I Finished My Quilt!!

   

     As stated in the title of this blog post, I finished my quilt!!  And I LOVE it!!  If I had started blogging before I started this quilt, I'm sure I would have to though to provide step by step instructions, or at least took more pictures, but either way, I am pretty excited about this.
     Fun fact about myself: I love collecting t-shirts.  When it comes to souvenirs, I will almost always tell you that a t-shirt it the way to go.  Why?  Because t-shirts actually get used!  Key chains are fine, but one can only have so many on their key chain at a time, before the weight of all those trinkets is bad for the car. Mugs are okay, but they break, and are done.  That, and you have to be a real mug user for them to be of any use.  I am definitely not a shot glass person, or a collector of specific small items, but t-shirsts, I wear them all. the time.  It used to be more so.  I'd wear them to bed, under my Tae Kwon Do uniform, out horse back riding, you name it.  Eventually, however, I did get to many.  All those memories simply crammed into a drawer, hoping to be worn before I did a load of wash and piled more t-shirts on top of the existing pile. The t-shirts here on this quilt are only a fraction of lovely t-shirt collection.  (Who knows? Maybe I'll just have to make another?) 
     

     This whole project was a blast.  It took a long time to finish, due to lack of time to actually work on it, but I finished it. I think piecing it together was one of my favorite parts.  I got to arrange, and pick, and choose, and decide where I wanted everything to go.  The best part?  Each of these shirts has a specific memory, or time of life attached to it, so sewing each piece brought something fun to mind, making the experience all the better. 

     Finally, after getting each piece sewn together, I had a finished quilt top.  It was so fun to see what my final quilt might look like.  I made a few mistakes, but honestly, I think that is one of the things that makes this quilt to personal to me.  It is mine.  I did it.  I sewed it. They are my mistakes, and I love every one. 
     

     Finally, the finished product. Because it was hand sewn, it made the quilt super fluffy, and comfy, and I absolutely love it.  After we made the quilt, both my husband spent a lot of time on the couch just snuggling under the new quilt drinking hot chocolate and me blogging, and Lance working on some certifications he hopes to have completed this year.
     I can't say for sure, but I think I may have found myself a new hobby. I didn't expect to enjoy making my quilt as much as I did. I've tried smaller quilting projects in the past, but never fully enjoyed what I was doing. I was definitely looking forward to the finished product, and something to do with some of my many t-shirts, but I was a little nervous to actually do the work.  Turns out, quilting is actually really fun! Especially when you finally get to see the finished product.

     *Shout out to Annette Russon for teaching me, letting me use her sewing machine, thread, sewing table, etc, and showing me just how fun quilting can be. 

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