The first project I remember is a place mat made at the first quilt class I took at a high school. I know I still have it but don't know where to look right now. I think it turned out pretty good and I even hand quilted it. It would be called big stitch in today's world. LOL

I went really bold and designed my own Bargello. Here it is in all its glory.

I still have it. It is almost King size.

King size Bargello. That was ambitious.. I scoured quilting magazines for patterns that could be 12" and made patterns out of Cheerio boxes. It ended up being a 9 block sampler and it hung on my living room wall for several years. I hand quilted it and there are knots all over the back where I changed threads. I'll have to dig it out and post a picture. It's around here somewhere. As I recall one of the block even had a Y seam in it. I just fussed around with it until I got it together.

I came to quilting late in life; I was in my 60s. I wandered into a quilt shop and was enthralled by a Christmas tree skirt I saw displayed there. The shop was having a sale on notions, so I bought a mat, rulers, a rotary cutter, the pattern book and all the fabric for the skirt. I worked on it with my old Sears machine, but I got so tired of the machine eating the fabric, I finally set it aside for about five years. I was discouraged. Then, I visited a friend in Alaska who quilted with her beautiful Bernina, and I was re-inspired. As soon as I got home, I bought my Janome 6600 and took out the unfinished tree skirt. I've been quilting ever since, ten years now. I laugh now when I think about my skirt. I didn't know anything about trimming HSTs, and my points are a mess, but I love it anyway.

This has me really thinking hard. I do remember being about 10 or 11 and just sewing some squares together on the treadle. They never got put together by me. So from what I can recall, the first quilt was for a baby shower. It was just squares, green gingham and white eyelet . I have no idea what I used for batting and I think I just tied it.

A year or so after this, I took a class and off I went.

Theresa

Jackie, I'm still astonished you chose a Bargello for your first project(I remember you talking about it months ago on another thread) It looks absolutely fabulous! Lois, your tree skirt is lovely, even the points! Sharon , I am positive your quilting on your first placement far out shined my crude corner tacking on my mom's quilt. I have never hand quilted and I don't plan on starting now, lol! Theresa, I have seen your wonderful work at the retreat, speaking of which, I cannot wait to get back there this October!

This Theresa has never been able to attend retreat but Teresa has.

ooops my bad

not sure where my brain was last night...I chalk it up to working too much🤪

That is ok! Just not wanting Teresa without an H to be left out.

tHeresa

I was about 10 and made a doll qult. It was either strips or squares, can't remember. Don't have a picture.

Hmmm, I guess it depends on the definition of quilt. When I was little, I sewed together buttercup quilt blocks ... they're somewhere, but I don't know where they are, and they never made it to quilt form. I made an appliqué snowman holding a broom for my nana one Christmas, but it was just framed, no back, no quilting. I really wish I could find the design I drew in high school of Sun Bonnet Sue through the seasons ... it's in a box somewhere with the pieces (not all, just some) that were cut for it. If it doesn't actually have to have any quilting and only needs a front and back, then it's a trio of flowers with a border; if it needs to have some form of "quilting" then it's the pink flannel Noah's ark stroller blanket I made that had 9 fussy cut squares sewn together with batting and a back and then ties in the corners of the center block.

Here's the flowers, it still hangs on my wall:

Apparently my lesson here would be that if it went into a box or bag it didn't come out, lol.