I'd like to try quilting...can anyone help?

Question

Can anyone point me in the right direction - books/advice on where to start/websites?

I'd like to have a go as I think they'd make lovely presents for family. I already cross-stitch but they've probably had enough if my samplers by now!

I've checked out my local college and they don't offer a course so i need to self-teach.

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Quilting is wonderful! Do a search for Quilt shops in your area. Many times they offer beginning quilting classes. (Mine cost about $60.00 for 6 weeks.) If you have a Joann’s around, you can check with them too.  I only took a beginning quilting class and then self-taught myself many things! It is totally possible.

If that doesn’t work there are great books and resources online out there.

A great book to learn the “basics” is Last-Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. http://www.amazon.com/Last-Minute-Patchw... (My local library has copies, so check at yours to save some money.) If you are comfortable with sewing, the projects should be pretty good. If not, they are more for the advanced beginner. However, the best part of the book is all the patchwork and quilting instructions in the back. She is VERY detailed and gives cutting, measuring, pinning, and seam allowance directions, all of which are vital for quilting. There are loads of quilting books out there, so just check Amazon or your local library to start and see if you find one that works for you.

You didn’t mention needing info about a machine and supplies. Here is some quick info on that stuff, sorry if you don’t need it. You don’t need a super fancy machine to do quilting. The only “musts”, besides your basic machine functions, are a machine that have the ability to attach a quilting foot and a walking and/or darning  foot. I have found great prices on feet for my machines at http://www.sewingmachinesplus.com/.  The quilting foot has a gage of exactly ¼” which is the standard seam allowance for quilting. It makes your life so much easier to get that foot for your machine. Trust me. It is worth every penny. To learn about the walking and darning feet, check out the second link below. Also you will want to get a cutting mat, rotary cutter, and some clear acrylic rulers with grips. (A long one for cutting your strips and a square for cutting out the squares.) They sell them at Joann’s and are commonly on sale, or use your 40% coupons. They can be pricey.

To get the general idea of the process of quilting check these links out: http://kellymccaleb.typepad.com/photos/q... - Great and simple baby quilt tutorial. You could enlarge the size easily. She doesn’t show how to actually ‘quilt’ your quilt, but check out the link below for that.

Machine Quilting/Quilt Sandwich: http://anyonecanquilt.typepad.com/my_web... (great blog in general)

Binding a Quilt: http://heatherbailey.typepad.com/photos/...   (great blog in general)

Another method of binding a quilt: http://fatquartershop.blogspot.com/2008/...  (great blog in general)

Other Places to Check out!

http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?cat=28 – Quilting month posts at Sew Mama Sew

http://sewmamasew.com/forum/ Check out their forum too, you can look for quilting posts– lots of people have posted questions about common quilting questions.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=513... - Love this girl's patterns, modern and fun.

Hope that helps and good luck!

Answer 2

check this

http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~gkw22/patte...

http://www.icantbelieveim.com/?gclid=COu...

http://www.bhg.com/home/Quilting-for-Beg...

http://www.quiltinaweekend.com/?gclid=CP...

Answer 3

My wife is a quilter and I know from experience that there is loads of information on the internet (almost as much as there is books and fabric in our house!!!) Here might be a good place to start:

http://www.quiltersguild.org.uk/

If you don't get enough information from there or other answers email me and I'll ask Mrs G for her advice.

Answer 4

I used the internet to teach myself to quilt. I found these sites to be particularly helpful:

http://quilting.about.com/

http://www.quilterscache.com/

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_quilting/0,1...

http://www.qnm.com/

http://blockcentral.com/index.shtml

Also, contact local quilt shops and fabric stores because they usually have classes.

Answer 5

I found a very good website with a sample quilt with instructions.

It discusses fabrics, supplies, instructions with pictures, and has testimonials of users.  If there is a quilting guild in your area, the members are a wonderful source of help on a one to one basis.

Good Luck.

sewaquilt.com

Answer 6

Do you have any quilt shops in your area, or a quilting guild? Both are good resources for quilting classes. If you still aren't able to find a class (and I really recommend a class if at all possible), then the first book I'd suggest is "Start Quilting with Alex Anderson." It's the book my quilting class used, and it covers the basics for beginner quilters. It's relatively inexpensive, maybe $12.

McCall's Quilting website has some good lessons, although they're listed in alphabetical order instead of chronological order. http://mccallsquilting.com/lessons/ They have a list of Basic Quiltmaking Supplies that's pretty good. Pre-washing vs. not pre-washing fabrics is a hot topic for quilters. If you're just getting started, go ahead and pre-wash the fabrics.You might find it easier to handle the fabric if you give it a shot of spray starch or sizing when you iron it. Check out the lesson called Fabric Preparation. Then look at the lesson called Rotary Cutting Basics. Rotary cutters have brought quilting into the mainstream. You'll need a 45mm rotary cutter, a decent sized self healing mat (18" x 24" is a good starting point), and a couple of good acrylic rulers - one 6" x 24" and one 6" x 12". Your third ruler should be 12 1/2" square.

There are hundreds, probably thousands of websites that can give you pointers. Some are really good - good information, well presented, with minimal advertising. Some are difficult to follow and have so much advertising that it's hard to find the actual information. Here's a page that gives a lot of good resources:

http://piecemealquilts.wordpress.com/qui...

Consider joining a Yahoo group for support and reference. Some of them get way off topic, but you can usually get help if you just ask. Also check out Flickr. It's a great place to share photos of your work, but you can join groups and get help through their discussion boards, too. http://www.flickr.com/

Blogs are also a good reference. Many have tutorials for specific projects or techniques. Just Google "quilting blog" to get started, then look at the list of blogs that person reads for more possibilities.