Originally Posted by jmabby
For me it took 3-4 quilts before I felt comfortable reading them. This is what I do on paper
1) Make a copy of the pattern to write notes on
Fabrics needed:
2)On copy of the pattern check the list of fabric to cut and label them A, B, C, D etc; do the same with the cutting instructions
3) Now mark the quilt layout diagram to corespond with their fabric A, B, C, D etc.
3) Write down all the colors
after the colors I write down the fabric I will be using
Example:pattern: A) 1/4 yard small orange primrose(#3005-33, Gold/Rust) (my fabric) rust shamrock
B) 2/3 yard large gold orchid (#3002-33, forest gold) (my fabric) rust/gold gnomes etc.
Now I can easily see by following the pattern which fabric I will use replacing the pattern colors with my colors.
Make sense so far??
Now I go to cutting fabric
Cutting fabric:
A From the small orange primrose cut------- rust shammrock
B From large gold orchid cut---------- rust gold gnomes
etc
If you do this it keeps your mind in order, or does mine. The rest I write down notes where I make changes or write something that takes awhile to figure out. I have a 3 ring binder with sheets of copies of quilts I have made with my notes, next time it will be a breeze. By making a copy if you make the quilt again you can start with a fresh copy and write down the new colors. I keep these loose pages by my machine and continously use them while, cutting and piecing all the time. Good luck
This is almost exactly how I do mine. I have never been very good with math and it seems quilting has really helped my math skills! I cannot read patterns in books or magazines either. I was really spoiled and made some sampler quilts from quilter's cache because I LOVE her speed piecing directions for stuff. But she writes her patterns in a way that a 2nd grader would understand so there is no confusion. Patterns in magazines and books aren't written that way.
I also find that physically righting it down in a notebook helps me process it better than just reading it. If it's a quilt that's super special, like my husbands sampler for our anniversary, I get out my ruler and colored pencils and map out the blocks to go with the directions.
I'm making my first patterns out of a McCalls quilting and only after several rewrites was I able to understand. I made a sample and HATED it. So I looked at what steps went wrong for me and I rewrote them in a way that made more sense. I've made 4 more since and really loved them.
The biggest advice I would have for anyone dealing with patterns for the first time is to be careful with borders. Cutting and piecing has to be perfect for the length to wind up. I don't cut the length of any borders until the center or top is complete and then I measure what mine actually is. I don't have ruffles in my borders anymore now because they are true length, not what the pattern requires.
I'll help you in any way I can.
Melissa