My First Quilt

I started my first quilt when I was 12. My next door neighbor's mom taught me and her daughter how to make a quilt block. Betty was the mom..Betty made all sorts of things from quilts to clothes..gosh she can sew..still does. Betty taught me how to make one block. Made me cut up newspaper too and had to use that to sew the 3 pieces of the block to. I worked on that quilt top for a while. Betty let us have our pick of fabrics from her stash...not all her stash..just a certain section that she pointed to and told us to have at it. LOL! All those fabrics came from her stash. One of the fabrics I should not have picked and no one told me any better..that one was like a linen type of fabric..the only fabric that has worn in this whole quilt. It is coming apart at the seam lines on that one fabric...have been hand sewing those seams up over the past several years. Finally got to the point of using fabric glue in a couple of spots on those seams.

I had no direction on this quilt other than that one block. After that, I was on my own. I used a sheet for the backing...brought it around to the front for the binding/border..had no clue what I was doing..but..I did it..the quilt is not square..it's wonky..but..close enough for my first one. I tied it too..didn't know what I was doing..there was no internet back in those days either..we are talking about 1977 here. I just figured it out from quilts I had seen in real life from time to time that were tied. I used a dark blue yarn I bought from either Richway or Zayer's. The yarn has held up all these years and all those washings..this quilt has been washed over and over again. The yarn does not even fuzz up as some quilters have mentioned their's has...I don't understand why their's did and mine has not..must be the type of yarn???? I dunno!!

This quilt was first used by my son when he was newborn..it sat in the linen closet for years until 1992. I have hardwood floors and had a newborn that rolled over and scooted across the room at 4 days old!!! Babies don't do that..but mine did!! So, had to have something big to layout for him to lay on...pulled that quilt out of the closet and it was perfect..he is 19 now..almost 20 and he still uses that quilt on his bed here at the house..he loves it. He loves all quilts to be tied now..he hates them quilted by thread and he especially hates a quilt that is quilted to death..they are too stiff..he and I like quilts that are soft that can wrap around you..don't want to wrap a board around us. He also had to have our Golden Retriever Sadie in bed with him. LOL! Sadie passed away 10-12-2010. She was a great dog!