My First Quilt with Erin Grogan

It's the last Friday of the month, which means it's time for a My First Quilt interview! This month Erin Grogan of Love Sew Modern is sharing the story of her first quilt.

Erin is a modern quilt pattern designer who enjoys creating colorful, nostalgic quilts under the name Love Sew Modern. Over the last 4 years she’s become an international quilting instructor and published over 30 quilt patterns, including her book Retro Curved Pieced Quilts.

You can connect with Erin at her website, on Instagram, and on Facebook.

And now, here's Erin's first quilt. Isn't it amazing??? 

What year did you make your first quilt? What prompted you to make it?

I have been making garments since I was in the 4th grade, but it’s always been hard to find garment fabric. Whenever I was out I would type fabric into my GPS and see where it would take me. One day in 2017 I found myself inside my first modern quilt shop. I fell immediately in love with the bright colors and bold prints of the fabric. I knew then I wanted to make a quilt. I purchased a quilt kit from the shop not knowing how challenging it would actually be. 

What techniques were used in that first quilt? Did you quilt it yourself?

The quilt pattern used flying geese and economy blocks surrounding a foundation pieced Mariner’s Compass block. I purchased a 1890’s treadle machine off of Craigslist to be able to quilt it, which turned out to be really difficult to quilt on. 

Who taught you to make the quilt?

I took an intro to quilting class at the modern quilt shop where I got the kit where I learned how to make the flying geese blocks. I spent a whole day at the shop trying to figure out how FPP worked to be able to piece the center. 

Are the colours you chose for your first quilt ones you would still choose today?

The quilt was made using a kit in blues, pinks, and purples. Today I’m more attracted to retro color palettes including yellows or oranges. 

Did you fall in love with quilting right away? Or was there a gap between making the first quilt and the next one?

I was hooked immediately after learning the basic steps of piecing a quilt. 

Where is the quilt now?

I used to have the quilt hanging in my cubical at work to remind me that I can do hard things. Now it’s folded into a cabinet in my living room. I like to take it out sometimes when I’m sharing my quilting journey at trunk shows. 

Is there anything you wish you could go back and tell yourself as you made that first quilt?

Quilts from the center out. I regret quilting from the outside in because it created some bunching spots. 

Anything else you want to share about your first quilt?

My first two quilts used FPP, but I’ve avoided that technique ever since. 

Thank you for sharing your gorgeous first quilt, Erin! I love that you had it hanging in your cubicle at work!