This is a quilt I made this year as a surprise gift for a business retreat this summer. After a fun round of "white elephant" gift swapping, Katie Hornor, my business coach ended up with it. Thankfully!
I say thankfully because it almost ended up in the hands of a master quilter. My incredibly imperfect project, with all the tucks, misaligned points and crazy stitching mishaps (maybe a few spots of blood, sweat and tears!)... almost ended up with someone who knew what they would be looking at as they opened this dorky, homemade quilt. During the retreat, I got a chance to get to know Rachel Miller, the master quilter. I now realize she would have been completely understanding of my quilting skills, or lack thereof. She's a sweet, sweet person and she teaches beginner quilting. |
"I’ve been quilting since I was a young teen, but I struggled to make a quilt I'd be proud to show off," Rachel said. "It wasn't until I learned some tips and tricks to make it easier and more fun. Now I’m empowering others through online courses to do the same."
1. Reminisce
In the quilt above, I knew Katie loves elephants, therefore the backing and the pillow piece you can't see in the picture (yes this quilt can be folded into a pillow) have elephants on the fabrics. The diamonds are white, gold and pink with flamingos. Katie teaches the "Flamingo Advantage" in business. The gold is for the royalty of the Kingdom of God and the white is for the purity of heart. Whoever received that quilt during the retreat would understand those meanings.
2. Get Help
There are many wonderful quilt shops these days with lovely ladies ready to share the craft with you. Rachel owns Journey Back Quilts, a full service, online quilt store. She offers classes, memberships, fabric, notions, thread, custom quilts and longarming services, as well as patterns to get you started.
"I will walk you through this pattern, step-by-step, showing you quilting techniques, giving you guidance and encouragement to finish a quilt you will be proud of," Rachel encouraged. |
3. Start Now
"My quilting journey started when I was a young teen," Rachel continued. "I struggled with everything in the beginning from the tools to the techniques. As my passion for this craft grew I learned ways to make things easier and more fun."
4. Start Small
"You will get a table topper kit every month for 12 months" Rachel explained. "These table toppers measure 36x36 inches finished. Every box includes a new pattern, fabric for that pattern including the binding..."
5. Enjoy the journey!
"You are invited to join our next online class! Registration opens that night September 22nd through September 30th," Rachel shared. "Join me for this free virtual "open house" where I will show you all the amazing quilt blocks and finished quilts my students have been making!"
Rachel Miller is owner of Journey Back Quilts. She is on a mission to help creative people, like you, avoid the struggles she had in the beginning of her quilting journey so they can create projects they will be proud of. She offers several services to help you in every step of your quilting journey. Join Rachel for a FREE virtual Open House and register for her Farm Girl Vintage Quilt Class HERE.
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