learn to quilt

Its winter time and I never realized how low we were on snuggly things. When my family stays over it seems someone is always a little more cold than they should be, and fire side times just aren’t right without something homespun around your shoulders. So I’m going to learn how to quilt, just as soon as I get the money for fabric…with will sadly probably be after Christmas.

I have previously made a quilt for my sister. It was a Halloween quilt and it turned out ok but I want to learn what I am doing so the next one will be better. I have lots of material I have purchased but need to schedule some time to sit and work on things!

A small quilt for a baby took me about 20 hours. It was my first quilt.

I recently gave a talk to an international teachers group on Nepal. I mentioned wanting to help this women’s group through teaching them quilting and also building a “craft” library for them to help support literacy and also teach them “other” things they could do to help themselves….after the talk a few teachers came to me and offered their services of 1) teaching me to quilt so I can teach the ladies and 2) donating craft books to my group of ladies…

I was so TOUCHED by this~ and I will take them up on their offer!!! WOW!

I’ve got the top nearly done (just need sashing, and I haven’t picked out the fabric for that) and approved by his mother (who’s a bit picky). He’ll be moving to a big boy bed soon, since he’s going to be a big brother in March. The back side is going to be appliqued with his initial, and then I have to put sashing on that as well, since the piece I have is only 2 yards and won’t cover the whole back. I also have to pick out a fabric for the binding, which will probably also be used as an accent on the pillows and maybe the bed skirt, which are also using the fabrics from the quilt (I’ve got 3 squares left over for the pillow(s), and a set of strips set aside for the skirt).

My local Sewing Center is holding a beginner quilting class this fall, and I plan on taking that to learn how to do the actual quilting aspect (plus how to better piece together fabrics, etc).

I love your goal of activism with quilting…I want to learn quilting so I can teach Nepalese women how to quilt so they can sell their quilts and gain more financial freedom. They have beautiful fabrics in Nepal and I recently met with a “women’s / sewing group” ...I had the idea…just as in American history…quilts were used to facilitate ‘freedom’ on the underground railroad…I think Nepali women can use quilting to help gain a little bit of “freedom” for themselves as well….
Namaste~
Heather

Always wanted a quilt.

6-8-08
Spending some time at home before I start my job, I picked out a pattern from mom’s book, shopped in mom’s “pantry” of cloths, and started my very own first quilt! I’m planning on putting it on my bed in my newly re-done bedroom at home so I can come home to something I am proud of. I’m about halfway done, and things are going well!

.....I have acquired a non-working sewing machine (it needs a power cord), a mess of starter fabrics, and a book- The Quilter’s Ultimate Visual Guide.

Now I need to take a sewing class, get the stuff for my sewing machine, and then….just start trying.

Quilting sounds reasonable and it does not have to take me far away from the computer.