quiltinghere

I believe there are different teachers for different students. Unlike schools, the student needs to find the right teacher! If you don't like one teacher's style, move on to the next one.

Some quilters have some skills already mastered and really don't need the techniques shown in detail.
There are beginner quilters who need techniques broken down to simple, simple steps and sometimes there's different techniques to get to the same ending!

All I can say is WATCH AWAY!!!! The internet has made learning to quilt POSSIBLE!!! You can learn how to do almost anything on the internet. Think of how people learned to quilt before the net. Things were only learned 'hands on' from someone we knew. Then came t.v. shows that taught us how to quilt (Eleanor Burns, Fons and Porter, Alex Anderson, etc), quilting took off! Then the internet shows, blogs, tutorials, forums, etc...there's no stopping the love of quilting now!

If you want to learn ANYTHING about ANYTHING, you can probably find it on the net!

Nan

ube quilting

Sharons lessons are great and explained thoroughly, How and why., Worth every penny.
peace

AngelinaMaria

Thank you everyone. I think it is my "research" focused brain that is wanting to see various quilters methods. I find that a good pressing technique is one that I would like to see visually in more of these videos (I don't really need it explained specifically or them taking more time than necessary, just to press properly) and that is really lacking for time saving purposes I assume.

Some blocks or sizes of strips are easier to press than others. I had a difficult time pressing my skinny strips for my Omigosh quilt and still get accurate strip sizes afterwards. I think after doing it once, the most accurate way would be to press the seams open when making the strip sets for the tiny 9 patches but then you have more work to match seam. Lord help me, I have convinced myself to make another in all blue batiks. In my mind, it looks gorgeous. Let's hope I can do it. I am going to try to upsize the blocks this time (I'm thinking of trying to work out the measurements so the little squares in the 9 patch finish at either 3/4 inch or 1 inch--making a 7.5 or 9 inch block instead of the 4 inch block in the pattern and my original Omigosh.

I am very thankful for the internet and all the riches it contains. I am of the older generation that grew to adulthood well before the internet came around so I know how hard any of this type of research would be "back in the day". I can wish, can't I

sailsablazin

I LOVE learning from MSQC tutorials. I absolutely love her personality! Yes, she is quick about sewing seams, but she has sewn a zillion times more seams than I have and probably can do it with her eyes closed. I am a "pinner" because I do not trust myself to sew straight seams. However, I would be bored to death watching her press every seam open and waiting for her to pin the seams. Sometimes I put Jenny on PAUSE while I run over to the machine and do whatever she has taught me. LOL

I would recommend a class at your local quilt store if you do not feel comfortable learning from a video. There are so many different styles of learning....visual learner, audio learner, fast learner, slow learner, etc.... Some of us need a little more help than others---LOL
I have learned MUCH rfom "you tube"---especially when I get stuck and can't call a friend to help me at midnight.

I KNOW that you will find what works for you. A "hands on" class works wonders for me.....but I am too frugal to sign up continuously. CRAFTSY also offers free classes online and they are great! A patient friend also helps---one who can explain things over the phone!! Thanks Barb.

jeaninmaine

Take classes if you can, that really helps when you are first starting, that said, don't take all of one teacher's rules as gospel. Each teacher will show a slightly different way of doing the different steps. Remember what works best for you and do that step that way. I've learned a little something from every class I took, even the one where I had a teacher that wanted everything done her exact way, I truly believe that no one teacher's way works for everyone. She did manage to teach me to hand sew 16 stitches per inch.
For beginners, I really think one of the first things a good teacher should teach is how to pick a pattern and the right fabrics (type, quality, color, pattern and texture), this comes very hard to some people. Then, which necessary tools to buy that will be best for the job, then, show the proper & safe way to use them. And then they should get into the steps used in making a quilt.
If you look at some of the older Eleanor Burns videos, you can learn a lot. I like the ones she did for her Jewel Box quilt. Part 1: http://www.quiltinaday.com/theater/scraps/scraps02.html & part 2 http://www.quiltinaday.com/theater/scraps/scraps03.html

AngelinaMaria

Thanks for that link jeaninmaine- those are fun to watch and I hadn't seen that one before. I love how she has such great "efficiency" methods, those are real gems from her. Again though, a lot of my questions and "what??" come from the pressing I saw. I am seeing ironing instead of pressing (running the iron across the fabric instead of lifting and pressing which is what is usually written as a guide to good pressing, yet I continually see quilters ironing instead). If I "press" my HST open like she does, it stretches out the diagonal seam. Also, if I press my quilt strips like she demonstrated, I get a slight bowing out of the edges at the center of the strip. It seemed like she had a really hot iron and didn't have to do very much pressing to get the job done. I would love it if my iron performed like hers.

I'll have to make time to watch the rest of those 2 videos. Thanks again.

madamekelly

For using good techniques I like to watch the Kaye Wood videos. Watching her is like working with my grandma was. She teaches with nearly every word out of her mouth, and as she demonstrates her quilts, she is constantly giving tips and techniques to make the job easier. She must have taught at some point in her life, or she should have.

sewmary

My straight-shooter is a Pfaff Ambition - approximately $700 or so. When I sat down at a show try it, I sent a piece of fabricc down without holding on at all. It sewed so straight. It also has IDT which is a built-in walking foot- like lever which helps guide the fabric. They were the first to have it and now you can get the same thing (called other names) on high-end machines. I am a Pfaff fan.

I also learned the technique of holding two strips (without pinning) while guiding them through. I forget who it was that showed this but you hold and match the strips about ten inches or so away from the machine and let er rip! Keep matching and sewing.

I also have recently acquired a Featherweight for $200 and darned if that doesn't sew straight also.

Sorry this is so long!

AngelinaMaria

sewmary, that is great you have had suck good luck.

My Babylock Espire can't sew a straight line to save it's life. I have to fight with it constantly to keep the fabric from veering off to the left.

I bough it from LQS 2 years ago as a trade-in and have been treated very poorly by LQS staff ever since (once I made the purchase they wanted, they treated me like dirt and reneged on their promises to get me the missing items--quite a few). It left me a really, really bad taste in my mouth. I'm not very confrontational so I didn't start demanding things or get loud but when I finally realized they were walking away from their promises completely, I did say that I was "very disappointed". I was shopping there at least 3 to 4 times a month building my stash but ever since that moment, I only went in 2 more times. I won't give them any of my business.

Dalronix

I have two favourite YouTube quilting channels - M*QC and 'The Gourmet Quilter' from NZ. As a beginner of 6 months I find the latter channel is often a bit slower and more detailed in the presentations.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj7...eAclYo4iGjZc1A

As a regular watcher of both channels, I can't believe how much knowledge there is on them both and I'm very grateful.