It's time for another week of Throwback Thursday over at Krista Quilts. I just discovered another Throwback Thursday link-up over at A Quarter Inch from the Edge. Last week I showed my first ever quilt, made along with my sister in spring of 1995. You can see that post HERE. This week I wanted to share the quilt I made in my first quilting class.
In the fall of 1995, I signed up for a beginning quilting class at Patched Works in Elm Grove, WI (the west side of the Milwaukee area.) The pattern we were making was a scrappy split nine-patch. Even then, I knew that I didn't like the "anything goes including the kitchen sink" type of scrappy quilt. I preferred a more limited color scheme and kept mine in the jewel tones. Many of the fabrics came from the scrap bins at the store, but I had already started collecting some fabrics myself. Here is a close-up showing a selection of prints.
We learned some tricks for making multiple half-square triangles, and the piecing was quick and fun. It took me close to a year to get the quilt layered, quilted and bound. The quilting is very simple, just stitch in the ditch. The borders don't lay very flat, but otherwise I am happy with this early effort. I learned that I love scrappy quilts as long as there is some cohesiveness to the fabrics chosen. I also figured out that for me piecing the quilt top is much more fun than the doing the quilting, something that is still true today.
 |
| Split Nine-Patch 1995 38.5" x 52.5" |
Julie in GA
I love your colour choices. I'm with you when it comes to scrappy quilts - I much prefer a controlled colour scheme. Thanks for linking up at Throwback Thursday.
ReplyDeleteWe're cut from the same cloth ... except that I didn't learn that lesson so early! Your color choice so 90s and still lovely. I love hearing the story behind the quilt.
ReplyDeleteLove the jewel tones and I totally hear you on not being a fan of kitchen sink scrappy! It's always amazing to me how, with a tweak of the fabric selection, most of our quilts from way back could be turned into modern masterpieces. Thanks for linking up with my version of Throwback Thursday. Hope I'll see you back on September 3rd!
ReplyDeleteThe colours are great - what's old is new, right?! I especially love the low volume scraps, so trendy and yet so timeless!
ReplyDeleteThat little quilt taught you a lot valuable lessons. I'm not a big fan of the actual quilting process either.
ReplyDeleteI really like the jewel tones you used in this one. Very pretty.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather piece than quilt as well.
Your choice of limiting the scraps is something I realize I have also been doing for a more cohesive or integrated look. When I step back I can see if one piece sticks out like a sore thumb and that has to go, either to a different color or shade. You started off with a bang and have just gone on to even better things.
ReplyDelete