Thread: Newbies challenge

Oh.. I live in Lebanon Maine, right beside Rochester NH.

Originally Posted by Donna Mare

I still consider myself a newbie. I did some log cabins , rip and stitch, years ago but that was it. No quilting either...they were embroidery floss tied. I have been trying to collect cloth and saving patterns and all kinds of tips I see on here.. Great teachers are here and I am thankful for that.. You all could write a book!

Here are perfect step by step beginner quilter instructions:
http://www.ideas-for-quilting.com/

Here is my favorite place to "find" any fabric, shops all across america, Fab Shop Hop, and on top do FabSearch
http://fabshophop.com/

My favorite hand dyed fabrics and pre-cut kaleidoscope kits:
http://www.wnynetworks.com/labfabrics/shop_online.php3

https://www.picotextiles.com/index.php

http://www.ttfabrics.net/cgi-bin/fab...i?Category=495

My favorite fabric, adds pizzazz to a quilt:
http://madhattersquiltbox.com/michae...airyfrost.aspx

Here are many sites for FREE quilt blocks, quilt patterns and border patterns. Google and you can find about anything.

http://quilting.about.com/od/quiltpa...t_patterns.htm

Calculating Borders: http://www.quiltersparadiseesc.com/C...Calculator.php

Border & Quilt Setting Lessons:
http://www.victorianaquiltdesigns.ne...ltSettings.htm

http://www.straw.com/equilters/libra...t_bytopic.html

http://www.scrapquilts.com/0101bom.html

http://www.quilt.com/Blocks/AlphaBlockList.html

http://www.quilterscache.com/QuiltBlocksGalore.html

http://quilting.about.com/od/blockof...t_patterns.htm

http://www.quilterscache.com/BlocksbySizeB.html

http://www.hp.com/hho/hp_create/redirect.html

http://www.freequiltpatterns.info/#AB

Jenny Beyer (advanced patterns) Another of my favorites:
http://www.jinnybeyer.com/freepatter...05857&axis_v=2

http://www.fabric.com/CategoryDetail...e-31ebff5743bf

http://www.homedecorators.com/detail...69078&aid=bzrt

English Paper Piecing templates:
http://www.paperpieces.com/index.html

http://www.paperpieces.com/contents/en-us/d33.html

Books & Patterns, designer, bargello, etc:
http://www.grizzlygulchgallery.com/i...Patterns_Books

Fun song to know it will always turn out...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzoL7ddTEnA

Quilt Stories for your Husband:
http://www.popser.com/

http://webstore.quiltropolis.net/sto...752&page_id=17

I hope these links will help our newbies find fabric, patterns, learn lessons on quilting, borders, settings.
If your very new to this "Newbies" messages, look back a few pages of messages, and I had posted tips and acranyms list for quilting.
Anyone else have links to help?
THIS group wite, also has many tutorials to help. And lots of experienced quilters for your help, if your a newbie or intermediate wanting to learn a new technique.

WOW.. thank you . I copied them ALL ! That is so much help and I appreciate it. I will go back a few pages too and look.
I have been working all morning getting my stuff set up and in another area so it is "in my face" and make me get on it!!

thank you sincerely for all your help!!!

Originally Posted by stevendebbie25

There are different quilting stitching... and we think "stiple" means the
squiggly small lines that won't touch each other.
Micro Stipple is no open space more than 1/4"
Stipple is no more than 1/2" space
Background is 1" space between stitching
Allover is 2" space
Edge to Edge (pantos) is 3-4" space
Meander is 6-8" space (should be used for Charity quilts)
Crap is loose stitching like a store bought bed comforter.
If your a long arm quilter, and someone asks you to practice on their quilt...
you don't practice, it's all work the same.
Explain these stitches, and have mini samples of these on actual variety of
blocks and plain fabric, so they can see the difference and how the stitching
would flow in a block (make a sample of asst. most common blocks, log cabin,
flying geese, 9 patch, etc).
Have a contract signed with your quilt owner, so she has picked the type of
quilting she wants, and charge accordingly...make sure she knows the charges you
placed to each type of stitch work (size).
Some charge by square inch, most common is 1-1/2 cents/sqin, and some charge by
the hour, and literally will keep track of each 15 minutes or hour they have
worked. If your hiring, ask if they keep track on a tablet the time they work
on the quilt. You do not pay/get paid, for "thinking" time of what to do, but
actual working/stitching time.

Make sure YOUR quilt when taking to a long arm quilter, is "fixed".
Clip all loose threads front AND back. Square up each block before you sew them
together, and in stages of your quilt, and sashing & borders kept even/squared
up. Pin borders on from middle to ends (NEVER end to end). And press your
seams so they do not bunch up. If you are finished, and you find the backside
has bunched seams, repress WITH STARCH to change the direction of seams. Set
seams before pressing to one direction or another, run the iron down the stitch
line, then fold the seam over and press again. STARCH IS GOOD.

Quilters will charge to pre-press, loading time avg. 1 hr putting your quilt on
the machine, the more problems it has, the longer.
Custom work (fancy stippling, feathers, details) COSTS! Either hire for edge to
edge or pantos work, or be prepared to pay dearly for detailed work. Long arm
quilters, your time is money, if you are uncomfortable, just say NO.

Ladies, a 60"x60" quilt, when you add a 10" border, you've doubled the square
inches of your quilt, expect to double the price also.
Quilters, you can do 3x(60"x60") quilts in the same time as 1(100"x100"king)
quilt.

When your quilting, your own or professionally, divide your quilt into those
folded quilt zones, and set goal/accomplish/repeat, and you'll finish in a
timely manner. Why practice on a quilt you've spend precious time and money on
quality fabric, to piece this lovely top.... practice on plain fabric folded
into quiltable zones, or on a crap basic quilt you'll donate for charity.

THANK YOU >> DULY NOTED and SAVED !!

Hope I took out the repeat..sent 2 timess.

Originally Posted by Donna Mare

WOW.. thank you . I copied them ALL ! That is so much help and I appreciate it. I will go back a few pages too and look.
I have been working all morning getting my stuff set up and in another area so it is "in my face" and make me get on it!!

thank you sincerely for all your help!!!

MOST important, "Lighting"...space and being organized is a great idea too. I like things 'around me' like a space saver kitchen...have my embroidery machine on a big old lawyer desk I found $20 at a yard sale, has two pull out side wings, one has a sm. iron board & tiny iron for block cut seams, the other side has a tiny cutting board and tiny rotary for square up blocks. I have my larger iron board behind me and lowered so I could iron either standing or sitting. I have a large office chair, more comfortable for long hours quilting and rises to make right height for arm reach to machine. I have a little utility table from Walmart ($9), with my smaller piecing machine beside me also. I have clamp on extension desk lights over my larger cutting table (from JoAnns on coupon, tall, collapsible sides to thin size, no back ache cutting), also on my office/sewing desk, and my tiny table sewing station. I have this in a spare bedroom without the bed, and another desk for my printer, CD/radio. I have used office file stand for holding my larger rulers on my cutting table. I have a pretty pot I store small tools. I have a letter/desk organizer for sm. rulers and a lg desk organizer for files again larger mid rulers & templates.
I have a couple tiny shelves for my gingher scissors asstmt., and put mug cup hooks to hang my Olfa rotaries from. I have a closet with 1/2 rod, and hang 'projects' on hangers..then other half is shelves I have my fabrics organized by type in piles. I have a book shelf I have a TV/DVD player (I don't like total quiet, need someone talking to me), and my quilt books, and 14 binders full of patterns I've printed off free, or from magazines so I don't have the bulk of the mags in storage, I tear out patterns & tip sheets I like, put in plastic sleeves, and binders are by Christmas, Baby, Table Runners, Wall Hangings, Men's, Log Cabins, Bargello, etc.
A photo of my quilt room wouldn't look totally "tidy" but it is organized. I also have a kitchen garbage (new) for fabric scraps (used to just toss these until I realized they are 'gold' for applique, Paper piecing, log cabins, scrappy & crazy quilts), and another can for those that really are tossible. I even save my salvages now, found a cute idea pattern for them, and have several friends who collect & use these, so I cut & toss them into a box.
If you know anyone starting into a new home, buying curtains, table clothes, bedding...get these zipper bags these items are stored in, they make great project bags. I sort precut pieces, smaller yrdg & the pattern in these bags. If I do hanging yrds I pin the pattern to that fabric now so I don't loose why I bought the fabric (happened to me during a move, patterns got separated).

Get the BEST tools you can afford, from cutting mat to rotaries, rulers to iron. Learn your machine well. Invest in good thread. And have fun, when it becomes mistakes and tension, STOP, break and return.

hi would anyone out there like to take on a real challenge, i'm from Northern Ireland and i can assure you i know very little and need lots of TLC, my latest phrase whilst sewing is (insert head and smack here) so that will give you a clue on how good i am, oh and i have a Janome Quilters machine and also a Janome ME350E embrodiery machine(please help)

have you got a newby yet or would you like me, be assured i will be a challenge oh and can someone help i'm tying to put a photo up so you can see me

oh and i'm the one on the right and my sister is on the left, she lives in Oz and has been quilting for about 15 - 20 years

:thumbup: i'm new.. any takers lol. do we have to sign adoption papers... i like canada anyone.

Hi Everyone!
Newbie, a babe in the woods, here looking for a mentor to adopt me. Lol, Googled the acronyms FMQ, SID, EQ5 and PP. Will most likely do the same when coming across unfamiliar quilting terms.
Let me know if you'd like to adopt me!
JEGsgirl