Hi, I'm Andi and I live in Central Florida. I don't have a lot of sewing experience but I have so many plans and a love of fabric and color and the idea of quilting...I am a quilter at heart.

You all are so good and make it look so easy that I was swept away into my fantasy of quilts for gifts and round robins and block exchanges and maybe even of being a secret quilt angel next year!

I have cut most of the material for my first quilt and as I was going along found out I'm not the best cutter but figured it had to get easier. I switched from the rotary cutter to tracing each piece and cutting with scissors and it went a bit faster.

This evening I made my first sub-units which include prairie points and as I was folding and ironing the tiny bits of color I thought it has to get easier than this.

Next came the basting which I was sure would be easy, I mean one needle, one piece of thread how hard could it be? Lord, have mercy, I'm a dreamer!

I lost my needle at least fourteen times, my rough dry winter hands caught on the thread unthreading my needle at least twice that many times and my poor poor neglected dog let me know she isn't into this new hobby! She wants some attention!

I am now ready to sew my four sub-units into a teeny tiny little kite but first I have to make a bobbin(wind a bobbin? thread a bobbin? What is the correct word?) and thread my machine...my beautiful five year old niece, Livi, may be receiving this lap quilt for a college graduation present at the rate I'm going!

I'm kidding really, I know it gets better or you wouldn't all be on here flourishing.

I love this place! It feels like a neighborhood with a lot of friends gathered, working and talking together. Thanks for the inspiration.

Now for threading the machine-is that the easy part? :hunf:

Hello and welcome and yes some things do get easier, but be aware almost all of us keep a seam ripper very close at hand because even though things start to go together quicker there will be many times when you will be taking them apart and putting them back together multiple times (just part of the fun, lol)

Thanks, Mamabear. I do have a seam ripper and I'm prepared to rip! :thumbup:

Hello and welcome from SW Iowa. Of course it gets easier and then you get to try even harder patterns and start over again. :-D

Welcome! Where in Central FL are you??? You'll get the hang of it in no time~~ and there's lots of help around here for you too :)

It does get easier... but at times it can still be frustrating. I've had the chapped hands that snag on threads, I've threaded machines wrong, had bobbin thread break, machines that break down, fabrics that I sewed in wrong side up, seams that didn't "fit", lots of seams that I had to rip out, cut fabric wrong, pieced it wrong, even quilted it badly and took it out. So, why do we do it? When you've made a quilt and muddled through your first quilt, the sense of accomplishment is incredible! And when you start making more, turning out quilt after quilt and seeing all your beautiful work come to fruition, it's just a feeling that you can't get any other way. It's sooooooo addicting!!! And making quilts is so fulfilling. Quilting just feeds the soul in a way that nothing else ever has. ahhhhh, gotta go work on my latest quilt!!

Welcome!

I find buying fabric to be the easy part. :-D

Hi and Welcome to the wonderfully frustrating world of quilting :wink: Just remember everyone has to start somewhere and soon you will be an old pro :thumbup:

Welcome Andi! I too am new here and yes it does get easier. If you put the little rubber or sandpaper dots on the bottom of your ruler the fabric won't slip and before you know it you'll be cutting like a pro.

Have Fun!!!!

the easy part is standing back and looking at you finished quilt take a deep breath and say ok i can get some sleep now!! u go to sleep and dream and plan you next quilt. lol

memathomas

Yes, it does get easier, but sometimes less so than others. I can't say that I really enjoy the process of making a quilt (sorry guys), but I sure love the finished products. That's what keep me making more! Of course, I wouldn't want someone with "sensitive" ears to listen to me while I'm ripping out, either! ;) :roll: :mrgreen:

I'm a newbie too with just a "little" knowledge about sewing but I have found this board to be so helpful. Of course, it's also addictive so plan some time on your computer!! Welcome

Hello & Welcome Andi. Yes some things do get easier but even then, we all make mistakes from time to time. Gosh my first quilt had me crying and cussing and I could not begin to understand how anyone in their right mind could actually enjoy this hobby! After I did complete it, I could not wait to start another. Then another. And I still learn with every project I make, 13 years after the first one. So keep on keeping on & ask any question that might cross your mind.

Welcome Andi! I cried alot when I first started quilting....I didn't think I would ever be able to use a rotary cutter and now I can't imagine NOT using it. Keep at it and it will come together.

LOL!!! When I first started quilting I thought it would be so easy to just look at a pattern and make it. I thought all I had to do to make half-square triangles was to cut a square in half diagonally. Little did I know. But now I know. Just takes time and practice, practice, practice. And have FUN!!!

I'm still not convinced it gets easier, but you certainly start to enjoy it more...and more...and more! Soon you can't think of what you did before quilting. Just remember my rule...
Measure once, cut twice...wait...measure once, cut twice, buy more fabric, measure again...no that can't be it....OH YEAH....measure TWICE, cut ONCE!

That ole frog sings his song a lot to me! Sometimes you'd think he was in my room at night cause I could swear I can hear "rippppp it" at night! :lol:

Welcome, and yes it does get easier. Some things become second nature. You will learn to thread your machine in the dark and keep a dozen bobbins full and ready to go. I don't do much basting and rarely pin my pieces anymore.

As for dry hands, I keep Udderly Smooth Udder Cream on hand. No greasy feel, and keeps your hands nice and smooth.

welcome and I think the best thing is to take a basic quilting class at your local quilt shop. They can show you a lot of helpful ideas in cutting, sewing picking out fabric etc. Enjoy.

Welcome to the Quilting Board!

One of the best things I did was sign up on this board, it has taught me SO much! The encouragement is fantastic, and you can find just about any topic by searching.

And one of the most encouraging threads was the one on "What is the silliest thing you did while quilting?" I had been feeling like I'd never get anything right, that everyone else must be doing things perfectly. Just reading that thread put things in perspective and helped me keep going. I also discovered my seam ripper was a fine tool to use!

Here is that thread:

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-23488-1.htm

Nice to meet you littlehud. Is it freezing in Iowa?
Andi

Hi, BKinco, I live near Tampa-at least that's the nearest big city.
Where do you live in Colorado? One of my best friends from here moved to Highlands Ranch, CO and I love the pictures she sends. Is that anywhere near you?
Andi

Oh, Pamela, that is the feeling I'm looking for! I love the idea that someone's hands made the quilts I look at and think there is a tiny bit of energy from that person nestled in the between the layers of material and caught in the stitches years and years later!

Hi, IrishNY. To me it's the easy part and the hard part-I love them all! I no longer work outside the home due to a disability so trying to curb my hunger for the beautiful fabrics is the tough part. However, I am a coupon user and bargain hunter which is another addiction in itself so I visit the fabric store frequently and buy little bits! It's all good.

I have friends that live in Centerreach, NY-is that near you?

Thank you, Sharon. I have to say all of you great people here are part of the draw so I will enjoy it.

Hi, Nana Kat. Thanks for the tips. I will go back to the rotary cutting after I've accomplished something...just didn't want to get bogged down with frustration at the first. It was the slipping material and ruler that got me though so your tips will help. Also, I think cutting sideways on my ironing board didn't help the matter :? I love your picture. Since I am working on a little girl's quilt your quilt caught my attention. Did you make it?

MemaThomas, I can't wait to share that experience :!:

Hi Gaigai. I've noticed community benefactor on several people's info block what does that mean? Do you donate a lot of quilts? I love to read as well and have been dabbling in geneaology...how do you Ever get past all of the pay sites when you're trying to look up free public records :?: I recently found out something about my dad that I'm trying to follow up on but the sites always lead to adds for "helpful" sites. Rrrrrrr...you might recognize those letters as a low growl since you have so many fur babies. I too love animals.

Anyway, thanks for the welcome.

Exactly! I need to do more sewing but I keep getting on this site and reading....just one more page and then I find another topic. I've been on very few sites like this but I sure do love it!

What are you working on?

Thanks, Gram! I kept thinking, "Why do I want to do this?" but then I remind myself this is it-THIS is quilting. It's not the destination but the journey so I am choosing to enjoy it. I'm also going to journal so my little Livi Lu, will know just how much love and effort went into her quilt. I plan on making one for my two nephews as well so I WILL like it :mrgreen:

Thanks, Charisma, that's what I'm hoping. I've seen some of your work on here and I'm impressed.

That's it! That's what I thought. The good part of your post is the laughing and fun involved! Thanks!

Hi Andi! Click on the words "community benefactor" under a name, and it gives a detailed description of what it is.

As for genealogy, oh dear, that's too big a subject to address here, but basically you can NOT do it online. Not if you are going to do it correctly. While there are more and more actual documents being scanned and made available online, in the big scheme of things these are still very limited, and the best way is still to use the Mormon Family History Centers, go to actual court houses or one of the bigger libraries that have established genealogy collections. Although even smaller counties usually have a library with local records, so if you are lucky enough to be researching in the same state you live it, you can check out those. Even with the paid sites (Ancestry, etc) you will need to follow the above steps if you are doing correct DOCUMENTED research. Good luck, and if you have any other questions, you can PM me.

Welcome again to the board!!

I love it! It reminds me of when my husband was the main saw man on a large construction site and that's what he always said-measure, measure, measure! I have new appreciation for what he did now because that initial cut is nervewracking. I just don't want to ruin and waste any of the fabric but even that is a bit easier each time I cut. If I mess up I'll just have to use the scraps for something else and be forced to go back to Joann's :?

Vicki, I bet I'll be attracting all kinds of the little tree frogs that hang out in my big ole Grammy tree! They'll think I'm courting when they hear the sounds coming from my room! :-D

Where can I find Udderly Smooth Udder Cream? Does it have a strong scent? I am allergic to most scents unfortunately so I'm always on the lookout for lotion or handcream that really doesn't smell. I love the smells of a lot of them but I react to them so it's just not worth it. Even the unscented have scents...anyway, maybe udders don't need to smell like flowers :!:

Thanks, mic-pa, I'm looking at some of the class schedules now at Joann's.

Thanks for the thread and I will look at it because that is so what I was feeling last night.

I love your user name-I thought of using King's Kid but then decided to just stick with my name. Is it the King as in The King?

Yes!

It was my CB handle about a hundred years ago... anyone remember CBs?

Hello Andi, and welcome. Yes, it does get easier and as the rest of us have and are still doing, you will find what works best for you. There's a wonderful lotion that I use all the time to help my own rough dry hands called Gloves In A Bottle. It's non greasy, non scented and won't leave residue on your fabric. I did my first prairie points just a few weeks ago out of 2 1/2" squares---not an experience I'll soon repeat. If when hand sewing your thread is tangling try pulling it gently across a candle every now and then and don't make it too long. When winding a bobbin make it as tight and even as possible. And read what Eddie has attached to at the end of each of his posts. :D