Wednesday, 23 May 2012

Quilting Crazy

Good Morning Lovely Readers


Well I did it! I finally did it! You see I feel I should explain that I have been wanting to quilt for as long as I can remember and in Blogland I see all these adorable quilts (the amazing Debbie over at Nanny's Place http://myblog-nannysplace.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/here-we-go-new-week.html or Frugal Queen or Carla at http://halfdozendaily.typepad.com/my-half-dozen-daily/ who pieces together beautiful things) and I was just too scared to try. I am a perfectionist and I will procrastinate rather than get something wrong. Anyway, when Debbie posted yet another of her quilts this week I thought I would just have to give it a go. I sew, I knit, I crochet (now), I can cross-stitch and am happy doing most handicrafts but I could never quite get my head around quilting.


My first attempt at the beginning of the week saw me sitting at the kitchen table with a lot of old shirts cutting madly. It took me 3 hours to cut about 15 perfect squares .....and I got bored. Surely it can't take that long..... or rather, it shouldn't. I mean to say, you need over 100 for a quilt??? Come on you quilters, tell me the secret, how do you cut your pieces? 


So I looked on eBay and I spent some money...........


I discovered charm packs and bought these. The brights are earmarked for a kid's quilt and the faded ones for a quilt for Mr Thrifty and I. I havebeen wanting to do this for as long as we have been together (almost 28 years).  I paid about £9.50 for each of these and have already worked out that they are a lot cheaper in the US and Canada, so I shall be stocking up when I go to Canada in a couple of weeks...





As soon as they arrived in the mail I spread the brights on the lounge floor and started stitching and  ta da.....







Now there are some tiny mistakes but I can live with that and they won't affect the final quilt. As you can see this isn't yet big enough for a single bed, so I have to work out what to do next. All suggestions gratefully received. I thought about putting a plain border all the way round and then adding some more squares ... would that work?

I am very giddy ....... and of course I still love crochet - I am already thinking about the Mojo that Stocki posted http://stocki.blogspot.co.uk/ and anyway, I would struggle to crochet in the car... please don't panic, I only crochet when Mr Thrifty is driving...

Have a wonderful day

Love Mrs Thrifty
xxx

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17 comments:

  1. DaisyChain23 May 2012 at 08:53

    That looks great and is certainly better than my first effort. I think two plain borders - a narrow one and a wide one would finish it off nicely.

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  2. Tangled Sweetpea23 May 2012 at 09:47

    Looks fab! Unfortunately me and sewing machines do not get on :)
    Victoria xx

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  3. FeatherDuster23 May 2012 at 10:21

    1. Rotary cutter (Most commonly used is a 45 mm)

    2. Cutting mat. I prefer using one small enough to set on my kitchen or bathroom countertop, so I don't get a sore back bending over a table. Mine is 17" x 11"

    3. Acrylic quilters ruler. My favorite size is 4" x 14", although many people prefer one 6" wide by about 18" long. I also use my 6.5" square ruler a lot.

    These 3 items are a tremendous help for speeding up the cutting process, as well as much more accurate and less painful/tiring than scissors.

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  4. Cindy@NorthofWiarton23 May 2012 at 11:17

    You are so totally brave and talented to set out to do such. Lovely !

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  5. Debby23 May 2012 at 11:32

    Look at you!!!! Great job. I agree with Daisychain, 2 borders should finish it off. I use a 17x25 self heeling mat, I like the bigger one so I can cut the width of fabric. Check out the Missouri quilt company video's they have tons of easy to follow along idea's and tips. Charm packs cost $9.95 in my area, they are great for quick projects. Also check out Moda Bake Shop for lots of free patterns and idea's. Congrats on your first quilt!!

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  6. Mylittlepieceofengland23 May 2012 at 12:53

    Wow, you did it so quickly, and it looks so lovely. Well done you, I feel inspired! I have done one quilt, but it really is something I would love to do more of... watching with interest :) xx

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  7. FourHappyBunnies23 May 2012 at 13:24

    Wow! Quilting is on my list too but I am useless with a sewing machine. I am seriously impressed with your work! Xx

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  8. Jane and Chris23 May 2012 at 13:42

    If you pick up quilting as fast as you did crochet then you'll be having your own exhibitions soon, and we'll have to pay to see your quilts!
    Jane x

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  9. Tina23 May 2012 at 15:44

    Hi!
    Thank you for your comment and for following my blog. I love your quilt, it looks bright and cheery.
    xx

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  10. bellaboo23 May 2012 at 18:26

    It looks wonderful! That's the next skill I want to master.I've started to crochet and I love it!
    Thank you for entering my giveaway and for putting a link on your blog,very sweet of you.
    Enjoy the sunshine! :0)

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  11. Lexie23 May 2012 at 20:22

    Hi there,

    Thanks for following my blog and introducing me to yours! I am your newest follower :)

    Lexie @ piecesofwonderful.blogspot.com

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  12. Unknown23 May 2012 at 21:47

    Just catching up with your posts.

    Thank you so much for sharing that wonderful history about the Dordogne. We visited Bergerac and stayed in Vert a few years ago and absolutely loved it there. I loved the film Chocolat, wonderful scenery. I want to read the book too as I love Joanne Harris.

    Your quilt looks great. Do you hand stitch? Buying those squares is a great idea, so worth it.

    Sft x

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  13. linda23 May 2012 at 22:39

    That looks really great, I love quilting but I can't do it, I can remember making hexagons many moons ago and sewing them all together by hand what a lot of work it was, I soon got fed up and it ended up as a cushion cover lol you never know I may master it one day. Thanks for dropping by my blog and leaving such lovely comments, the roses on the top poncho are very easy once you have mastered them and very addictive, just follow the link to Astri's blog if you fancy giving them a try she has a video tutorial. :)

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  14. Bonnie23 May 2012 at 22:45

    Oh I love all the colors. I do love a pretty quilt. I would love to have an old fashioned quilting bee, but I really cannot add another thing with which to obsess. Bonnie

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  15. Connie24 May 2012 at 03:37

    Thank you for visiting my blog and following. I am now following you, too. I love making new blogging friends. looking forward to sharing ideas. I'm new to quilting projects of any kind, so I'm looking forward to learning from you. Have a great day, Connie :)

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  16. Lillie and Moss24 May 2012 at 16:08

    Hello. this is Shari... I have noticed that you are one of my new followers and wanted to say thankyou for visiting and joining my so called group!... I love quilting also but my passion is crocheting.. I have made a few quilts but gave them away before I snap a picture..Well please come back any time and I am a new follower to you as well!
    Have a lovely day!
    Shari :)

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  17. Mrs Thrifty24 May 2012 at 17:39

    Thank you so much for all your lovely comments and for the advice too - I think 2 borders it is .... then I have to tackle the batting and then backing and the quilting .... oh my, what have I started? Sft - all done on the machine I'm afraid - hand stitching would take me forever. xx

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Thank you for commenting - I do enjoy reading them xx

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