SAMPLER QUILT
Sometimes I feel like a bit of a craft tornado, blasting through and leaving behind me a trail of unfinished projects. It’s certainly not for lack of interest, but usually I’ve overloaded myself with too many things at once. Perhaps you have sensed this about me already. Perhaps you are like this too? Too many ideas and ambitions and not enough hours of craft in the day. I have resolved this year to return to many of those abandoned items and finish them up, once and for all.
This sampler quilt was my first priority. I took Johanna’s sampler quilt class last January! It was one of the nicest class experiences I’ve had. Seven heavenly weeks of working alongside a superb group of ladies. The lessons I learned about quilting and sewing were invaluable. I fell a bit behind the class because of my shopkeeping duties and before I knew it, the class was over and MONTHS had passed.
In the last few weeks, I’ve been working on finishing this quilt. I even made an embroidered label. Apparently, I shouldn’t do freehand embroidery. The label is not my finest work and the next quilt label I do will be done with more care. (and hopefully skill!)
My patchwork potholders gave me good practice on doing continuous binding, so I found that part very satisfying. As soon as I had finished attaching the binding I threw the quilt in the washing machine and then the dryer. The satisfaction of looking at my puckery, washed quilt is incredible. In fact, I’m sitting on the couch right now underneath my sweet sampler and it’s so incredibly cozy.
I’ve got two other quilts in progess that I hope to finish this year – my queen-sized quilt and a nine patch quilt. Truthfully, I’d like to make ten other quilts this year but I’ll try to be realistic and account for the fact that I should sleep a few hours each night. Johanna is hatching up some exciting new quilting classes, so in the very least I’ll certainly have to ‘test’ those out.
For now, I’m basking in the sublime feeling of having finished my first quilt. I feel like I’ve been granted the honourable title of ‘quilter’, at long last.
11 comments
you go karyn! looks great all wrinkly – like it’s graduated to proper quilt status.
doesn’t it feel amazing? the high of new love (vs. the weight of neglect guilt). hifives!!!
Oh my goodness, this is lovely.
I am so jealous of that map fabric!
comme c’est beau! you’re so awesome!
oh karyn, if only there was a class out there just for bias binding. i suckity suck. it always looks nice in the front but the back is so hideous. i should start making cute little disclaimers for my bias bound projects: “please do not flip or look at the back”.
Karynnnnnn!!!! It looks absolutely lovely! I’m so proud of you for finishing it. Gold Star!! And, yes, you ARE a Quilter!!
Oh Karyn, that is so beautiful!
Melissa! I have the same problem as you.
Karyn knows how much I love making bias binding, but I so suck at sewing it onto anything (a slight kink in the plan!!-if only you could just endlessly make bias tape without actually having to adhere it to anything!)
In fact I gave a baby blanket to our friends for their new baby that involved bias tape binding and at the shower when they opened it I said that they could only show the ‘good side’ to everyone.
Maybe we do need a bias tape primer (or on-line tutorial)
i love that map fabric, I wish I wasn’t so far away from your shop. The geography geek in me is calling out to make a map quilt!!! Beautiful quilt, and I love your blog
Congratulations Karen!! It looks great. You are now an official member of the cult of quilting.
Very nice for a first quilt, very inspiring! The color combination is truly nice. I too wish I was close to your shop. Maybe on my next trip to visit family in Toronto …
Oh my gosh – Karyn, it’s gorgeous! Congratulations!
Ps I also adore the above mentioned map fabric.
Congratulations Karyn! It’s beautiful and was a great inspiration to my New Beginning Sampler. I’ll bring the top into the store when we’re ready for borders.
Carolanne