After almost 15 years I've become a pretty good quilter. I'm no [insert name of the most fabulous quilter/designer you can think of] but I can hold my own pretty good. I am self taught and have been able to teach myself everything I've wanted to...for the most part.
But anyone who knows me well, knows I hate machine quilting. It stresses me out. I dread the times when I have to quilt something myself. I'm worried about it not looking perfect. I'm worried that this project I've worked so hard on will be ruined by my lack of skill. I'm worried about people looking at it and thinking "she did THAT?!"
Get to the point...right? Well as you know I've been working on some samples for a shop that is going to vend at Houston Quilt Festival. Among the things I made, I completed four miniatures. When I said I'd do them I never stopped to think who was going to quilt them...not even for a second...what a dummy.
Things are crazy at the shop right now. My BFF for life is quilting day and night trying to get samples quilted so they can be bound before we leave for Houston. So she doesn't have time and besides they're 16" x 20". Who would ask someone to pin a tiny quilt to a huge Gammil to quilt it? I would! But I didn't.
I put on my big girl panties and quilted all four miniatures by my big girl self! Would you like to see them?
The first one turned out a little wonky so tilt your head ever so slightly to
straighten it out (stitch in the ditch and diagonal quilting in the outer borders).
The second one came out a little less wonky...sort of
(stitch in the ditch and more diagonal quilting).
My third attempt is where I branched out and tried to be a bit more creative.
It's not perfect by it'll do. I should have done thread color changes.
My fourth and last attempt I think turned out the best. I really tried to go all out for this one.
Because let's be honest...before this was quilted, it was just OK. Now I'm tickled pink with it.
So maybe I'll never be as good as Judi at
Green Fairy Quilts, Mary of
Quilt Hollow, or Margaret of
Sewing & Quilting Gallery. But I know now I can quilt a miniature without having a coronary. And who knows? Maybe someday I'll actually have the nerve to touch the longarm machine that resides in my dining room.
