I thought it would be fun for you to see a closeup of my very first full sized pieced and hand quilted quilt. I knew NOTHING! But that little tidbit has never stopped me once my mind is made up.

I had decided I wanted a bed quilt. I went to the new fabric store in town and was blown away with all the colors and patterns of fabric. I stacked bolts up in what I thought were pleasing colors. I bought my first rotary cutter set. I went home ready to just Do It!

I had no pattern so I just cut strips and started sewing. I had no idea how this was going to make blocks or what it would look like. I call this my Tootsie roll quilt.

I did not know the rules of quilting either. Can’t you tell by the stitches right up to the seam lines? I had no frame or hoop so this was entirely stitched on my lap without a hoop. It actually turned out that a few years later I taught classes on quilting without a hoop.

Knowing all the rules now I am sure I would have done things differently. And if I knew all the rules, this quilt would have never been created.