My first quilt is finished!!!!!

I have finally quilted, bound and washed my very first quilt, and I am completely ecststic!!!!!

Pre washing

It all started back in January when I signed up to the SewHappyGeek QAL, each week Jenna posted the tutorial for the squares or square for the week and we all shared our progress in the Flickr group.
There was a real mix of abilities in the QAL so I never felt like I was drowning and Jenna was so helpful replying to individual emails with questions I had. She also helped people by creating mock-ups of their final layout ideas on her software.

Over the Easter weekend I basted it and managed to quilt it, I took the advice of Celtic Thistle to Echo quilt the blocks. She was told it was very forgiving to beginners, as you sew ¼ inch from the seams and can highlight the main features of the block. She was so right, it didn't show my mistakes and gave the back a wonderful stitched image of the blocks. 

This last week I have been sitting on the sofa of an evening hand sewing the binding to the back of the quilt. Which has been quiet therapeutic!

So, on Saturday it was finally ready for it first wash. This was the stage that really worried me, would all the stitches fall out, would the fabrics shrink too much or would the colours run!! I put a tweet out to any quilters to ask for any do's or don't and was advised as I hadn't pre washed all the fabrics to use Colours Catcher sheets. I popped to the shops to ensure the quilt didn't come out pink when I could help prevent it.

I also took masses of photos of proof that the quilt looks perfect before the wash!!
After it came out of the machine (still in one piece!) I popped it on the line and waited for it to dry. As soon as it was, I ran around the house placing it on several beds, showing the back and the front of the quilt. (By this point the kids thought I had lost the plot!!)

It's finished size is 50' x 65' and fits perfectly on a single bed. But I have a feeling that this will be staying down stairs being taken from sofa to sofa!

Now for the stats:
Pattern:  Sew Happy Geek
Fabric:  Delighted! by The Quilted Fish for Riley Blake

I used 9 fat quarters of the patterned fabric (I think) and 1 meter of white for the blocks. I then bought more of the Kona white solid, red and turquoise patterned for the backs and sashing.

I am amazed that I have made this quilt and also so proud of the backing. As you could do whatever you wanted, I liked the idea of up scaling the sashing and cornerstones from the front and think it looks really good as a quilt of its own!

I have truly been bitten by the quilting bug and can't wait to get cracking on the next one.........in fact I might even have started it..... here's a quick peek of some of this weeks cutting!

Sorry to add one last photo of it, but here it is all folded and ready to be used!

I hope I haven't bored you, I'm of to catch up with some blog reading. I hope you had a wonderfully productive crafty weekend or did something fun!! xxx