here's the result:

A bit wonky in places but I was happy.

The only problem was that I didn't enjoy it that much...hand quilting is so much more theraputic. Also this was approx. 1m x 1m with no batting and I can't imagine trying to wrestle a big batted quilt under my domestic machine!! I don't think things would be very domestic for long :)

Lastly, it was rolled up and delivered to the teacher on the last day she taught my son with the instuctions that it wasn't a 'precious' quilt and she could use it for anything - baby wrap, change mat, outside picnic rug...she could machine wash it and if it falls apart I'll take it that it was well used and loved.

I'm off now to fill my hot water bottle (the best thing about winter).

Blessings, Cheri.