Thinking about Starting this

**SammeyG** · 11-14-2006, 09:13 PM

I am thinking about starting quilting but I am not sure where to start. I have been thinking about doing this for sometime now. But I have always been told that iquilting is so time consuming. I do do some cross stiching and that is all that I know.

**emily_hope** · 11-14-2006, 09:17 PM

My DMother has been wanting to quilt. She decided to start with a wall hanging. Something small to see if she would enjoy it. You could do something like that for a trial run to see if you think you really want to get into it.

**miss_thrifty** · 11-14-2006, 09:43 PM

also the pre printed out quilt blocks for amking quilts is nice too. u embroider them and cross stitch some , make aborder around, quilting around them, put a backing to them, and fiberfill for apillow. or just embroider and put them in alarge frame for wall deco.

**monkeywrangler71** · 11-14-2006, 10:22 PM

I took a class at a local fabric store. We made a baby quilt. I found it a lot less frustrating than trying to figure out how to do it on my own. Then I took 3 other classes, all concentrating on different skills. I haven't actually finished the project from the last class (2 years ago!) but we moved shortly afterwards, it got packed away and I only took it out again a few weeks ago and can't find the time to work on it.

I don't find quilting nearly as time-consuming as cross-stitching, but I've only cross-stitched huge, elaborate projects. I thought the quilting was more exciting, you get to watch it come together faster. I'm not really able to picture things in my head, so I didn't know what any of them would look like until they were pieced together, afterwards they all gave me a "wow" feeling.

Personally, I would find the preprinted blocks boring, just because you only get to do the quilting part, which I find a bit tedious. For me, the interesting part is making the patterns.

**SammeyG** · 11-14-2006, 10:23 PM

Thanks for some of the tips. My mom is currently making one for my cousin out of my cousins old t-shirts with a sheet for the backing. So I will also see how see likes it. I would like more tips.

**homesteadmamma** · 11-14-2006, 10:45 PM

You'll love quilting. It can be expensive to get started as in any hobby. However, you'll never regret it once you get started. Quilting can be time has time consuming has you want it to me. For me, I quilt every single day and don't find it time consuming at all. I've learnt some neat little tricks to cutting and then when I have a few minutes here and there I sew up a block. It's a wonderful hobby and my passion.

I did quilting tutorials here http://www.frugalvillage.com/tutoria...ing-tutorials/ If you start at the bottom and work your way to the top, you will have enough blocks to make a large sampler quilt.

I would suggest you start small with either a wall hanging or a baby quilt. I highly recommend taking a quilting class. You learn so much from a beginner's quilting class, all the little tips and tricks that experienced quilters know. You can also find some wonderful quilting books to get you started. Quick and Easy Scrap Quilts by Patricia Wilens is one of the best. The Simple Joys of Quilting by Hanson and Hickey and The Quilter's Handbook by Rosemary Wilkinson are two other neat quilting books.

If you need any help, just ask away.

**lottaLove** · 12-11-2006, 08:31 PM

Are there any basic supplies that every quilter owns? I want to go out and get a few things, but have no idea what to get.

**homesteadmamma** · 12-11-2006, 10:21 PM

Most quilters own:

~a hard acrylic ruler 6" x 12" is best to start with
~a rotary tool
~a cutting mat which you must have if you use a rotary tool
~straight pins
~scissors
~a good iron
~material

You can also have different size rulers which make it easier to cut material with, however you don't need to have them. If you decide to purchase more a 6" x 24" and a 15 x 15 inch are ones to have. I would also recommend a good quality sewing machine unless you plan to quilt by hand.

**nwmissourigal** · 12-11-2006, 10:33 PM

I still quilt by hand, and always have something that I am working on. It isn't a hard thing to learn and the results are beautiful. You can find material at garage sale pretty cheap and I just old worn out clothes for blocks some time. I also like the pre printed material for something easy and quick to do. That is how I made the throw pillows for my sofa and beds. A nine patch is easy to do for a pillow and gives you good practice. Once you start quilting it becomes a passions...It is very relaxing to quilt in the evening on a cold snowy nite..I love it..Blessings.Kathy

**Michelle** · 12-12-2006, 08:24 AM

I recommend Fons & Porter's book Quilter's Complete Guide Book as well. Eleanor Burns has some good ones, but I can't think of their names right now.

The tutorials that CJ mentioned should help too.

**AmeliaM** · 02-02-2008, 05:31 AM

Paper piecing is fairly simple.

Rag quilts are easy-no binding and you can use any fabric that ravels including denim from old jeans or flannel. Get fabrics when they are on sale. Only buy what you like. Be careful once you get the bug you can buy tons of fabric.

If you sign up w joann fabrics to get their ad(or if you get the sunday paper it might be in there) it has a 40% off any new item. Start slow and use these to buy what you need. Basting pins are nice-I bought 2 containers of like 100ct when they were on sale-they don't rust and are slightly curved-look like safety pins. When one of the fabric stores had notions on sale at 50% off-and they do every so often...you can get needles,pins,and tons of other stuff on sale.

Your fabric scissors will be used for nothing else.

I would check out the library for books-helps you fig out what ones work for you and there are a ton at different levels and projects. They may have videos also...

Eleanor Burns has some that they show on tv(if you have cable or know someone who can tape some of the show this may help also)and she is very easy to follow.

I have this book and it has excellent photos and step by step instructions w different levels of projects.

http://www.kwiksew.com/Catalog/cat_t...L=MissLingerie

rag quilts

http://quilting.about.com/od/ragquil...t_Patterns.htm

http://www.quilting101.com/styles/rag-quilts.html

http://www.rag-quilt-instructions.com/

**quiltingmommy** · 02-05-2008, 08:39 AM

Welcome to my addiction! Thimbleberries books have patterns that are fairly large (some of them), they teach you basic easy patterns and work up pretty quickly. Definetly check out the library for books.