18 Years Old and My First Quilt

Awwh the first quilt. It is always nice to look at where we started. After all documenting my craftiness was why I started this blog after all. Plus Bonnie Hunter over at Quiltville is hosting a linky about first quilts. So I thought I would join in.

This is my first quilt in all its bright colored glory. The fabrics really do tell the time. 

And yes, you did read that right.  I was 18 when this little (lol) hobby of mine started. Just like most everyone out there, I too have a story about how I became a quilter. This quilt was made over 12 years ago.  If you want to read the whole story, visit my about me page to see the journey I to finding my crafty side. 

Now back to the quilt. This quilt was made as a baby quilt for one of my good friends from high school. She is a day younger than me and we have always joke that I am like her older sister and she is like my younger, as she is the oldest and I am the youngest in our own families. 

When she told me she was going to keep the baby (when I say 18, we were just shortly past 18, both still living at home and both trying to figure out our futures), and I knew that it was going to be hard, and when she made that choice, she choose her future. So, I decided I wanted to do something special for her and her little one to come. 

It just happened that there was a new quilt shop in town, that I had frequented with my mom and a really close family friend a few. They even sold sewing machines there too. Now I could have used my mom's, but instead I saved up what little money/tips I was making at a local restaurant and bought my first sewing machine.

Then my mom, our family friend, and I decided to take a quilting class at that LQS. My mom was making a quilt for my soon to be niece and I made a baby quilt for my friend. After the 3 classes, with my moms help to actually quilt and bind it, I had made my first quilt.

I don't remember all the details. I do know that the pattern is Jewel Box. I bought the book, way back when, but now it is a free pattern by Jinny Beyer.  I should have written more information down. I actually didn't take the picture until years after I gave it to my friend and her baby. Although the quilt was on the wall when I came by, she assured me, it still got used.

I haven't really talked to my friend, who helped me become a quilter for a long time. However, knowing her is part of the reason I choose to quilt and I am very grateful that I was able to make something like this for her. Even with all of its flaws and the difficulty I had making/learning this quilt, I am so glad that I took that first step and started quilting. As you can see back then I didn't always follow the directions or the norms of the time. I got so many weird looks for choosing that yellow as my neutral :) 

To read more about my path of quilting, just check out my about me page, you can also learn more about me there too. Or to see more quilts, check out my completed quilts page. 

To see other first quilts or link your own - go to quiltville