Pie Quilts

My new Moo Cow baby quilt 
front and back.

 The backing is a actually a textured print, 
with a striped Moda binding.

I started this little quilt with some 
'Milk Cow Kitchen' fabrics by Moda
 I had on hand, and added to it some of 
my other favorites. I wanted a more
traditional-feeling quilt with a little boy
in mind after all the little girls quilts
I had made lately.

Lately I've been running crazy behind the scenes of 
Pink Doxies with half a dozen projects. So many 
new things happening--so much to tell you, but I 
won't overwhelm you. Spring is here with a 
few brave flowers and occasional overnight 
snow, but I have faith the sun will shine. 

Let's keep our sewing simple so we can enjoy 

the warmer weather.

One of my latest projects to tell you about is 

 Pie Quilts.

More on the name in a bit.

For many folks ready to learn all about sewing and 

quilting, it's a scary thing to pick out a project

that is past the Very Beginner level, but doesn't have too

many new things to tackle all at once. I hear over 

and over, "I can do pillowcases, and this-and-that, 

but where should I start with quilting?"

or...

"I used to sew quite a bit, but it's been a while."

First, there are so many places to learn the most 

basic skills of sewing and quilting. Take a class 

where you live, or do one online class. Many online 

sites have free lessons, and will walk you through 

all the basic steps of your first quilt.

You know my theory on free resources-- 

Free is Great!

Google it yourself or look here.

Sewing Lessons and Courses
Craftsy's Free Sewing Classes

There's almost 250 free classes there just
for sewing!

But then what?

What can I do next? 

How can you be sure a project is right for you now? 

Everyone wants to be successful and make sure 

they can get the project done they've chosen, but 

we should also be building skills as we sew. 

So, not too easy, but not too hard either. 

Now the name--Pie Quilts.

Did your mom ever tell you,

"It's Easy as Pie, honey!"

Folks, I used to be a big pie maker, and 
let me tell you, making one is not at 
all that easy. We ate a lot of flops.

My crust was always perfect, but depending on

what fruit I used, things could go south in a 
hurry. I learned that by making sure I had a good 
crust recipe from my mom, didn't mess with my 
oven temperature, and always used real butter, 

I could learn how to make all the different 
fillings one at a time.

This is a Pie Quilt.

We're only going to change one thing at a time.

A Pie Quilt has one serious stipulation for you. 
If you have basic skills, and have put together at 
least two basic quilts with straight lines, then 
it's a good choice. Why do I say you should have 
sewn two quilts before? Sewing is skill-based, and 
requires repetition and practice. You get better by 
doing it. Even the most skilled sewists I know 
are still working on their skill set. 

I know when I did my first quilt, I was completely 
amazed when I finally finished it. I struggled 
through it, and made a lot of corrections. I also 
had someone holding my hand when I got stuck. 
The second one I tried to do more on my own, 
and I had an idea what would come next. 
There was a big difference in my process, my skill, 
and my outcome even by the second quilt. 
By the third quilt, stand back because 
I was ready to take on anything! 
Not really, but it felt that way. 

This is the point when we struggle 
to pick out a project that causes us to 
stretch a little, but not break.

I want you to be successful, and I love to have 
people to sew with, so let's do this together.

Many of you readers already have gorgeous quilts 
stacked in your boudoir, but you have friends 
with quilt envy who would like to learn how to get 
started. This is a good place for you to refer them, 
or make it easier for you to get them safely started.

The Moo Cow baby quilt will be our first Pie
Quilt project coming very soon, and the Wave
quilt, or 'Aquiltic' as my daughter refers to the
one below, will be our second. Although they
might look complicated to a newer quilter,
they are not beyond your reach! 
We're working on one new skill at a time.

The Moo Cow quilt at the top is quilted, bound, and 
headed for my Etsy shop this weekend. I try to keep 
everything here free, but I also need to buy
fabric and other materials. I encourage you to
browse my Etsy shop if you're in quick need of
a handmade gift, and help me keep the lights on.

We can do this together. If you have a question
or run into a problem, we'll have a place for 
you to ask. Are you excited yet? I am!

Come back soon for Pie Quilts~

Come on, Doxie Girls.
Let's go sew.

Linking up today with~
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?
LAFF
WIPs Be Gone
TGIFF
Creative Goodness Linky Party
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Thank you for the linking opportunity!