One project down...twenty more to go!

I finally finished this lap size quilt for my sister.  It is a project I started almost 2 years ago when I was first learning to quilt.  There were a lot of tears and visits to my friend Dreena (a very experienced quilter) to get this top put together.  I don't know about you, but I have a hard time visualizing the construction part of putting together any garment or quilt or even notions like snaps for heaven's sake!  So, this is actually Quilt #2--the first one I threw away before I knew about pinning and easing the fabric to make the rows line up.  I remember sewing the rows together and lamenting to my husband after each one that my rows looked liked stairs--each one about an inch longer than the other.  It was true, and he had no idea what to say to help me out (kind of like the first time I tried to insert a bobbin in my machine--we will laugh about that forever)! 

Needless to say, once I got the basics of patchwork, I literally put this quilt on a shelf and never looked back.  But, I need to clear out some room and her birthday was last week, so it was time to get it done.  The pattern is from Eleanor Burns' Quilting Through the Seasons and if I'm not mistaken the design is called "Front Porch."  The second time I made the quilt I opted for the stained glass version instead of the scrappy look and I think it turned out quite nice in black, white, and gray.

Two things I learned from my first quilt:
1.  Don't throw a quilt away if it's not going together correctly--ask someone with more experience for help because it [probably] can be salvaged!
2.  Never use Warm and Natural batting beneath white muslin.  It makes the white take on a dingy hue.  I always just buy Warm and White now to avoid that problem.