The Beginning

I've been quilting 2 or 3 years now. As I start this blog I think back to how it started. It was actually my friend Jessy who said we should take a quilting class. The class was taught by Janie Rupe at the Meandering Stitch (no longer open) in Clarksville, TN. It was the everything a quilt store should be (fabulous fabric, coffee, and a friendly staff). We came in the morning of, bought our rulers, pattern (Yellow Brick Road by Atkinson Designs), got help picking our colors through fat quarters (the hardest part) and settled in behind our sewing machines.

Then we learned first you iron. I have to tell you I wasn't thrilled with the idea of so much ironing to quilt. I loved the math part of the quilting process. It's not hard math and it's not intensive; but, for an analytical person like myself I think that piecing with all of the measuring and cutting of the fabric is probably my favoire part of the process (well except maybe the shopping part).

So that first day I picked my fabrics, ironed them, cut them as neded, and started piecing them together. The following weekends I visited the quilt shop a lot. I met Pam, Linda, and many others those first few weeks. I learned a lot about sewing, quilting, fabrics, color theory etc...

That first quilt started me down a road I never thought I'd take. Quilts to me seemed difficult, "BIG", complicated, old. I've now involved 2 sisters, a grandmother, and my mom in quilting. they haven't fallen head over heels for quilting yet; but, we've completed numerous quilts together across the continent (Thank you USPS).

So that first quilt was a lap sized, yellow brick road, based on a Windham Colonial replica fabric (if I remember correctly) and I added some modern patterns in with it. I'm attaching a picture of just the top.

peaceful quilting - Michelle