Modern Quilting Bee = Bitch 'n Stitch

About three years ago, my friend Sheri encouraged me to give quilting a go. Sheri was a textile design major in college, so I took her suggestion and judgment of my artistic potential as a huge compliment and decided to give it a go.

I immediately thought it would be really cool to make my first quilt on Phil's grandmother's old Singer I'd inherited when she passed away. So, I pull the machine out for the first time and decide I'll start "easy" with a full-sized quilt for my Mom and Dad for Christmas. It was November. :o) The only other time I remember ever using a sewing machine before I picked up quilting was in 7th grade home economics where I made an apron with Super Mario Brothers fabric (and I didn't even own a Nintendo).

So, Sheri helped me pick out fabrics that would combine to be my tastes of more modern and minimalist than the traditional country quilt, then I started plugging away on my ancient machine. I didn't have any training or classes, I just started sewing. Things were moving along nicely for a few days, then the sewing machine totally pooped out. It was going to cost a lot to fix and I didn't have time. So, I picked up the cheapest sewing machine I could buy at Wal-Mart. I finished the top of the quilt and started the hand-quilting long about Thanksgiving time. This is the part that most quilters either skip, hire others to do, or just do by machine, but the hand quilting part was my immediate favorite step. Hand quilting is really an art and just adds that much more personalization and care to the piece. It doesn't turn out a perfectly-uniform piece, but it looks more soft and special. It takes forever, but is well worth the effort.

I finally finished Mom and Dad's Christmas gift the March after that Christmas, but they really liked it and redesigned their bedroom so they could use it as the centerpiece. Since then, I've made a Cardinals-themed modern small quilt for my brother that he uses constantly, a monotone quilt for Phil and me that's not quite finished yet, and a few baby blankets for friends and family that are either used or mounted in their nurseries.

So, when Heidi got engaged, I thought the perfect personalized wedding present would be a hand-made quilt. She's definitely a Crate & Barrel type of girl, so I'm making a modern quilt that was designed by Denyse Schmidt. I'm not making the exact quilt in the picture above, but it gives you an idea of how beautiful Denyse Schmidt's work is. She creates her own designs and puts them together then hires Amish women in Minnesota to do the hand-quilting. I really want to eventually make amazing and beautiful hand-made art like hers with a modern edge. I really like the fact that I'm a modern, tech savvy girl with an age-old hobby that I can now call my own. Of course, I do it my own way -- in front of the TV. :o) Yes, I quilt while I'm watching Entourage and Extras. How many women in the history do you think quilted while f-bombs were flying? :o)

Regardless of how I do it, I thoroughly enjoy quilting and I'm always excited and proud of the final pieces. If I could make money quilting amazing pieces like this, I'd do it in a heartbeat.