First Quilt EVER

A friend asked me, or did I actually offer..?  I can't remember anymore, but when she was pregnant, it was decided I'll make her new baby a quilt, because she couldn't find one to match her green and purple nursery.  That was last year, and the baby is almost crawling, or is..  So, it was a good time to finally get that quilt done.

On a recent Colorado trip, when I signed up for a two hour fishing trip, Mr Snork remarked that I don't like fishing, I just like catching fish.  In the same way that I might not actually like quilting.  I like quilts, and the idea of making them, and definately shopping for fabric.   I liked shopping so much that I ended up with enough green and purple fabric to outfit a daycare nursery.   The cutting is so atrocious I recruit Mr Snork and his OCD tendencies to cut the same thing over and over and over and over..  again.  Him and his angelic patience were obviously built for quilting.  The piecing is only fun until I've made the block.  One I see what it's like, I'm kind of over it, and making 20, 30 more doesn't seem that fun.  Well, may be two blocks.

I've made a partial quilt top before, and some blocks for a different quilt, but it was only this time I discovered assembly line sewing.  This quilt top came together in two days, cut to finish.

I bought all kinds of books about machine quilting, but in the end I chickened out and took it to a professional to have it quilted.  I was pretty sure I'd have to rip out millions of stitches, and it was a gift quilt.. and a year late.   It came out adorable, and I am now super happy with that choice.  Just from sewing on the binding, it seems hard to move that quilt around on my small table, and quilting it seems out of my skill realm.  May be if I get super bored one day?  Luckily, through a local quilt shop, I found a longarm quilting lady in San Clemente, who's fabulous, as well as a quilting guy whose specialty seems to be upholstery, but he also quilts on his industrial machines.  He charges next to nothing, and I'm a little sad that his shop is empty every time I go in.  Am I his only customer?  He needs to stay in business for the next at LEAST 10 quilt ideas I have.   Donna in San Clemente uses an actual long arm sewing machine, and does not drink a Corona before she starts (that I know of), and can do pretty things, like butterflies, hearts and flowers.  It's a bit of a drive, but totally worth it.

And then after all was said and done, I washed the new quilt and it shrunk.  3.5" all around.  Which was almost catastrophic.  Except I made it extra big, 42x49, so now that the baby is crawling anyway, she can use it in the crib, etc.  So I almost cried, but then didn't.  Whew.

Mouse and Littlest are super excited to participate in gift giving.  

Now, since I have allll that fabric, shall I make a matching gift bag??