First Quilt (with instruction)

I need a hobby! My mother-in-law, Yvonne, inspired me to take up quilting. September 2006, I enrolled in a quilting class at my church that met once a week on Wed nights after supper. So, for 8 weeks we ate at church and I went to my class. It was so much fun!! I was hooked from the very first night. I was pregnant with Chase at the time. Lilly (that's my sewing machine) and I got very acquainted and after a while we had made something fabulous. Okay, well, not so fabulous, but pretty good for a first timer. Before the end of the class, each of the students brought in their quilts and we took turns pinning together each quilt. There were 6 ladies in the class of all ages and walks of life, and the teacher. They all helped to pin my quilt together and I will be forever grateful. It was a special time. After the 8 weeks, all the quilts were placed on the alter of the church for the Thanksgiving service. Most were still incomplete, but we prettied them up and they looked great. I was so proud and the service was really special. I will keep this quilt forever as it was constructed during a time of great anticipation of the arrival of Chase. Several special people had hands on it and it laid at the alter in God's house. Wow, I love it.

So, what is going on with the quilt today? One and half years later, I have only completed about 1/2 the quilting. I have insisted on doing it all myself and I have taken a couple of detours. I have done some stitch in the ditch quilting. I completed a class on free-motion quilting so that I could do the borders. The borders is all that remains for quilting. Then I plan to do the binding myself to. Something about the arrival of Chase and a couple of other projects have slowed this project down, however it will truly be an accomplishment when I finally do complete it.