My First Quilt

By Carol Young

Although I had sewn many things in my life, I had never made a quilt. I made my first quilt with a wonderfully patient and encouraging friend when I was sixty-nine years old. I did not have the fabric to do the project, so I asked my sewing friends if they had scraps of material that I could have to make some quilt squares. They gave freely from their supply, and combining these fabrics with a neutral color, I was able to fashion some pinwheels into a pattern. It gave me great joy and excitement to see the pinwheels take shape in many different colors and patterns as I worked to sew my squares.

The border of the quilt was done with a special pattern called a bear claw. It dressed up the whole quilt and gave it a type of picket fence feel. This quilt has always been one of my favorites, and as I look at it, I envision the pinwheels turning and creating a lighthearted feeling. It is a fond memory of all the special people in my life who supplied the fabric and encouraged me as I learned the art of quilt making. It has been nine years since I made my first quilt, and I have made many friends along the way who also enjoy the craft of quilting.