Quilting Advice for Beginners

[carobelle]

For a couple of years now I have so wanted to make a quilt but have been too busy to even think of it... well I think  i will have some time coming up... so now it dawns on me..
WHERE/ HOW DO I START??!
I mean I have the scraps, i think I know the kind of pattern I want to do, but do I handstich them, machine sew them... and what on earth happens when i get to the point where I actually have to QUILT the thing!! am I going to be put off by the level of difficulty of the whole project??
please give me some tips if you can!
xxx

[maamtastic]

I am not very experienced, but I just jumped in there and started cutting and sewing and have been learning as I go with a huge crazy quilt made out of my and my kids' iold clothes.  If you are afraid of ruining your "good" scraps, that might be a good way to start.  I am halfway through a king size crazy quilt and it is amazing how easily it is coming together.  You can do it!

[Jera]

Um I am just a beginner but I like to hand stitch; cause its easier to pull out the stitches and start over if I mess up.(which I do alot)

[SunCrush]

I have made tons of quilts... here is a picture of the blocks I am sewing right now, for a Batik Quilt...



Good Luck... Any questions feel free to ask!!

[maamtastic]

I have mostly finished my first quilt top and am really happy with the way it is working out.  But this one is a wacky freestyle crazy quilt and I'd like to try a flying geese type one next.  Does anyone have any advice for quilts with triangles or just beginning working with patterns, etc?  Any good books?
thanks!
layne

[ohnother_again]

Hi Layne,
I do crazy quilting too but never bothered with traditional quilting. If you want to try it, there are a zillion very instructional websites out there on traditional quilting.  Just do a search on Google and you'll have more info than you know what to do with!  
Have fun.

[maamtastic]

I think I have figured out what to do for my next one.  I want to do a courthouse steps twin sized one for my daughter in aunt grace fabric.  She wants a hearts bed so I am going to use the february fabrics and some others and do red centers and pink and white strips.  There are a ton of how tos for logcabin quilts and they are so easy!
layne

[orlandosgurl]

My mother and I have taken up quilting! I think its really fun, although I am just a beginner. I am starting a new one....any advice?  

[knittykat]

Congrats on learning to quilt.  I learned myself this past year and it is sooooo addictive.  You can take all these leeetle scraps and turn them into a warm blanket--who wouldn't love it?

My favorite quilting book is Quilts from The Quiltmaker's Gift.  A beautiful book with gorgeous photography, step by step instructions, and suggestions for design changes to suit all ages and skill levels.  It is designed so that children and adults can learn together (the Quiltmaker's Gift is a kids' book).  Each pattern has a number of variations for inspiration.  Many quilt books have bad pictures or pictures of just one block which is not very helpful!  

Another fun (fast) project is a shaggy quilt.  You basically cut rectangles of your fabric (they're big pieces) and cut slightly smaller rectangles of your batting and sew little 'sandwiches' with an X across them.  This 'quilts' all of the pieces individually.  Then you sew them together with the seams out, make little cuts in the seams, and run it through the washer.  I made one in 3 days for my best friend (when I decided 3 days before Christmas I wanted to make her a quilt!)  You can find free patterns on the internet or in craft stores--I got mine from Hancock fabrics.

Good luck!  
Kat

[Bex]

I'm wanting to find a good [free] source online for learning to quilt...

Does anyone know of any such site?