My First: Finding Fifth

While I'm away, I've got a few guest posts lined up of people sharing their first quilts - those first quilts where we learn a lot of lessons the hard way! Today we have Fiona from Finding Fifth sharing her first pretty little quilt.

Name: Spotty Spring Fever
Type: Charm Squares baby quilt (see below for Youtube link)
Fabric: 'Spring Fever' charm pack by 'Me & My Sister' by Moda
              Back: Michael Miller large spots.
Quilting: Professionally done by Judy Spiejkers (Ipswich, Qld)
Price: $220 ($65 for prof. quilting costs)

Destination: About to be donated to the Tasmanian Bushfire Quilt Appeal (Feb 2013)

Smoke from the fires in January 2013 stream east

First Machine

I was first bitten by the quilt bug shamefully late. My mum is an amazing decade-long quilter and I was happy to be on the receiving end of many many quilts (see this post). I bought my first sewing machine in September 2010 - a Janome DC  2101. I got a few sewing lessons with my dear friend De, whilst on holidays, and decided to give quilting a crack with a charm pack I had picked up from a Quilt Show in Brisbane.

Judy basted and quilted with little flowers and leaves

First Lessons

I live about 2.5 hours south of Brisbane and so I could not ask my mum to show me. So I Youtubed 'Beginner Quilts' and it came up with a fab video by Jenny Doan (the Doyenne) of the Missouri Star Quilting Company.

I love learning online and visually. I followed all 4 parts, watching and re-watching each stage.

Pinning, Piecing and Pressing

I had no idea how to pin. You can see here that I am still pinning like a dress maker. And look how small my pins are!

I never used to iron anything! Quilting requires a LOT of ironing.

I struggled with the nesting of the seams quite a bit. I have since learned to avoid projects where all the squares have to match up. 

I was out by about 5/8" here. Lots of unpicking was done.

Family First 

After 2 years of languishing in my Etsy/Facebook shop, I am donating it to a younger victim of the recent Tasmanian bush fires - either through Quiet Play or The Elven Garden. It will feel so good to give it to someone as a small salve.

This photo tells an incredible escape story for one Tasmanian family.  Read about it here.

In fact I have learned that it is hard to make any money from quilting. I gave up my dreams of having a small business and since then I have enjoyed it more. 

I have found that it is much better to give than to receive anyway.

Thank you Alyce for allowing me to share 'My First Quilt'.

Thanks Fiona! It's so generous of you to donate your first quilt to such an important cause! If you would like to share your first quilt, see this post for more details! A reminder that 100% of all sales from my Tea For Two pattern in February will be donated to my sister and her husband. It is only fitting, given the cover quilt was to be Ariella's.