The nine patch suggested earlier with instructions at equilter.com is an excellent idea. You may want to alternate a snowball block for variety of interest. I use this simple pattern (of nine patch/snowball) and the method for the nine patches to make community quilts. They are quick and easy. Pat

Thank you again everyone who has responded! You have all made me feel so welcome and even more enthusiastic about what will hopefully become my new hobby.

I just discovered that we do in fact have a quilt shop in our little town, but unfortunately they only do a beginner class once a month and for the next three months it's scheduled on days that don't work for me ... so I am forging ahead on my own and will be probably look here often for guidance.

I have lots of ideas and choices now, and I will let you know what I decide to do! Busy weekend ahead, but hopefully I'll have settled on a pattern by next week ....

Thanks again!!!

Becki

Welcome from Wild Wonderful West Virginia the nine patch is a good choice to do

The dissapearing 9 patch done with charm sqs is as easy as it gets.

Welcome from Texas!
The very first quilt project I did was a 9 patch table runner. It was 3 colors, a focus fabric (medium print), and then I chose 2 colors out of the print, 1 was alternated with the print (green) and the other the first border (coral). The print was the second border and the alternate color (green) the binding.

The squares were 3 inches (finished size) and I made three 9 patch blocks. The first border (coral) was 3 inches wide and the second (print) was 2 inches wide.

It is a simple project and lets you learn the whole of the process in a small manageable piece. You could use this simple pattern to make a child's quilt easily.

I snapped a pic with the cell phone so they are not great but you get the idea. The second has the dimensions on it. Hope this helps a bit. Mostly just have fun :)

Welcome from Roscoe, Illinois. Is that truly the name of your town????? The tutes on this board are fantastic. They have shown me more than any class.

Mplsgirl wrote:

Yeah, I live on Rough and Ready Rd in Rough and Ready, CA! You should see what I have to go every time I have to give someone my address over the phone. I've had people think I was giving them a fake address.

This is an old mining town, only about 1,200 people here now. It's famous (well, at least in Gold Country it is) for succeeding from the union and becoming its own country for about eight months in the late 1800s.

I love it!!! My ex-hubands family was from Placerville. Originally called "Old Hang Town". Thanks for responding. I kind of mentally collect town names. This is the best!

The "Lucky Stars" pattern by Atkinson Designs is very easy too. Every other block is turned and there is very little seam matching to do. I am attempting to attach links (my first attempt), so hopefully you can see how pretty the pattern is. (I haven't figured out how to change the resolution to attach the pics directly.) Don't be intimidated by the pattern, it's not complicated at all!

Emily's Quilt:

http://s349.photobucket.com/albums/q...t=DSC03090.jpg

I substituted photos for the center squares of this one. It is one of my favorite quilts!



Bobbie's Quilt:
http://s349.photobucket.com/albums/q...t=DSC03147.jpg

I made this on short notice for a friend, just a Sunday and a few hours each night after work. Gave it to her 5 days after I started it.



This one's for me:
http://s349.photobucket.com/albums/q...t=DSC03162.jpg

It doesn't match anything else in my house, but I love the colors!

My first quilt from a book was a split rail and my boys used their quilts until they fell apart. My daughter did a trip around the world whan she was 11 for 4-H. I looked for strip quilting books because they seemed to be the fasted and easiest to understand. The books today are usually much easier to understand, and I agree with some others about the tutorials on this board, they are usually so much easier to understand.