In the genes.

Quilting, the love of it, the ability to do it, is in my genes..  I am sure.

I grew up helping and watching (mostly) my mom and grandma, my great aunts even, while they quilted.  Laying underneath the quilt on the frames, watching how fast they would work, learning how to roll it, and get a good, tight roll.  From that point on, I have loved doing it. 

I made my first quilt when I was twelve years old.  I used a pile of scraps that my grandma gave me.  They consisted of everything from polyester knits to 100% cottons.  Quite the mix for a pieced quilt.

I pieced it together using a re-furbished old Singer that had issues with it’s tension.  I didn’t use it much after, out of frustration mostly.  I think it’s still in my parents crawl space, but I really want to conquer it.  Like, bad.

I bound my funky little pieced quilt by hand as I sat with my grandma, and as my mom and brothers shoveled snow off of her roof.  It was an exciting winter.  I am sure, if I tried, I could find that picture..

If I really wanted to, I could dig in my cedar chest, waaay down to the bottom and un-earth that first little quilt of mine.  Then you could see just how far I have come.

I have made many quilt since then.  I like to think of it as our storage of warmth in case we lose power for an extended period of time.  I have no blanket shortage here.

Here’s the latest:

   

I have to admit, I have had this material for more than two years.  I bought it when I heard that my sister-in-law was having a girl.  I saw it, and fell in love with it, thought it would make a darling quilt for a baby girl.  Then, she posted her nursery on her blog, and there was the same fabric.  Needless to say, since she is also an amazing quilter, I gave up on that.  So it has sat.  Then I decided to do something about it and just do it!

(Maybe if I have another baby girl..  someday.)

(Or maybe I will just hold on to it for a grandbaby..)

(Do you know my husband?)

I got really giddy about making my own bias tape.  Grandma left behind her own little pattern for making the fun stuff, but I also found helps on the internet.  There are great resources out there.  My favorite one for pictorial help is here and the technical one is here.

(I am not so proficient in math, but that technical one is awesome, I found the most help there.)

It was fun making it.  I am not going to lie, I got a bit geeked-out about it.  But it matches my quilt perfectly and I love it!

I already have another one in the works, ready and waiting..  if the weather stays the way it has, slightly warm, rainy, snowy, warmer, windy, snowy..  it will be perfect weather to be snuggled-up inside working on another one.