In a Nutshell

Quilting! Sadly, this seems to be a dying art, but it is my FAVORITE thing to do. One of the reasons this seems to be dying it seems is that many people don't even know what it is or what it takes. I thought my first blog post would be well spent glazing over some of this.

Step one: Making a plan.

Ideally, this is the first step. Any good quilter knows, however, that unsupervised trips to any good quilt shop can go differently than planned (such as purchasing gobs of fabric without a plan or need... and this is how stashes start). So see a need fill a need is always a good way to go. Have a plan. This includes a need. So step one is finding a need, such as a Christmas gift or wedding gift etc).

Step two: Pick a pattern and fabric.

This is one of my favorite parts! Nothing is more fun than going crazy in a fabric store and finding the perfect fit. Color schemes are important as well as the design. But more of that in a later post.

Step three: Getting started.

Now the real work begins. Time to get out your rotary cutter and cutting board. There are many details to this step beyond just cutting the right pieces to the right size and the right numbers of each piece. I personally like to get all of this done before any of my sewing starts.

Step four: Stitching!

Next you spend days and days sewing all those pieces you just cut back together in the correct order. This is when the magic begins and everything starts literally coming together! You are making art! You become a brilliant egotist and no one can stop you!

Step five: Quilting.

Here is the skill. This is what it all leads up to. This is all the detailed stitching that goes into the quilt that makes it, by definition, a quilt. Here is where you can really make your quilt pop! With so many options and techniques, the only thing holding you back is you.

Step six: Finishing touches.

This is the cool down lap. You have run the race and now you need a stretch. Finishing a quilt is rather simple. Of course, you need to put binding on the edge so that the raw edges are then completed. Another thing is just trimming down threads and making sure you didn't miss anything.

You now have a completed project! It is such a process and such a joy. No matter what the project or what the size, this is a HUGE accomplishment. In future posts, I plan on going into some of these steps more and just to show certain joys and loves I get out of this process!

#Quilting #finishingtouches #love #art #binding #sewing #cutting #skill #pattern #fabric #stash