Each year, our kids’ school has a big fundraiser.  It is their biggest of the year.  The fundraiser includes a silent and a live auction.  This year, I made a quilt from squares each student, TA, and the teacher completed.  The end of the story is that I got it done and handed in 10 minutes after the event began.  Here is the rest of the story:

One woman coordinated two others to help complete the quilt.  One woman cut the “squares” another sewed the squares.  As I pulled each decorated square from the bag, I gained a new perspective on my sewing ability.  I had to go through and make each “square” a square, and each of equal size.  I decided to do a basic grid pattern for the quilt, but once it was all put together, it looked horrible.  I did not want the quilt I had made to represent my son’s class or my work–it was going to be in a silent auction for crying out loud.

So, I took the entire quilt top apart and started over.  (that is a sewing move that is completely uncharacteristic for me) With only 5 days left, and my history of procrastination I was a bit concerned that I had no idea of how to put this quilt together in a way that would mask my sewing flaws, display the artwork, and would come together quickly.  In fact I realized that I hadn’t put much planning into the quilt at all. Then I found this tutorial, which saved me from a lot of stress and embarrassment. Thanks, Not So Fancy Nancy who upon further investigation has great sewing ability and is also a self proclaimed “knitting wench.”

I followed her directions almost entirely.  Making the finished squares off-center was the perfect solution to several problems.  My only concern at this point was that I would run out of fabric.  I stayed awake all night. Literally.  I cut and ironed and sewed until the top was done. Saturday morning, I sprayed the quilt, went to book club–where I tied the quilt and came home to bind the quilt.

I planned to use some of the fabric for the binding, but I didn’t have enough. So, I drove to the fabric store intending to buy 3 packages of premade quilt binding. It wasn’t until I was 15 inches short of binding (machine bound) that I realized I had only purchased two packages.  At this point, it was 5:30 and the quilt had to be to the auction by 6 and I live 20 minutes away.  I made it work (see top left of the quilt in the photo below).  It’s kind of trendy.

I threw the quilt in the dryer while I commenced to make a pillow with block number 26.  Once I finished the pillow cover and turned it right-side-out, I discovered that part of the fabric was on the wrong side. UGH!  Forget it! It’s 6 o’clock. The winner will just have to get the pillow later. With no time to spare, Nathan took a couple of quick pictures and off I went. Once I got there, they took my quilt from me and carried it like a very special prize to the live auction stage.  I had a quilt in a live auction, and it was going on a stage!

Ladies and gentlemen, I completed a quilt–from start to finish–in ONE day!  Did you hear me?  One. day.  I did not sleep for over 24 hours, but it was done in one day.  AND today I found out that the quilt sold for $190!  Yay! After sewing for that many hours straight, that’s all I want to do now. (*I did finish Nathan’s 2008 Christmas present.  It only took 20 minutes.  I’m an idiot)

For those that care, the back is natural muslin with a strip of patchwork consisting of the green and the print.

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Adventure, Quilts, Sewing

13 May 2010

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