Hey, guys! I forgot to update you on my finished quilt. I really am such a novice blogger. I hope you have enjoyed following along with the progress of this quilt. Without further ado…

Since this was my first completed quilt I’ve ever made, I learned a lot during the process. If you are learning to quilt and need some helpful tips from a fellow quilter, I’m happy to share my struggles and solutions with you here.

First, figuring out a way to cut all of the required pieces proved to be very time consuming and challenging. If you aren’t sure where to start, here are some options:

1. Purchase a rotary cutter, quilting rulers, and cutting mat (The largest you can find). The mat will have measurements for you to follow, but the ruler is helpful when you need a raised surface to guide your rotary cutter. Video tutorial coming soon!
2. As an alternative method, you could purchase an Accuquilt Go! Die Cutter. This is a pricier option, but cuts your fabric into specific shapes in a significantly faster manner.
3. You could always buy pre-cut fabric as well! It’s not ideal price-wise, but if you’re eager to start a project there are many kits available with detailed instructions.

After all of my pieces were cut (This took about a month since I had to figure out the best way that worked for me) I laid out my design based off of Suzy Quilts’ Rocksteady pattern. It took me only a week of sewing to piece my quilt top together! This part of the process was the quickest. Unfortunately, the task of putting together the quilt sandwich was quite intimidating to me. I had dedicated so much time and effort to get to the point I was already at and I didn’t want to mess up after a month in. So I research.

I discovered that there are many different ways to baste a quilt. I chose the safety pin method. Since I am new at quilting, I didn’t realize how much the material would shift as I ran it through my machine! I miraculously completed the job with minimal shifting, but I still think there is a more secure way to connect the three layers. If you have advice for me, I will happily listen!

The binding was a breeze with Suzy’s tutorial. Check out her site if you’d like to learn this process as well. She explained it very well and in a way that would help even the most beginner level quilter (Like me!) I know I always refer you guys to her all the time, but really, she is amazing. I hope to provide more resources to you all in the future. Until next time!

Here’s a picture of my mom after receiving her quilt:

Xo Kassandra