Quilting Just Doesn't Work for Me (but I can knit!)

I've been sewing for decades (I won't admit how many, but it's a lot.)  I've sewed garments, costumes, dolls/doll clothes, accessories of all kinds, home dec, even a patio umbrella (no kidding!)   My favorite thing to make right now is bags and purses. 

But I simply cannot quilt - as in making an actual quilt, that is.

Here is a handful of small items I have "quilted," and that is only in the simplest possible form:

A  couple of simple table runners using QAYG 

I got some practice with binding on this little piece.  Simple but cute and useful.

Super simple "quilting" - this is about my speed!

But darned if I can make one simple quilt block and get it right.

It took me THREE TRIES to get ONE BLOCK the right size for a community quilt project!

At that rate I could finish a quilt in maybe 8-10 years...

Then a half finished quilting project was bequeathed to me, and I felt I had to give it a go.  I carefully made a block.  This took a whole afternoon to make, piecing it on my Featherweight (that's where this little machine really shines) and using 1/4" foot to get accurate seams.  

But those "scant" 1/4" seams?  No can do.  An afternoon of tedious sewing only to end up with a 9-1/4" block and a few wonky squares in my checkerboard.

Talk about TEDIOUS!

No way would I ever do the 99 squares required for the entire quilt - then attempt to quilt it and bind it.  

The truth is, I'm just not motivated to complete a quilt, and motivation is what it takes to master a skill.  (Let's be honest, I could complete a quilt if I really, really wanted to but I just don't.)

It all comes down to MOTIVATION

Each of my four grandchildren has at least one (or more) sweaters I knit for them.  No knitting is too tedious for me!  You'd think if I could do this, I would have the patience to make a quilt.

Go figure... 

                      This was a super simple, quick and easy pattern that I made on the fly.

            The intarsia dinosaur was a little time consuming, but the rest of it knitted up pretty quickly.

This was a real labor of love, and the pure wool yarn was pricey.  But how cute is this!

This is an heirloom quality sweater that took some time to make - knitted in a fine gauge, with a full skirt, an intricate stitch pattern on the bodice, buttonholes, a collar, and fully fitted sleeves.  Not for beginners!