This didn’t take but an hour or two and as soon as he was done I drove Red into town to the car wash!! So much field dirt this past month that it didn’t make sense to wash it before now.
This is Irene Grote in Fredericksburg , TX with a few of her cards! I just love these pictures, don’t you? A simple card multiplied many times over brings such joy to the receiver – thank you again for knowing that kindness matters. It looks like she also got roses for her birthday.
And here’s our next discussion question. Show us a picture of your first quilt. If you have no picture just tell us in a comment what it was.
I’m going to show you mine and I am telling you right now I know this was ridiculous. Can you believe I chose a 5” LeMoyne Star? I was working at Job Service and I sewed by hand during every break. Look at those old fashioned calicos that were the only thing available in the early 70’s.
Crooked, bad stitches, poly cotton white fabric and blue sashing poly cotton and centers that don’t come together – look how the sashing was quilted!
BUT – I wasn’t discouraged and here it is 50 years later and I’m still at it. Haha!
That’s my story – now let’s hear yours.
I will try to send a picture of my first quilt, though it may take a few days.
Canada post is finally back to work, mostly, and my mother in law received 12 cards today. She told me she couldn’t believe strangers would send cards and they
cards are making her so happy. Gerry asked me to pass a big Thank You onto the card senders. This has brightened her day getting so many cards.
Finally I can send some cards out as well. That makes me happy too.
Have a great evening everyone.
Teresa – I think I should post her again – 12 cards is simply not enough.
It’s ok Mary, there’s probably more still waiting to be delivered. They just started delivering all the back log the day before yesterday. Last time they were on strike it took over a month to catch up. There’s probably lots more to come.
Teresa – will you let me know how it goes? I won’t post her address again just now –
I sure will. They are always slow to deliver when they get back to work. I will let you know how it goes.
My first quilt: In 1973, I had polyester double knit scraps and cut everything into 5” squares to make a queen size quilt for our bed. Friends & family contributed scraps and the quilt top was pieced by me. Double knit was very popular back then.
I bought a white flannel sheet for backing and Grandma tied it with yarn then I turned the edges into each other, (knife edge) stitched all around and finished it this way instead of a binding. I probably didn’t know what a binding was anyhow.
I embroidered 1973 on the back so that’s why I know the exact year. It’s on the spare bed downstairs and I’ve had overnight guests remark about the date. It’s not pretty, but still in service 52 years later.
Present day: I was storing on box of double knit so I cut them in 8” squares and sewed 3 twin size quilts then backed them with fleece (no batting) and tied them. Our son in law claimed all 3 for his ice fishing shack and loves them. Also our church was given a huge tote of double knit all cut in 5” squares and nobody wanted anything to do with it, so I sewed 2 king size tops. Our church ladies tied them (no batting) and donated them. They’ll never wear out ! I don’t mind sewing knit but I dislike pressing them and my sewing room is “polyester free” now.
I love the picture of Irene with her cards!
Great post today. Your first quilt is special. And to think you worked on it at work. Thanks for sharing. I only have my first at my house right now because it needs to be mended. It’s so thin!! Barely think it can be mended, but I’m going to try. It had been an my grandson’s bed growing up. His baby is due the end of October.
The inspiration for my first quilt came from the Magazine Decorating and Craft Ideas back in the 70’s.
It was a baby quilt I made for my cousin’s baby . A mixture of different colors and sizes in pastel gingham with a cotton eyelet lace trim. It was tied with a flannel backing. And, many years later, I’m still quilting.
All our fields have been cut also. It is always so sad to see all the brown. With one field very close to the house now we have hordes of Asian beetles of which I hate and those little suckers bite. Lol
Brenda Ks – the beetles have now gone from here with maybe just a few stragglers. We are glad!
YES! And you don’t have to be very close to a field. Even in town we can tell when soybean harvest begins. Those little tan invaders are everywhere. And they smell bad if you squish them. Ugh! Thank goodness they are followed by the smell of popcorn in the air as the grain dryers are fired up for corn harvest! Kris in WI
I made my first quilt when I was 8 years old. I will get it out and send a photo of it. BUT, when I restarted quilting, when my first born was about to arrive in 1980, I made a baby quilt for him and it was the same pattern as your first quilt. Haha! There must not have been very many patterns at that time.
Lori – you know, I’ll bet you’re right – quilting was coming back again and this is such a traditional pattern that they all published it. I don’t even want to do another today however
My first quilt was a queen size Trip Around the World. When our son was born, my husbands aunt sent him a baby Trip Around the World quilt and I loved it. I’d always sewn so I figured I could replicate the design just bigger, having never made a quilt before! So I got out graph paper to plan it and chopped squares up from all the different fabrics in my “stash” (which of course was clothing fabrics) and pieced this huge , rather heavy top. I backed it with a sheet and the batting was a thermal blanket! I did tie it because that’s how the baby quilt was done. Oh my that thing was HEAVY but I’d made it for my brother and his wife who lived on the coast of Oregon and figured it would keep them warm!!! (the probably could’t move under it!!!) They loved it and used it! And I gradually got into quilting and started working in a local shop. So years went by and upon visiting my brother and his wife at a new home they had built saw the quilt on their bed….still in one piece!!! What a monstrosity!!! Most of the synthetics and linens had disintegrated and disolved! They had tried to fuse extra pieces of fabric in to cover the holes!! Needles to say I was terribly embarrassed and told them I’d make them a REAL QUILT and said they had to burn this thing!! Thankfully there’s no pictures of it and their second quilt was one I was proud of!! Live and learn!!!
My first quilts or quilts were sewing denim pieces together to make bedspreads for the kids bunk beds. We have four. There was no batting. My husband tied them and then I turned the ends in and stitched around for the binding because I hadn’t figured out how to make the binding and sew it on. Each of the kids had one. Our oldest son has kept his probably about 30-35 years old. When the kids were on their own, a store was closing in town. I noticed the quilting rulers in the craft section. Gradually I used them and learned how to use the easy angle ruler, the companion ruler by reading Bonnie Hunter’s quilting hints. I have made many quilts since. One of my favorites is Mary’s pattern “Hidden in plain sight.”
I’ll tell you about my first quilt, since I have no idea how to add a pic to this comment 🤦🏼♀️
It was done in the early 80’s, since my first project in 1979 when I first began quilting, were placemats done by hand.
My first quilt was all pieced by hand..12” finished sampler blocks…Seafoam-ish green and a coral-ish pink. Cream background. They were all made in (mostly) solids, which I really don’t use much any more. I also used a small floral print. I only had it long armed about 5 yrs ago….it sat as a top for years! I had intended to quilt it by hand, but I’m such a slow hand quilter, I’d never get it done.
I made it in my 20’s and it was quilted in my very late 60’s..in my 70’s now. Not bad, right?! 😂
That “RU Nuts” quilt cracks me up. I wish I had time to make it.
I’m always a little sad to see the crops gone from the fields, but I do remember how relieved my dad was whenever harvest was done. It meant some security for another season.
Thank you for showing your early quilt. We all start somewhere and rarely make a judge-worthy quilt the first time around. But isn’t that quilt precious? My first one was made all by hand and was dreadfully under-quilted, but it’s still around.
Yes, living on or by a farm or on a dirt road keeps everything dirty outside and inside the house. I loved growing up on a dairy farm, seeing nature first hand and experiencing lots of things that other kids didn’t ever see. When we were a young age, maybe 8 or 9, we were taught one of the rules of the house. You can go to bed anytime you want, but you get up when we call and go to work. You learned really fast that going to bed at midnight might seem fun, but getting up at 5:00 am and doing farm work wasn’t a good mix.
I still have the first quilt I ever made and will try to take a picture of it. It was a double irish chain with a seminole border – a Quilt in a Day pattern. A friend taught me how to make this quilt, but she didn’t have any knowledge about proper quilting practices, like a 1/4″ seam. I used cheap polyester and cheap cotton together in the top, this really cheap batting and a cheap muslin for the backing. I did the Quilt in a Day quick turn method, so there was no binding. It was a large full size quilt and I was determined to do it all myself. I quilted it on my domestic machine with cheap invisible thread and it looked terrible, but I was so proud! When I got a longarm machine, I decided to add some quilting to this quilt. I loaded it on the longarm and put quilting in the large open spaces that didn’t have any quilting. I started with one color of thread and ran out, so I just switched to another color. This quilt is full of memories. And, I realized really quickly that quality fabric and supplies are necessary. Don’t waste your time making a beautiful quilt with cheap supplies.
Diane O – I agree 100% – I would never make a quilt out of poor quality fabric.
Hi Mary. I love the Oh Nuts quilt. I am putting my check in the mail to you today.
I also think Diane’s panel quilt donation to the humane society is maybe the cutest panel I’ve seen. Your first quilt is very sweet. Considering what you had to work with, it is lovely. My first quilt was a little doll quilt that I made about 1985. My son was little. It was a mess and I don’t have it or a picture anymore. I do remember that it was a red white and blue and that is still my favorite combination.
Hi Mary, l went to a craft course, thought it was fabric basket, turned out patchwork, by second lesson I was hooked! Sampler quilt on bed for twenty five years, then donated to flood victims, along with a few others as l downsized and moved.l remember standing at the bedroom door and admiring it for many months when l first made it. Take care everyone, best wishes from Sandy
My first quilt was squares of Holly Hobbie fabric and pink and denim blue. Very simple, I tied it, daughter had it for YEARS! Loved it no matter what. I remember the pride I felt seeing on her bed. Yes, and I love Nuts, I’ll be sending an envelope.