Excited for QuiltCon

I promised myself that I wouldn’t start a new quilt until I returned from QuiltCon in Austin.  I know I am going to be inspired, but I hate not having a project in the "wings."  I didn’t register for any workshops or classes.  I am just going to the quilt show.  It will be my first quilt show.

It’s also my 23rd wedding anniversary.  Austin is a great city.  I lived there in the early 80’s back when Whole Foods was a one store operation and traffic wasn’t bad.   I am hoping that our son will be able to drive down from Baylor (Waco, Texas) to visit us.

My longarm quilter, The Happy Quilter, just returned my latest quilt.  She always does a fanatic job with my quilts.  This quilt pattern is Buttonholes by Shiny Happy World.  I believe I ordered the pdf pattern from Pink Chalk fabrics. 

I used several fat quarters that I purchased on sale online for the buttonholes.  My background is Kona Snow.  This was really easy construction.  For the back, I thought that I should fill the buttonholes.  I piano keyed all the fabrics and placed the “fill” to match the front buttonholes.  Looking at it now, I think the back has too much negative space.  I wish I would have stripped the buttonhole fabrics together and offset a column of fabric for the back.  I still love the clean lines of this quilt.

I am planning to turn the back fabric over the front and topstich for the binding.  I haven’t quite mastered the binding process.

My First Quilt
Below is my first completed quilt.  I made this in August 2012.  I ordered  two layer cakes online.  I created the pattern.  I knew I needed something that had easy construction.  This was before I even knew there was such a thing as a quarter-inch foot for my sewing machine.  Some of the seams are a little wonky.

I cut 2.5 inches off every layer cake.  I then sewed the opposite colors together.  I then alternated the blocks to make a simple pattern.  The back is just pieced fabric.

I sent this top to my mother in Texas because at the time I didn’t know anyone who could long arm quilt it.  I didn’t provide any directions for the quilting stich pattern.  I wasn’t thrilled with the pattern.  I much prefer a more modern or sharper line  for my stitch patterns.