A Finish: My First...lots of things!

I am so excited to share with you today!

I started quilting in the summer of 2014, so there are a lot of things in the quilting universe that are new to me...and I am so enjoying the opportunities that I have to learn and try new things!

The quilt that I finished this week had a lot of "firsts" for me...

This is the first time that I've tried improvisational piecing...I was gifted the book "Minimal Quiltmaking" by Gwen Marston, and what a marvelous book it is! I had the best time using her suggestions to explore making this quilt, and plan to make several more! I planned out the front of the quilt (above), then had the idea for the vertical design (below)...but once made, couldn't decide which I liked better...so the recipients get to decide which is the front and back!

This was the first time that I have tried spiral quilting...and what fun it was! I read through a couple of posts on Pinterest about how to do it...the key seems to be realizing that you will be stitching just two or three stitches at a time for the first ten or twelve spirals. As long as you remember to be patient, it comes out so stunning!

This was my first attempt at glue basting...oh my, I am hooked!!! I like to bind my quilts completely by machine, first stitching the binding to the front, then folding it around the edge to the back and stitching in the ditch from the front and (hopefully) catching the binding. Even with careful pinning it was a hit or miss process, and I would often have to repin and restitch several sections that I had missed.

Well, with glue basting...I didn't have to do that!!! The binding stayed right where it was glued, and my stitching looks marvelous on the edge!!! And take a look at those corners...all four of them look this good!!! I am so pleased with this technique!

And the first for this quilt that has me hopping up and down with excitement? This was my very first commission quilt!!!!!! I am so excited that I was actually paid to design and sew this quilt for a baby that is due soon! How wonderful is that?! After it was finished I washed it up to make it all crinkly and soft, then packaged it up and mailed it to the grandma-to-be. Just two short days later she received it, and she loves it!

Oh, and I couldn't resist playing with the scraps a bit...I made a card that coordinates with the quilt to gift with it, if grandma wants to. I think that I'll do this for more of my quilts that are intended as gifts...it was so quick and easy, and it looks great with the quilt!

So that was my big adventure for the week!

Thank you for stopping by,

Meredith

Linking up with:
Blossom Heart Quilts
Quilt Story
Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Crazy Mom Quilts