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07/03/2012

My First Quilt

Good morning!  With the 4th being tomorrow, today seems like a really fun day to share an Independence Day picnic staple for us: my very first quilt.

I’ve mentioned a few times that my first sewing project was a quilt my Gram helped me with.  She is the one who gave me a sewing machine.  I don’t have a photo tutorial – this was over 10 years ago that I made it, but I thought it would make for a great share. :)

It’s far from perfect.  I think that’s why I feel so comfortable bringing it along for sitting on, for fireworks and picnics.  It has enough mistakes that I don’t mind it getting a little bit dirty.  The only way it’s really going to last has nothing to do with the craftsmanship and quality – it’s the photos of me and my family, sitting on it or wrapped up in it, enjoying time together, year after year.

My husband and I, watching the fireworks, when we had been dating just a few months

I appliqued the letters and the flag panel on by hand.  By hand!  LOL.  I didn’t know that there were any easier ways. :) I actually created my own stencils for the letters – so that’s my real block handwriting.  So this is special and personal to me in so many ways.

Raya likes it too!

Do you have any really sentimental projects?  Tell me in the comments!  If you’ve even blogged about it, leave a link and I’d love to come out and see it!

I link up to these great parties!

Filed Under: Patriotic

copyright policy and terms of use

I love it when you love my work! All tutorials and photos published at Happy Hour Projects are copyrighted. If you would like to feature my tutorial on your website or share it on your social media you may use one photo to feature, as long as you provide a link back to the original post.

If you feature a photo, it may not be accompanied by the project tutorial or recipe, whether in my own words as it originally appears or paraphrased by you. This also includes personal sharing on social media and Pinterest. Publishing multiple photos from a project, or including instructions with an accompanying photo are not permitted and you will be asked to remove them.

I love to share my projects, and my tutorials, recipes, and e-books are ALL free for your personal use. However, photos and ideas that are published to this site are my protected intellectual property. You may print them at home, but please do not copy or distribute them. I also allow all designs to be made and sold at fundraisers, craft fairs, etc. If you are selling a piece made from one or more of my free tutorials in your online shop, I require that you use your own, original photography, and include a link back to my website to credit me as the designer.

I hope you enjoy what you read here, and please be fair when you share!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shiloh says

    07/06/2012 at 3:56 pm

    I am so impressed that is your first quilt! It's beautiful!

    Reply
  2. kendascrafts says

    07/06/2012 at 2:08 pm

    looks great! i'm impressed you sewed it by hand!

    Reply
  3. Kathryn Ferguson Griffin says

    07/05/2012 at 10:44 pm

    What a fantastic quilt! Beautiful!! Thank you for sharing. Visiting from Bear Rabbit Bear. Would love it if you would share this at my Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/2012/07/make-it-pretty-monday-week-4.html Wishing you a grand evening. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

    Reply
  4. Jessi W says

    07/05/2012 at 7:55 pm

    What a fun quilt! One of my first “big” sewing projects was with my dad (my mom can't sew to save her life!) We made my prom dress for my high school senior prom and it was so much fun! And it turned out great too, the dress was this gorgeous merlot color with a fun slit up the skirt that I covered in black lace. Both of my grandmothers sewed, and my dad does too, so I have some great memories of making fun things with all of them :-) Thanks so much for sharing this at The Fun In Functional!

    Reply
  5. Liz says

    07/05/2012 at 12:52 pm

    Wow, beautiful quilt!! Liz

    Reply
  6. Candace Jedrowicz says

    07/04/2012 at 2:37 pm

    It's fabulous! You must be so happy with it!
    candace@cool2craft.com

    Reply
  7. Serendipity Refined says

    07/04/2012 at 12:11 pm

    Your quilt is beautiful! You've created an heirloom that will be loved and used for YEARS to come! Happy 4th!

    Reply
  8. My Froley says

    07/04/2012 at 8:51 am

    That is AMAZING ! Congratulations to you ! I would be proud to have created something like that.

    http://myfroley.blogspot.com

    Reply
  9. karen608 says

    07/04/2012 at 3:16 am

    Just a stunning quilt! It is holding up very well too. Love the stars!

    Reply
  10. Shasta Farrar says

    07/04/2012 at 2:03 am

    Your quilt is just beautiful. Great job…amazing for a first quilt!

    Shasta @InTheOldRoad
    All Star Block Party

    Reply
  11. Amy says

    07/04/2012 at 1:35 am

    It is beautiful! I just finished my first quilt also in the same colors! Love Red, White, and Blue!
    Amy

    Reply
  12. Full Circle Creations says

    07/04/2012 at 1:26 am

    Your quilt is gorgeous! I love that you did the lettering yourself. It holds such wonderful memories. Thank you for sharing it at the All Star Block Party!

    Holly

    Reply
  13. Anastasia Ricks says

    07/04/2012 at 1:22 am

    This is a fabulous quilt!!! Great job! I'm a new follower, I would be honored if you'd follow me back at http://lifeofblocks.blogspot.com/

    Reply
  14. Kara at Petals to Picots says

    07/03/2012 at 9:21 pm

    Wow, Adrianne! This is gorgeous!

    Reply
  15. Nicole says

    07/03/2012 at 9:06 pm

    That is wonderful. What a great first quilt project!

    Reply
  16. Terry says

    07/03/2012 at 7:42 pm

    What a fabulous quilt. I love how huge it looks with Raya sitting on it. I can't see any flaws from here – it's perfect.

    Reply
  17. Briana Richardson says

    07/03/2012 at 6:26 pm

    It's beautiful! Great work!

    Reply
  18. Julie Rogers says

    07/03/2012 at 5:58 pm

    That's amazing—for your first quilt—AWESOME!!! Found you through the GFC blog hop and CAN”T wait to read more!!!

    -Julie
    http://www.thechirpingmoms.com

    Reply
  19. Bonnie and Trish says

    07/03/2012 at 3:01 pm

    This is probably one of the cutest quilts I have ever seen! Happy 4th of July!

    Take care,

    Trish

    Reply
  20. Lauren - Hippie Dog Company says

    07/03/2012 at 2:38 pm

    Oh my gosh!! That is a gorgeous quilt! Quite an accomplishment – especially for your first!!! WOW!!!! Very nice!

    Reply
  21. Kadie says

    07/03/2012 at 1:13 pm

    LOVE it!! I can't believe to hand appliqued all that, and still make quilts!! {you know how much I love hand applique!} I make a quilt out of old jeans for my first quilt. I always love to pull it out for picnics. I can still pick out everyone's jeans that I used.

    Reply
  22. Melanie says

    07/03/2012 at 12:43 pm

    What a sweet quilt- and great memories to go along with it!

    Reply
  23. Jill says

    07/03/2012 at 12:19 pm

    I'm so glad you posted a picture of your first quilt! It's gorgeous! I can't believe that is the first one you ever made! I think I'm going to have to stick to triangles and squares for now. Anything with a round edge intimidates me…LOL

    Reply
  24. Robin says

    07/03/2012 at 11:30 am

    I love your quilt, Adrianne! My mom is the quilter in our family…she has made one for each of my kids. :0)

    Reply
  25. Michelle says

    07/03/2012 at 11:05 am

    Hi Adrianne,
    What a lovely quilt, filled with many memories! Please stop by my blog for a visit soon, I would love to get to know you better.
    xoxo

    Reply
  26. Danni Baird says

    07/03/2012 at 10:36 am

    That is one gorgeous quilt! Can't believe you did it by hand! Makes it so much more special!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Applique Quilt Blocks, and The Bird Block Tutorial says:
    09/23/2014 at 7:11 am

    […] I’m talking about applique.  I like applique.  I like it a lot.  I used in it the very first quilt I ever made, and in quite a few quilts since then – including the one I just made for Raya in the spring. […]

    Reply
  2. 45 Patriotic Project Ideas! - Do Small Things with Love says:
    10/04/2013 at 1:16 am

    […] Patriotic Quilt from Happy Hour Projects […]

    Reply
  3. 45 Patriotic Project Ideas says:
    06/27/2013 at 6:01 am

    […] 8. Patriotic Quilt from Happy Hour Projects […]

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Hello, and welcome! I'm Adrianne, an artist, author, designer, and blogger in mid Michigan. I work from home, chase my two kids, and this once-city-girl is learning how to care for chickens and adjusting to life out in the country. I have a compulsion for daily creativity... sometimes it's jewelry-making, paper crafting, metal stamping, mixing and baking, or giving new life to recycled items. But with 2 young kids, time is short! My goal here at Happy Hour Projects is to share projects and tips that you can do in an hour or less. The ideas you find here are designed to add a little creativity in your day, no matter how much (or how little) time you have!

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