It seems quite probable that I can only be considered supremely uncool as I like to spend my evenings making and creating. However, I AM OKAY WITH THAT. Ha! Perhaps a true sign that I am over my teenage years (er, at almost 26), I do not give two hoots what others think of how I spend my time, my housemates can give me funny looks and entertain themselves with pointless football, I shall make things. So there.
Well I suppose the point is I am incredibly pleased with myself because I have just completed my first patchwork quilt. It is not by any stretch perfect, but those imperfections are because I hand-crafted it and it is beautiful and I love it :)
Just in case anyone is interested, here is a quick run through of what I got up to. See also this
great blog and also
this one for some great tutorials and lots of inspiration. I spent a few hours searching the good old net and then I was away. I love the internet, and all the wonderful bloggers that put out amazing information for curious people like me.
This selection of tools makes life significantly easier, though of course a ruler and scissors would do. I went for a very simple design of lots of half-square triangles, made up from 10 different colours and patterns of fabric. I got half a metre of each fabric to make a double bed-sized quilt. There are plenty of tutorials for HST out there so I won't bore you, I cut 6.5" squares of each fabric (the size of the grid ruler!) for mine, then trimmed to 6" when I had sewn then into HST. I made up a whole load of squares, then laid them out on the floor to concoct a design. I went for 13x13 squares because I'm awkward :)
Make sure you label the rows when you gather them back up! I just piled them up left to right then pinned a row number to the top of the pile and kept them together in a plastic sleeve.
I stitched all the squares in each row together, then stitched the rows together. Trimming and pressing as you go makes life significantly easier. All the sewing done on my trusty £3 1946 handcrank Singer 99k, sewing machines do not need to be expensive!
Top done!
Then it was time to do the actual quilting. I made a sandwich with a double sheet (cheaper than fabric and no joining!), and the wadding/batting, then used curved safety pins to hold it all in place. And I finally got my 'new' sewing machine serviced, it is a beast! It is a Singer 401G, 1965, works like a dream and does loads of fancy stitches, unlike my 99k which will only go straight.
Sexy sewing machine :)
Border time! I probably did it in a completely unconventional way but I like how it looks :)
The final product. Like I say, I am just a little bit pleased with myself!
Also, I made a damn tasty dinner of stuffed squash, so I am one happy bunny :)
