Hi, My name is Estella. I'm from San Antonio, Texas. I've got 3 children and 5 grandchildren and another on the way in Feb. I'm married and have been handicapped since 2001. I have time on my hands (when 9 brothers and sisters are not calling on the phone) so I'm trying to learn to quilt from books and TV shows. Hope to meet alot of friends even if we don't always talk about quilts.

Hi - My name is Victoria, I am 68 years old; 4 children and 2 grandchildren. I have been hooked on quilting for past year and a half. Get most of my guidance from a church friend who only hand sews quilts. Have made 4 but would like to move on and experiment with machine sewing top -- trouble is I am terrified!! Ordered a book on it recently and hope to receive it soon and I will get up nerve to put it under a machine needle after I have spent time cutting and putting it together!! Dont know why my registration isn't listed on board either. [email protected]

Hi Estella and Victoria. My name is Diana and I am soon to be 62. I have 4 daughters and a son and 11 grandchildren. I live in sunny San Diego and have been quilting for about 14 years now. I take lots of classes whenever I can (I still work full time) and I use my quilting to relax. I do not assemble my quilts by hand but I do a lot of hand applique and hand quilting. I even prefer it to using my machine. I belong to 3 guilds and an applique group. Don't let the machine terrify you, if you make a mistake, you can always correct it. Just remember that the Amish who are professional quilters put an error in their quilts on purpose to make them unique. Have fun quilting and ask lots of questions here, you will get lots of help. That is one thing about quilters, they love to help.

:lol: You'll never guess who this is. Yes your right it's me lol :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :-o :D what are these symbols?

Yvette, your guess is as good as mine. . I'll email you later.

Estella I sent you a pm......Misty

Welcome, Estella. This is a great place to meet new friends and also get some wonderful information and/or advice on quilting. The folks here are the mose t helpful ones I've been connected with. They never hesitate to share info or patterns and I have learned a lot from them. Again, welcome. Diana :D

:)

Hi Diana:

I have been facinated with the Amish and have visited the Amish area of PA many,many times and have also read many books on the Amish. The real reason they put a mistake in each quilt is that they believe nothing they make can be perfect - only God is perfect.

My quilts are never perfect - so I don't have to purposely put a mistake in them - lol.

Mary

hi all, gosh i learned something here allready..i didn't know that the amish put a mistake in their quilts on purpouse..being i'm kind of a new quilter, mine have lots of mistakes (i'm my biggest critic) lol, so now i wont feel so bad... ;-)

I to would like to make new friends I have beem a quilder a long time I live in OKLAHOMA I have 5 children 10 GC 23 GGc and 2 GGGc so I have alot to quild for I like all kind of quilting love ro have some one to talk to about quilts NEVA

Hi Estella,

Welcome to the best quilting site I have been on yet. I am 65 years old with 3 children and 4 grandchilden, 1 great, I am disabled and have always sewed but for some reason quilting intimidated me. I had knee replacement surgery last Nov. and during my recuparation, my daugter in law bought me quilting supplies and said go at it, I know you can do it. So I started and have not stopped since. Have made 8 quilts,3 kings, 2 queens and 2 twins. I machine piece and then hand quilt. Best thing that ever happened to me.

You will love the site, you can ask any question and I guarantee you will get an answer

Jane Sisk, Tucson, AZ

Hi Victoria,

Welcome to the best quilting site ever. I am a new quilter, only 8 months, I piece all of my quilts on the machine. Don't be afraid of it, it is so easy and so much faster and more accurate. I chain piece a lot and can sometimes put a top together in 2 or 3 days. I use the rotary cutters to cut strips and squares etc. So far I have made 8 quilts, 3 of the king size. I made them for my children and made them 110 in by 110 in so they could be used like a comforter, then I take leftover material and make matching shams. If I can do it, anyone can. Just jump in and get going and you will never stop.

Jane Sisk, Tucson, AZ

Ladies...Welcome one and all. We love to have you join us. So much fun and sharing here for everyone. :D

Welcome Estella. I am June from Cincinnati, Ohio and I turned 73 this year. I hope you make many friends here. I find everyone eager to give up their hints and stories on quilting. Make yourself at home.

Victoria, I believe you said you are terrified of sewing quilt pieces on a machine. I hope you learn strip piecing so you can sew long seams and make units that make the quilt top assembly fast and easy.. If you are used to using a machine, there should be no problem. Cutting single pieces for a quilt isbetter suited for hand sewing, but doing strips makes it so much faster. A Trip Around the World is a wonderful pattern for learning quick machine assembly. Keep us posted in your progress. A book is often a good support, but look at all the people here who will cheer you on.

Everyone....have a GREAT DAY!!!

Hi All! I have been reading the tips on this site for quite a while, but never actually posted a reply. Thought I'd say a howdy to everyone from Georgia. I've lived in Georgia 7 years, but I grew up in Michigan and lived in California while my husband was in the Airforce. I have been quilting for about 15 years or so. I have 4 children 3 daughters (the youngest 2 are twins), and one son. My son and his wife still live in Michigan and have a 2 and a half year old daughter. My oldest daughter and her two daughters live here in Georgia, as do my twins One of my twin daughters was married on Aug. 4, and the other one is engaged. So we'll be empty nesters before too long-except my granddaughters are over here 2 or 3 nights a week. I love piecing quilts and applique, but am not really crazy about the quilting part. Wish I liked it better because I love the way the fancier type quilting looks. It's really hot here in Georgia right now. It hit the 100's today. I also work in our church's Christian school. I am the lunchlady and also teach home ec in the afternoon. The last two years, my home ec classes have made quilts for their sewing project, and this years class wish to do the same.

Hi My name is nat. When you cut your squares for the quilts, what kind of a rotary cutter do you use. I am having a hard time cutting and standing up.

Hi and welcome to the bord Nat. It takes A little time to get use to using a rotarty cutter if you have never used one befor.

Hi Estelle my name is Natalie and I have been Quilting for About a year. I am also disabled and it is very hard for me to stand when i do my cutting. I Guess I will have to start sitting when I do my cutting. I also am a grandma of 6. They range in age from a 1yr. old to a 21yr. old. I really enjoy doing the quilting, I have taken a few classes and I am doing a Block of the Month now. Well I have to go. Talk to you soon. Natalie

Welcome aboard
You will make thousands of friends in here...This is a very friendly board....and they will really help you quilting too... :D

The first part of this thread is from member who used to be here...but welcome to the one just joining
:D

Hi Nat, welcome..

I use a 45mm rotary cutter and make sure my cutting table is not too low. If you are bending over to cut, you will get a backache very quickly.

Place your rotary cutter next to the edge of your ruller and at a 90 degree angle to the table, in other words, standing straight up.. not leaning either direction.

Your other hand should be spread out on top of your ruller, sometimes I leave my little finger trailing off the edge of the ruller to stablize it.

Push down on your cutter, not against the ruller, use the ruller as a guide and cut just until you pass the point where your hand is holding the ruller.

If you need to cut further, stop, holding your cutter in place and walk your hand up the ruller a bit and continue cutting.. repeat this until you have cut the entire length of the cut.

Hope this helps..

Judy

Hi Estella--welcome from Georgia. I am a grandmother too-there are a lot of us on this board. I have been quilting for almost 10 years and can always use another quilt friend. Please post pics of some of your projects.

Hi Natalie, from Southern California. I used to do a lot of my cutting sitting down at a table. I started with a Fiskars rotary cutter and then moved to a ergonomic one from....believe it or not the name is not on the cutter. Anyway, I still like to cut sitting down, but now I have a "cutting table" that is at a good height that it won't kill my back.

:)

Hi from PA!

welcome from washington