| My grandmother and mother are both quilters. I love | | | | quilting they can create designs and patterns in the |
| looking at the works of art that each have created | | | | patchwork quilt by the placement of the colored |
| over the years. My sister and I decided that we would | | | | fabrics. I decided that I would make the patchwork quilt |
| like to learn how to quilt to keep this tradition alive in the | | | | for the bed in our guest room. I wanted jewel tones |
| family. Our mother makes very elaborate | | | | for this room. I chose three solid colors and three |
| appliqué quilts. We knew that we did not want to | | | | coordinating patterns. I found a striped fabric that |
| start with something that complicated. We went to a | | | | featured all of the colors to use for the back of the |
| fabric store together to find quilting patterns for | | | | patchwork quilt. My sister's daughter is pregnant so |
| beginners. The sales clerk suggested that we start | | | | she decided to make a baby quilt. She bought pastel |
| with a patchwork quilt. This would be less difficult and | | | | colored solids and prints that had animals on them. |
| also less expensive. | | | | I like the look of hand stitched quilts so I new that I |
| A patchwork quilt consists on different fabrics cut into | | | | wanted to quilt my patchwork quilt by hand. I did not |
| pieces and sewed together to create the quilt top. A | | | | want to attempt an elaborate pattern for my first |
| coordinating solid or print fabric is used for the back of | | | | project so I decided to cut my different fabrics in six |
| the quilt and a batting is placed in between. The top | | | | inch squares. Once I cut out my squares I arranged the |
| and back are then quilted together through hand | | | | squares alternating solids and patterns. I sewed the |
| sewing with thread, or by tying knots through all the | | | | squares together and then pinned the top, bottom and |
| layers with pieces of yarn. That process is known as | | | | filling together. With chalk I placed as X in each square. |
| tying a quilt. | | | | I then hand stitched the outline of the square and the |
| Each patchwork quilt is different because the quilter | | | | X. I used an embroidery hoop to hold the fabric taunt |
| decides if each piece of fabric will be the same size | | | | while I sewed. I then used a solid color binding to |
| and shape and also how to arrange the pieces. The | | | | complete the edging. My first patchwork quilt is not |
| clerk suggested using the same size squares of each | | | | perfect, but I enjoyed doing the project and look |
| fabric and to alternate the fabrics to create a | | | | forward to making another one. |
| sequence in the colors. As people get more involved in | | | | |