My First Quilt

I decided that I wanted to make a quilt.  That's it! That's all it took!  Make up your mind to do something and do it! (Isn't that the case with most of life's lessons - make up your mind to do something, or to be somebody, and then have the courage to do it?) I rationalized that if women with no education could make quilts 150 years ago, I should be able to teach my self the same skill. 

1. I bought a book (Well, actually my wonderful husband who respects, honors, and encourages my hobbies got this for me as a Christmas gift about three years ago.)

 

2. Then I decided to practice with a T-shirt quilt.  That way if I failed, I didn't waste money on fabric. So I found a good Pintrest article.  These days with YouTube videos and Pintrest, you can teach yourself anything you set your mind to.  Here is the Pin I used for my T-shirt quilt:

 

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/252342385342640497/

 

3.  I made a pattern by cutting the side off a 6-pack.  You could do the same with an oatmeal box:

 

4. Then I start cutting away at my old Carolina t-shirts.  I cut 27 squares.  I was able to three squares out of some of my shirts by cutting the front pocket image and then two images from the back designs.

5. Then I ironed the t-shirts on to interfacing.  This gives the t-shirt material more strength to be sewn together. 

6. Then I laid out all the squares and decided how they should fit together.  I laid out three columns of nine and sewed them together.  I chose a classic Carolina Blue ginham pattern to create a boarder of four inches all the way around.  Then I followed all my books and YouTube video's directions for layering the quilt together, quilting it, and binding it.  The binding took the longest time, but other than that.......it was actually EASY!  You all can do it with the mindset and courage to go for it.

I am so pleased with the quilt.  It is not large enough to be a twin coverlet, but its larger than a crib quilt.  I made it for Rex and flatter myself (flatter myself by assuming that it will not fall apart in 6 months) that he will grow with it and always have it on the foot of his bed.  By using all my college t-shirts I think it will actually be a "cool" quilt for him to have in his teenage years because all the t-shirts are Carolina Basketball shirts.  Some actually have Final Four dates.  One of the shirts has the Carolina Illinois score from the Finals. (That will be cool - right?  I don't yet know how teenage boys will react to a quilt, HA)

Here is Camilla, my resident camera HAM posing with the finished product:



 

 

Next project: Quilts for her new bunk beds!!  I'll keep you posted.