Let the quilting begin. (And a giveaway!)

It's that time, friends. I am endeavoring to make my first ever quilt and I am so excited. I decided to make up my own super-simple, modern-ish pattern so I don't get too overwhelmed. A pretty good idea, right?

So tonight I have a hot date with my cutting mat and I'm excited to start making a pile of strips for piecing. This quilt is going to be colorful and busy and definitely not my last (I hope.) Are you a master quilter? I would love to hear any tricks of the trade you might be willing to share. : ) 

Here is a list of some great quilting resources I have come across that have helped me to understand the basics:

Sew Mama Sew's quilting tutorial section

The Modern Quilt Guild offers great tutorials and also connects you with local chapters where you can meet and quilt with others and learn from the best.

This book has also become my best friend. I looked at a lot of quilting books when I decided to take on this project and this one seemed like the best all-around. I love how simple and concise the book was and how they offered visual descriptions of so many of the key steps. It was the one book that actually made me stop and go "Oh, I can do this!" Taking you through everything from your supplies to choosing fabric to planning for your quilt and understanding its construction, this book also offers some excellent beginners level modern quilt patterns as well as some that are a bit more advanced. I'm such a huge fan that I am going to give away a fresh new copy of this wonderful book to one of YOU! Entering this giveaway is simple, leave a comment and make sure I can get a hold of you somehow! That's it. So enter now so you don't forget because I'll be picking one winner on Sunday night. Happy Monday!