Quilting Lesson

It is finally done. My first quilt is finished! Back in the fall I had the grand idea to make a t-shirt quilt for Conor and surprise him with it as a Christmas gift. Some of my friends had sent their college t-shirts off to a company that makes adorable quilts out of your beloved but no longer needed pile of college memories. I thought it would be an easy project and decided that I could make the quilt myself and save a little money in the meantime.

Thanks to Martha Stewart, I brushed up on some basic quilting terms and what materials I would need to start my project. Luckily, I have some fabulous seamstresses in my family and knew that I could look to them for advice if needed.

I set out with my basic knowledge and began rounding up Conor's old shirts from VMI that were overflowing in the dresser drawers. After I had cut all of the pieces and placed them in order (good thing I paid attention in geometry class) I was feeling pretty confident and thought the rest of the project would come together easily. RIGHT! Since we had moved this summer, I hadn't had my sewing machine out of the box so when I took it out and began to piece the fabric together, problems ensued... the machine is in the "Mom's Sewing Machine Repair and Urgent Care" as we speak. I guess it didn't appreciate being moved half-way across the country.

Needless to say, I ended up hand piecing the whole quilt together. That was a lot of stitching! Once I had the front pieced, it was time to put the batting and back on, bind the edges and actually quilt the whole thing together. Luckily, Grammer was there to help! She is a very talented quilter and can do all of those fancy designs and even make quilted bags and purses (watch out Vera Bradly)!

When we visited my grandparents over the holiday break, Grammer helped me finish the quilt. Besides the fact that she helped me with my sewing and quilting technique, she made me realize the importance of learning and sharing the craft. That afternoon spent in her sewing room learning and talking will always be one of my favorite memories. I hope that I can do the same thing with my grandaughter some day and she can teach hers and so on.

Here is the finished quilt. Conor was excited to see the final product and can't wait to use it for tailgating and football games next fall.