08/14/2026
This impressive quilt is a finished project made by a recent student of mine, Sam. Most of the balloons are made from onesies that her friends' daughter wore in her first few years. It's a birthday present for her, if I remember correctly.
Before coming to me for help, she had very little experience using a sewing machine but DID have a lot of hand sewing experience. That prior experience is part of what enabled her to accomplish the complex sewing of this quilt because with just a few lessons under her belt, it's true when I tell you, she sewed every bit of this quilt herself! No joke! 🧵 💪
Together we drafted the balloon and cloud shapes and then we played with placement for a pleasing composition.
She purchased some woven fabrics to add brighter colored balloons and hand appliquéd those on along with the baskets which are also woven fabric. The rest of the balloons and clouds are made using knit clothing and were zigzag stitched around the raw edge.
I presented several options for the quilting portion, one of which was to use the method of "echo quilting". As soon as I explained what it was she was decided! I think it was a good choice and adds fun texture and movement.
Not bad, at all, for someone's first quilt, wouldn't ya say!? ✂️ 😃