Fall quilting

Every Fall I volunteer at a quilt auction, narrating the quilts to attract bidding. I drool over them all, thinking, I could bid on this one or that one and hang it in my house, but never successfully entering the final bid on any of the beautiful creations of the quilters.  So when I saw this quilt in a quilting magazine, I fell in love with it, telling myself I CAN DO THIS!!  The fabric arrived, all shimmery blues and sparkly gold enhanced cottons, and I set to work, thinking I CAN DO THIS.  Ummmhum.

I did learn something about quilting with satins. They shrink a bit when you steam a stabilizer on the back of the fabric.  Didn't know that, but learned it when I set the center satin square.  So I had to recut more satin squares to make sure I wasn't messing up the whole thing.  Relearned a bunch of geometry from sophomore year in high school too. This pattern was a bit tricky, it was supposed to be for "beginners".  Well, as a baby quilter I did a lot of growing up during the construction.  I learned how to do cross-hatching quilting, flower petal quilting (sort of free-handed using a plastic lid as a template), and really used my walking foot.  Stitch in the ditch was nothing , compared to the rest of the work.

So here it is, done and up on the wall. And when the quilt auction comes I will be thrilled once more to introduce those fantastic quilts, and talk up the bids, but I will also be happy to have mine already decorating our home.

And if you want to come to the quilt auction, it is part of the Apple Festival at the Raytown First Baptist Church, Saturday, September 8, 9-2 pm.  All proceeds go to benefit the Missouri Baptist Children's Home.