Hey Makers!
Today, I’m here to tell you that I’ve crossed into the world of quilting… again! :o You’re probably saying to yourself, “OK… don’t you already quilt?” but that’s not the case. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m part of the marketing team at AGF. I love all things involving fine art and believe that quilting is a beautiful craft supported by an amazing community. On a daily basis I’m inspired by all the things everyone sews but I can’t seem to get over the intimidation I have for the sewing machine.
Some time ago, I paired up with one of my colleagues and decided to tackle a mini quilt. It was my first time ever using a sewing machine and let me tell you, it was definitely a journey! Since then I put sewing on a hiatus until Meli (the host of the AGF Quilt Block Collection) brought up the idea to join Maureen Cracknell and Sharon Holland’s Community Sampler as a team (all of the AGF girls are participating). I thought this was a great way of getting out of my comfort zone, so as soon as signups began I made sure to put myself down for the second block.
I wasn’t sure what to expect since I signed up prior to knowing what block I would be sewing. But once the Dovecote block was released, Meli was the most patient teacher ever! She taught me so many techniques that she has learned along the way. I was mind blown!
First of all, I think the most difficult thing about quilting has been cutting and getting the measurements right. I knew that cutting everything precisely from the start was the foundation of a successful block so, I was determined to get everything right. But for some reason I could not read the ruler to save my life! The ongoing grids kept confusing me and I kept getting flashbacks to that high school geometry class I nearly failed. Luckily Meli made sure everything was under control!
Once everything was cut, the sewing began! I learned how to make half square triangles which were pretty fun to make.
Then we moved on to a 9-patch which became the center of the block.
As I sewed the little squares together, Meli shared all kind of tricks and techniques with me. I was so impressed when she showed me how to press seams in opposite directions so that they would “nest” when sewing them together. When she told me to feel the seams nesting I literally let out a “WOOOAAAHH.”
But making this block wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine! When it came time to making the “No Waste Flying Geese” Meli muttered “Well, this is the most complicated part of the block” and I nearly ran away. She made sure I didn’t and it actually wasn’t as bad as I thought!
By this point, I had all my pieces ready for the full construction! Yay! I felt like I had completed a milestone. I sat in front of the sewing machine hoping and praying that all my seams matched once I sewed up the block.
And this is how it turned out… TAAA DAAA! Not bad for my first quilt block, huh?
I honestly couldn’t have done it without Meli! One thing I learned from this whole experience is that sometimes you just have to be patient and enjoy the process. In the end, the result of whatever you’re doing will pay off.
On that note, let me know in the comments about your first sewing/quilting experiences. If you want to make this block or any of the other blocks make sure to visit Sharon's blog! To see the first block that Meli made check out this blog post and to see any other blocks that makers have made, make sure to visit the hashtag #communitysampler on Instagram. Stay tuned next week to see block 3 being made by one of our graphic designers, Michelle!
Till next time!
Stephanie