[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  Well here it is .... a small thing (well bigger than I intended lol), but all my own work 


I hope you dont mind, I cropped your image so we see more quilt and less background... BTW its beautiful! Imi xxx

Well I did it. I made my first quilt  It's supposed to be a lap quilt but is large enough to cover a single bed lol, it's a gift for my daughter and she loves it. I have to say I learned a lot along the way.
1. I should have started off with something small for my first attempt!
2. For my next quilt I will make a plan first, even though it's not really in my nature, I realise it's something I will have to get to grips with.
3. Sewing can be back breaking, and I need to learn to pace myself and not be in such a rush to finish the project.
4. Learning how to bind the quilt, and breaking into a huge smile when the ends joined successfully. 
5. I didn't have a large enough hard surface to fasten the backing fabric to when making the quilt sandwich.
6. Sewing a straight line needs a lot of concentration lol.
7. Making something to give to someone you love is very satisfying.

I'm sure there are lots of things I've omitted, but nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed the process and it's a journey I will be going on again soon.... but maybe with a smaller project  :thumbsup:

Do you use a 2 1/2" or 2 1/4" binding for your quilts? Is it just a matter of preference, or is there a reason for the difference in width?

I find it so frustrating when buying fat quarters. The colours and patterns draw me in to purchase them, then when I wash them I find the dark colours like blue and red bleed quite a lot. Does anyone else find this, and if so, what do you use these for as I'm reluctant to use them in any project that requires washing again. I suppose the obvious answer is don't buy fat quarters with dark colours, but sometimes it's hard to resist lol

Whenever I buy material I always wash it to check if the colour will run. However, when it comes to cutting my fat quarters after I have I washed and ironed them, they are always misshapen. Is there any way to prevent this?

Despite buying a suction ruler grip so my hand doesn't slip, and a rotating cutting mat to make it easier and safer to cut out small shapes, I've still managed to slice the top of my finger this morning with a rotary cutter. I didn't know this was a dangerous sport!  I only hope I'll have all my fingers by the time I finish my current project lol.

Thank you. 

Welcome, I'm in NE Derbyshire just outside outside Chesterfield. I grew up in Manchester but love the Derbyshire countryside very much.

I'm just outside Chesterfield too 

Thank you to all who have sent messages of welcome, they are very much appreciated.