Quilt #1: Ashley's Journey

    The first stop on my Quilter's Journey was in northern Michigan, July 2010. We go there every summer for a ten-day break from life here in Cincinnati. We love it up north. When temperatures are topping out at 90-something in Ohio, we enjoy the 70's during the day and often have to break out the jeans and sweatshirts in the evening. Oh, how I love those days in Michigan. We also get to spend those relaxing days with four of our dearest friends--Tom, Alice, Greg and Bev. Alice and Bev are both quilters. They've just been at it for a few years, but that's a few years more than me.

    Anyway, Bev let me look through her stash of quilt patterns. I chose "Ashley's Journey." It seemed like a fairly simple, straight-line, square and rectangle quilt that would be a great place to begin. It was about the size of a twin-sized quilt. I decided I'd use it to cover the twin bed we have in our extra bedroom, the bedroom dedicated to our grandchildren.

Ashley's Journey quilt pattern

    Then, the three of us went to a quilt shop up north. I purchased the 20 fat quarters I needed--five patterns each of the four different colors I'd chosen--green, yellow, red and blue. My goal was to be as cheery and gender-neutral as I could. I chose fabrics from a 1930's reproduction line, hoping to give my simple, brightly colored quilt a kid-friendly look.

    When I got back home, one of the first things I did (per Bev's instruction) was head to the local fabric store to purchase a self-healing cutting mat, a ruler, and a rotary cutter. All basic and essential tools I'd need for my Quilter's Journey.

    Cutting the squares and rectangles went really quickly. Actually, I think I finished them all in a day. Granted, I didn't really do much else that day!  = )  The piecing, however, took a little longer. Using my machine to sew as-perfect-as-I-can-get-them quarter-inch seams, I think it took me a week or two to get that done. I thought I was flying!

    Then I realized that I had failed to purchase matching fabrics for borders, backing and binding. So, three fabric stores (in Ohio) later, my borders didn't match quite like I'd wished they would. It looked ok, but I really wish I'd purchased fabric in Michigan, to do the borders from the same fabric line. Then they'd match perfectly.

    Oh, well. It's a journey, right?  I'm learning as I go.