In the Beginning; First quilt

So here it is. The one that started it all. This is my very first quilt, a full-sized, hand tied basic quilt made for my son. This is the only picture that I have of it and the quilt itself is now a little less photogenic.The colors aren't that true in the pic, but they are a rich brown, a blue and a green of a similar tone. I wanted to choose "boyish" colors, but the truth is, I've always been attracted to earth tones, anyway.

I chose a white flannel for the backing since I love the feel of flannel on my skin and I also love my kid, so there was no alternative. For similar, if less logical, reasons, I chose Warm and Natural Batting. Much more expensive, but it seemed to be a blanket in its own right, soft and warm and sturdy. Exactly what I would want for a quilt made for my kid. It is still my batting of choice. I always take time to smooth some against my skin when I first lay it out, even now.

A friend of mine, Beth, walked me through the quilting process. I think she was a little overwhelmed with my intensity...I was often ready for the next step way faster than she was expecting. She tried to get me to slow down, but once I started, I didn't really know how to stop. That's true today...if a project I enjoy is in the works, it's really hard for me to rest until it's done.

As I said, this quilt was hand-tied. I didn't learn about free-motion stitching until much later, and this kept my hands and mind full for awhile. I learned how cut with a rotary cutter, to piece strips and blocks, how to match blocks, how to hand bind a quilt, how to follow a pattern...all of the basics that seemed so difficult then and so tedious to me now.

So that's all there really is to tell about this quilt. My son loved it. I loved it. It's filthy with mistakes, but all the more valuable to me because of them. I never named this quilt, but I guess I could call it "Parenthood" for those same reasons.