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Need Your Help in Basics of Quiltmaking

Need Your Help in Basics of Quiltmaking

Old 02-25-2012, 06:54 PM
  #41  
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No, Jacquie. The skills to be creative or how to design or not taught in how to sew a 9 patch block or a similar type. They are taught in a design class, a color theory class. Those classes are university level and many of us have had several of them. What we are talking about here are the basics quilting skills in manipulating fabric so that points don't end up in your seam, that flying geese fly in only the direction you want to send them. So that if you want a curved seam, it will lie flat and not bunch. You are talking tricks and tips so that a beginning doesn't spend 5 years learning how to keep the beginning of their fabric from being eaten and pushed into the needle hole. You aren't talking about how to be creative, how to develop an eye for color, to learn shades, tints, hues, tertiary values, complimentary colors, etc. You're talking about how to use your sewing machine or your needle, your iron, your cutting tool, etc.

But most LQS don't teach these things. They teach "Do this, do that, if your block looks somewhat like mine it is a success. Next class we will make a quilt out of another book.'"Now you are a quilter. Come for another class."

Last edited by TanyaL; 02-25-2012 at 07:05 PM.
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Old 02-25-2012, 07:42 PM
  #42  
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When I learned, it was assumed machine quilting would be done, so for me I'd like to master hand quilting. Two other areas I've had to seek out info on was mitered binding and correct way to square up your blocks and quilt top. It's wonderful you plan to teach.
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Old 02-25-2012, 08:12 PM
  #43  
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Many will disagree with me and that is okay, but I feel color is worth taking a few minutes during your refresher course to discuss. I see so many quilts that would be absolutely gorgeous if more thought had gone into fabric selection. I am not talking about a graduate course, but I would discuss the basic color wheel elements.
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Old 02-25-2012, 08:14 PM
  #44  
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Agree with the binding suggestion and the squaring up. I can square up the small blocks but the large ones still get to me. Borders are important to take the three measurements (top bottom middle).

The tough thing about teaching that I have found is that you often have opposites in class. the one who is way way too nutty about being exact (important to be precise but don't go crazy) and the other one who says, "Oh you know me, I don't want to worry about being exact. Close is good enough." Hard to balance those two out. The exact one gets hung up and the 'not-to-worry' one can't finish because nothing fits.

Good luck.
Dot in Oregon
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Old 02-25-2012, 08:47 PM
  #45  
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I think it is important to point out and then emphasize that all rulers and cutting mats are not created equal. That was a real eye opener for me. The variation in my personal mat and ruler is a lot. Without this knowledge, all the care in measuring and cutting is for naught.
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Old 02-25-2012, 09:30 PM
  #46  
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I learned with the scrap make it work method. Mom wanted quick and warm, being very poor we used old anything fabric. To make a little money to do better I started with sheets and made what I call two tone everyday quilts. Some of them are still around nearly ten years later. I started learning the Heirloom Quilt making about three months ago . Here and library books.

I would like for a teacher to see whats available at the local library so you can spend a few minutes filling in what is NOT there with advice on where to find whats missing. Maybe a handout sheet?
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Old 02-26-2012, 12:27 AM
  #47  
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Originally Posted by Hinterland View Post
I never took a class, so I probably don't have the best suggestions, but I think learning how to draft a quilt block would help a lot of new quilters.

Janet

Great idea. It's simple for me seems to be foreign to so many here.
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Old 02-26-2012, 12:33 AM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by Tartan View Post
I have found most of my skills from either trial and error (lots of error) or in tutorials that are now available on the computer. Trying to teach or improve my math skills this late in life for me would be a lost cause. If I was lousy at it when my mind was young and fresh, I can't see me getting better now.
If you could offer different lectures to go along with what level people think they are at, that would be helpful. I do know some stuff and would be bored with a lecture teaching the basics. For people just starting into quilting, "the basics" would be invaluable! If you're going to learn, you might as well learn correctly from the start.

Perhaps you sell yourself short by thinking you can not learn math skills late in life. Maybe if you look at it as cooking------a cup of this, a half a cup of that--------you might discover you have the skills tucked away somewhere, unused.
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Old 02-26-2012, 12:44 AM
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Another hint is to remind students how to look at almost any quilt block as a set of components that are in themselves quite simple. For example, the carpenter's wheel is simply a bunch of HST with a few solid blocks. That's where to start, ONE section that is a simple HST.

Also, perhaps, how to convert a fairly simple block of HST to a much more complex looking log cabin blocks. I've done this quite often with baby quilts. Quite simply, if you can make a log cabin block, you can do this easily.
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Old 02-26-2012, 01:06 AM
  #50  
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I have trouble squaring blocks...still do not totally understand it.
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