Advice/support for a new sewer?
 

Hello,

I am quite new to sewing and trying my hands at doing basic quilting. I have been sitting on some projects for almost a year now due to feeling intimidated by sewing. It is just so new to me.

Any advice or support out there?

Thank you,

Karen

Hello Karen! Welcome to the quilting world. It is normal to feel intimidated by sewing, but you just have to dive in and go for it. If you are worried you are going to ruin your good fabric, practice with some fabric that doesn't mean so much to you at first. I've been quilting since 1992 and still feel intimidated at times. It's normal. We just have to remember this is fun!! And practice practice practice. If you are unsure of yourself, ask questions here on the board. We are all very supportive and fun loving! So happy you are quilting. Enjoy it and the mistakes you are bound to make. I just finished a quilt and made a big boo boo on putting it together, but when I put the picture on the board, no one noticed my mistake. So, mistakes can be overlooked! Let loose and have fun!

When I first started sewing I thought I would never be able to do it. I have a disability and cannot use my feet at all so I had to learn to sew using my right hand to operate the foot pedal and my left to guide the fabric. My seams were terrible and my first quilts had holes, but I loved it. I have been sewing for 3 years now and my quilts get better and better. I am confident enough now that I am making other small projects for Christmas presents this year. My advice is to throw all that self doubt out the window and go for it. You can only get better!

Melissa

I'd suggest finding a quilt guild to join, or a friendly local quilting/sewing shop that offers classes. Besides learning from others who have more experience, having someone to share your new hobby with will help keep you motivated and inspired. And of course, poke around on this board, you can learn lots here too!

Andi

For the first couple of projects, stick with very simple designs. The 4 patch block and the 9 patch block are easy to cut and can make very nice quilts. Here is my advice:
1. Stick with one brand of ruler as much as possible. Different mfgs. have different markings. (I prefer OMNI brand)
2. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE accurate cutting
3. Make your iron an extension of your arm. Startch is a wonderful tool (IMO) but learn to press
4. Always measure your 1/4" seam.
5. Use "neutral" thread for piecing, off white, light gray, taupe. I use Maxi Lock thread for piecing

I can probably come up with more stuff but right now I'm drawing a blank. But the MOST important thing to remember is.............................BREATHE!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't be hard on yourself. Making quilts is to be ENJOYED. If you make a mistake, learn from it and move on. You might want to look at a book by Eleanor Burns DOUBLE IRISH CHAIN. Beautiful quilt and very simple to make and she gives you step by step instructions including which way to press your seams for easy match up.

Good luck and enjoy!

I joined a modern quilt guild. There is a great mix of young and not so young quilters/sewers. Everyone is so kind and helpful. I have learned a lot from other guild member plus making some great new friends that I just love. If you have a problem or don't know how to do something, there are always helpful suggestions. I have even had people stop what they were doing to help me at sew day. You need to be around other people who share your interest. You should visit several guild meetings until you find one that fits you. I am 70 and some of the guild were very staunch and not friendly so I found one that was. I wanted to try new things and learn methods I had not tried before or didn't know how to do. A guild is a good bet and it does not cost much to join.

One step at a time. pick one of those projects you are sitting on, look at it, and post the questions that you have. That would be the easy way for anyone here to help you. It really is a step by step process, and there are a lot of helpful people here to help you. Ask the questions you need answers to ;-)

I was like that when I started a couple of decades ago. My advice is, don't be a perfectionist!!! It is rare for someone to produce a prize-winning quilt the first time. The secret is to actually finish quilts -- *lots* of them. I have learned something from every quilt I've made; the more you finish, the faster you will learn. I wasn't happy with the look of some of the quilts I made, but it's amazing that there is always someone who will appreciate that "ugly" quilt.

I still remember the story of a mother whose first quilt turned out to be a "green monster". She continued quilting and years later was turning out wonderfully beautiful quilts. Meanwhile, the "green monster" was the quilt that got tucked around the sick child, was dragged out to make play forts in the living room, etc. When her kids were grown and she asked which of her quilts they wanted, the first choice of all was the "green monster" because there were so many good memories associated with it.

In my own case, one thing I appreciate about dogs is that they don't mind if my color selection was way off. :p

Check your local library for books. Take a class once in awhile. And, the hardest thing, start cutting fabric and sewing fabric! You learn good things just by doing them. You can always refine skills later on.

My two cents.....

My advise to new quilters is to take beginning quilting CLASSES at your LQS. They will show you the right way of doing things. Use their experience to learn. It is easier than making the mistakes yourself.Yes there are many videos to watch but I still think it is most benificial to take a class.

Don't think of "mistakes" as mistakes. Think of them as learning opportunies and as a reason to be creative. You don't have to be perfect either. If you look at quilts by very talented quilters, it is easy to think that you should be able to do that too. Not so. Accept the fact that your beginning quilts are beautiful, even if they aren't perfect. None of my quilts are precison made, but they are beautiful to me and made with love for whoever I give them to. "Good enough" is good enough and you don't have to spend time "fixing" every little detail. I agree that you should take a quilting class as it is easier to learn good habits from the start. Pick an easy fast quilt pattern to start with. For people who have never sewn or quilted before, I always start them with the Quilt In A Day Log Cabin pattern as it always looks fantastic when done, it's easy, and it's quick. There is a book with explicit directions available for it too. Read through some of the prior posts when you have time. You'll get a sense of what others are doing and learn from them. Remember that no question you have is "stupid" as everyone is friendly and willing to help you along. I have often learned things I did not know from a question someone thought was dumb. Remember to breathe!

Crashnquilt has some great recommendations. We're all guessing you are talking about machine sewing but there is also hand sewing. Many of these recommendations would be the same as the cutting/measuring practices would be the same. Start small. Try your hand at some pot holders or table runners to get the feel of things. Use the least expensive, decent fabric you can. Thrift stores can be a treasure trove of inexpensive fabric. Decide if you want to machine quilt or hand quilt. Again, start small whichever technique you decide. Many of us have been sewing/quilting for years and are still intimidated by many things. Just enjoy the process...it's not a race.

Just keep at it and do not give up!!!!!!

The library is an excellent resource for patterns in the books and magazines. Pick a pattern you like and go for it. Don't worry about little mistakes. Do the best you can and fix the worst mistakes and just keep going. By the time you're done the little errors won't matter or even be seen by most people and you'll have enough experience to do even better on the next one.

Mostly though just remember to have fun. :)
Rodney

Don't let yourself become paralyzed by the fear that it won't be perfect. If you ask award winning quilters, they see flaws in their quilts the rest of us miss. Give each project your best try, ask questions as they arise (you have a wonderful support system here at the quilt board of friends who are willing to answer your questions and provide tips), but most importantly enjoy yourself and your new hobby.

All of the above is excellent advice. I'm going to add to check out HeyQuilty.com. It is geared toward quilters who have not spent years or decades sewing. They have short 8 minute videos. I think that is the site.

I had home ec 40 years ago & hadn't sewed by machine much at all when I began quilting. Just becoming comfortable with my machine was like learning a foreign language.

You guys are all so sweet and awesome for all of this advice!!! I will look into finding a guild.

For my first projects I am keeping it *really* simple--square patches! :) Simple square patch quilt and pillow covers.

Thank you again so much,

Karen

Pictures
 

Here you will see what I am trying to do with my pillow covers. I sewed most of these strips on a 1979 sewing machine I purchased from a lady here in Kalamazoo. But then I had too much trouble with the tension, and magically a friend of mine purchased me a brand new Singer Talent machine. This friend is a quilter and is guiding me, but has been the only resource I've had.

Just jump in, yes you will make mistakes. I have been doing this since the mid 70's and I still make mistakes. I am self taught, back when I first started the only thing I had was Quilters Newsletter Magazine. Just enjoy the process. You will get lots of good advice and help from the QB.