a quilter i shall become

my mom is a quilter. like a real life, i can whip up some amazing stuff, quilter. as far as my mind can stretch, there have been quilts. on beds. draped over couches. picnics on the lawn. in dog beds. as gifts. adorning walls. even wrapped around our sweet, sweet boxer penny in her grave.

i have watched many a quilt come to life. i have joined my mom on trips to fabric shops, the machine quilter's house, machine repair shops. lots of places.

she has made me many quilts. some of which i 'kinda' helped with. others not so much. ryan has his own special quilt. the babies have a small collection.

and it wasn't until recently that something said has haunted me. while at a baby shower, i was talking to my mom's quilter friend, and she said to me:

'ya... K {her daughter} came to me and wanted me to teach her to sew. she said she needed to learn this since i'm not going to be here forever.'

it stopped me dead in my tracts. this fact is true.

my mom actually learned how to quilt by herself. but i wanted to have it passed down to me. i want to do it like my mom. i want to have this special thing that in 100 years, when my mom is gone, {ummm.... yes, my mom will be living until she is 152} that i can pass down. or look back on with pride. and gratitude.

so... despite two under two, despite work, despite housework and paperwork... a quilter i shall become. and really... what better than to learn from a pro. it's like free tutoring. mixed with a little youtube when i hit a bump in the road at 11pm and my mom is surely asleep.

and i now present to you my very first {almost finished} 'all by my big girl self' quilt:

my mom let me borrow a book with a quilt that matched my ability level and color admiration. it was the perfect pattern to inspire me.

i set off with book in tow to Rosie's with auntie m... who has magically become a quilter herself.

found these gems. skipped home with a bag full of treasures.

studied the pattern. the pieces. the details. read everything four times. ryan always says... 'measure twice, cut once' when he's out making something in the garage. it never works for him though!

i set up camp in the kitchen. it was a great work space to cut. no leaning down. it was smooth sailing until ryan booted me to the office. for some odd reason he didn't believe sewing should take precedence over dinners. hmmmmm. 

organized my pieces.

and sewed. and completed my first block. 

i referred to the book often. 

and before i knew it, my four blocks were being sewn together.

and then... the sides and the border.

and there you have it. very excited, very proud. no rotary blade cuts on my novice fingers. 

to do:

buy the backing fabric during the 'quilt run' that starts march 3rd. cut binding strips. send to the machine quilters house. add binding and blog again :)

{and my phone has the handiest little bobbin tutorial on the homepage now. i think when i become a 'real' quilter i will no longer need to refer to it. until then... no more jammed sewing machine.}