There. I said it. Now I must follow through! I bought the pattern from my friend who runs Quiltville on Etsy. I’m not worried about piecing it – it’s the quilting that I’m afraid of – you see I am going to freehand quilt it. EEEK!!!!! (Just a quick note here for those who might care – I will be using my machine – but rather than stitch in the ditch or following a specific marked out pattern, I will lower my feed dogs and move the fabric around freely to quilt it. I will try to figure out a design before hand so it won’t look all crazy.) I am stopping by my favorite sewing machine shop to get a little freehand quilting lesson.
This is what the quilt looks like – 
And this is the fabric that I am going to use –
Yep – it’s going to be a Christmas quilt! It requires one layer cake and one charm pack for the quilt top. Which of the three fabrics do you like for the backing? And the binding? After I’m finished, it will go into our Christmas box for us to enjoy once a year. I want to say that I’ll make quilts for my relatives too because that just sounds really fun and it would give me a HUGE head start on next year’s gift giving…..but that is being rather ambitious. Let’s just get me through this first one. Okay?
Fabric Family and Fun 
I got a walking foot for Christmas!! I want to try it out but I’m scared. Once you get your lesson will you teach me everything you know?
I’m nervous about the free motion leap, too. I may have to go to the quilt shop for a lesson. I have the bandana quilt all basted and ready to go…and I just can’t make myself do it! I’m leaning towards green backing and red binding, but the candy stripe backing might be nice, too. Hmmm. I have 2 charm packs of Merry and Bright now, and need a plan to get mine going 🙂
hiii!! I am just about to start my very first quilt and guess what? It’s also a Christmas quilt! and… no it doesn’t stop here… I am also using the Merry and Bright line for the quilt top (I plan to use 5 charm packs, does that somehow also equal to a layer cake and a charm pack?).
I hope you’ll be posting your progress! Cause then I can tell myself to get my acts together when I fall behind! This is great!! I will just quilt along with you! Can I? Can I?
For the backing, I think I would use the Peppermint Swirl and the red snowflake fabric for binding.
Yes!!!!! Sew along with me! That will be awesome. I have to warn you though – that once I ACTUALLY start a project, I usually don’t stop until I’m finished. (Unless I scared of the freehand quilting – that might slow me down!)
I hope to make my first quilt this year, too. But I’m “practicing” on 3 little doll quilts, first, for my 3 little girls!
That will be fun! What fabrics are you practicing with?
You are ambitious! But I’m sure the quilt will turn out great. I like the green Christmas tree print for the backing and the red snowflake for the binding. I’m sure any of them would work out fine.
Good luck!
Love to all,
Mom
**Eagerly awaiting next Christmas when my super-ambitious sister-in-law will in fact have made quilts for everyone** 🙂
Hey I’m putting instructions in my next pattern on free-motion quilting. I’m happy to pass them along if you’d like. :o) Happy quilting!
Please, please, please post your process. I so want to do free motion as well. I’ve just been too afraid to jump. Can you tell me if you had to buy a specific foot just for your machine or are darning foots pretty standard? The local shop here has only one model so I’ve yet to buy one. Can wait to see what you do!