In the late 70s I made my first quilt, king size, pattern-Clay's Choice. It took me two years to complete, but I did finish it as it was a wedding present. After that experience, it is a wonder I ever thought of trying another quilt. I send my undying gratitude to whoever it was who invented the rotary cutter!

I started quilting in 1996, when I was seventeen. The first thing I made was a little pillow, then a baby quilt- both with scissors, pencil, and little cardboard templates.

Then I took a watercolor class- hand-pieced together a large wall-hanging top (which is still sitting in a UFO box, waiting for me to figure out how to finish it off.) All those little bitty squares were pre-cut for me, thank goodness, but I still had to mark them.

I remember taking a class on "precision piecing" at a quilt show when I was 18, my first time using a rotary cutter. I am such a perfectionist, I kept ripping out everything I sewed together. I think I got a couple of little strips of flying geese sewn together, everyone else had most of a wall-hanging finished by the end of the class, lol!

I still have another old UFO from way back then, as well. It will never get finished because I barely started it- just a string of handpieced little blocks sewn together- but I have them all together in a little memento box along with the cardboard templates I'd made to cut them out.

I'm only thirty-two, but even since I've started quilting there are sooo many new shortcuts!

I'd be interested! You can PM me if you'd like. :)

I did pre rotary cutter and even used electric scissors at one time. I do not entiely cut with rotary even now. I learned with scissors and I still use them along with rotary cutter.

Let see...PRC I made a king size log cabin, finished some dresden plate blocks (found at antique shop) with sashing, borders and hand quilted, finished a sunbonnet sue (found at same antique shop) with sashing, borders and hand quilted, and made my own sunbonnet sue for DD2. Then DD1 began working at a fabric store and learned about rotary cutters and the 'modern' way of quilting. Been using it ever since, except for a DWR and some applique and a GFG.

i cut my first templates out of milk jug plastic and cereal box cardboard. and cut the fabric with [no so sharp] scissors. it was difficult to keep the lines straight. i made a sampler baby quilt

I did and since it was time consuming, quilting the top afterward seemed less of a chore. I there were still unfinished tops but they didn't accumulate as quickly as now.

I made a pillow for my sister from old clothing (jeans and something bright red) - hideous is what I would call it today. She still has it - bless her heart.

I began with cardboard templates and scissors cutting each triangle separately. Then I discovered a wonderful book published in 1979 by Barbara Johannah called The Quick Quiltmaking Handbook. She was the first to introduce strip quilting and the fast triangle method that everyone uses now. Her strip quilting method made the lone star and around the world patterns so easy and that opened the quilt world for me. Then when the rotary cutter and mat came along what a joy. I have researched Barbara Johanna because I feel she deserves credit for really being the first to introduce the methods so many of us use now. I can't find any reference on her this past 30 years. I feel she should be in the quilter's hall of fame because so many teachers have used her original methods without credit. She also wrote a book on Continuous Curve Quilting published 1980 and she was gracious enough to acknowledge Robbie Fanning for the idea. The two books are my cherished possessions now and when I depart my children can sell them on e-bay!
Happy quilting
Severna
Happy Quilting

I made an Indian Star quilt top all cut out with sissors and a 12 inch school ruler and chalk pencil...made all the blocks and then it was put away for 30 years or more and last month i sewed the blocks together, they were kinda wonky but i went ahead with the borders (they were cut and in the box also) and yesterday i finished quilting it.... i do not know why i ever picked these colors LOL but it will be nice and warm this winter it is 80 x 100 and will bind it today....so i am progressing with the challenge to finish UFO....this one is the last of the pre rotary cutter projects so maybe i will finish all this year