Hello everyone!

I am new here and am an absolute beginner. I have never quilted though I do consider myself "crafty" (knitter, scrapbooker) so I feel it is something I can enjoy and eventually master.

I do believe in starting at the bottom, though. I am specifically wanting to start with an easy twin sized quilt (I'm doing one for each of my preschool aged children).

I've been looking at books on Amazon.com but it's not been very helpful since I can't actually flip through and see pictures of each project. We don't have much in the way of craft stores/bookshops here in small town USA so I was hoping someone could give me some guidance.

I just want to do a quilt with simple, 10" squares and just a few fabrics. Can anyone recommend a beginner-suitable book that has these kinds of patterns? I'd prefer to find a book with a few different ones to choose from. I've tried to buy blind a couple of times and have ended up with some nice books, but nothing I felt would be suitable for my first project.

Thanks in advance!!!

Becki

Welcome to the board from Southern California. there are lots of folks here that can help you. I am currently at work and just wanted to welcome you.

I started with a class at our local college, they run community classes in the evenings and one was beginner's patchwork.

I liked having someone "on tap" to show how things should be done, and to help fix mistakes, etc. Not sure if it's an option where you are, but I would imagine most quilt shops run beginner's classes.

Beginning you can never go wrong with a Nine Patch Quilt

Here is a good pattern for it
http://www.equilters.com/BOM/BOM2006-block1.html

I am a beginner too!! The quilt patterns suggested to me on this wonderful site were: yellow brick road, nine patch, turning twenty.

I am going to do the yellow brick road as my first.

I was also recommended the book Happy Hour. Which I ordered, but I haven't received it yet. I can't wait until it gets here!!

Good Luck!!

welcome giddyupgo,
How about your local library, there you'll be able to look through the book. I also think the 9 patch link is good. railroad is also an easy pattern.
good luck

peel

Welcome Becki, from St. Louis, MO. Are you locked in to a 10 inch block?
If you go to "tutorials", you will find lots of info about blocks, and quilts.
Do you have a color scheme in mind? Give us some info and there will be tons of help for you. :lol: :lol:

Hi and Welcome from Northern Indiana ! I also am at work but have a book at home that is good. When I get home I will post the title.. I think it is : Your first quilt book ( or it should be) . someone here recommended it me. But quiltcahe (?) has a ton of free patterns.. also try google " free easy quilt patterns" that will pull up a bunch. Others will also have a lot of suggestions just pick thru them until you find what you want...
Sharon

Hi Becki and Welcome from southern Indiana!

Hello Becki

Welcome from Nottingham, UK.

The first block I made was a Disappearing Nine Patch - if you go to the tutorial section here your find the details posted by Izy I think. If you get stuck give me a dig & I'll email you the instructions. Good Luck :D

Tisha

If I may make a suggestion, why not start out with an easy wall hanging or pillow cover just to get the hang of cutting, piecing and quilting to make sure you enjoy it, before diving right in and making a bed size quilt. Also, maybe pick up a magazine or two about quilting (there are always quiting magazines sold on ebay, sometimes in a lot of 5 or 10 magazines for a few dollars.)

I am a real believer in reading all I can about a craft or project I want to tackle. I can suggest "Quilters Complete Guide (Fons and Porter) or, as someone else mentioned, "Your First Quilt Book". You can't go wrong with either of these. And you could probably find a used copy of either of these on ebay, too.

I hope you enjoy your new endeavor! It's very addicting!

Hi Becky,

greetings from the Sacramento Vally. I find the book "Quilts. Quilts, Quilts" very useful because it has great instructions and it progresses you from very beginner to more advanced (but manageable) projects.

I used a rail fence as one of my early projects, and I am partial to 4-patch or 9-patch combinations. For your very first quilt, I would recommend to stay away from triangles.

When I first started, I signed up for a sampler class at a local shop. When the teacher told me to make sure and bring my stash, I realized that I had NO stash to bring. Since then THAT problem has been remedied, lol

Hi everyone, wow so much friendly advice. I appreciate everyone's reply.

I am not locked into 10 inch blocks, but I'm looking for something really unintimidating to start with and 10 inch blocks seemed like a good idea. But I am not experienced enough to really know for sure what I want to do at this point, so I will definitely put more stock in the opinions of experienced quilters if anyone has alternate suggestions.

My two year old wants a purple pony quilt and my four year old wants a race car quilt of undetermined color. Most likely red, but it will depend on which race car pattern(s) I choose.

I do have the book "Your first quilt book (or it should be)" but I was put off by all the complicated-looking diagrams and lack of photographs. I am probably being unfair, this was just a first impression and I haven't really sat down to read it yet. Also I don't want to do any shapes other than squares for my first quilt ... I just want it to be really straightforward so I can go from there.

Thank you again ... the "Simple Nine Patch" link does look like a simple one. It's also probably a good idea to do something a little smaller first ... I'll have to put some thought into what.

Becki

Martina, what part of the Sacramento Valley are you in? I am in Rough and Ready, near Grass Valley.

I'm in Elverta, which is just outside of Sacramento. Are you planning to go to the Grass Valley Quilt Show? I am (and so is Mr. Incredible unless he has to work - lol)

My first quilt was eight inch squares. I alternated pink and some princess fabric I had found. It went together fast and I could quilt in the ditch so it was easy to quilt. I made it for my Grand daughter. It was so easy. If I can get it away from her I will post a picture.

Welcome from NE CA. Glad you joined us.

This place is brilliant for advice.

And something else to keep in mind... google is your friend! :-)

There are a LOT of tutorials available on the net and on youtube. Sometimes watching someone helps heaps. And I like books with lots of photos, I want to be able to see what they mean, there's too much room for misinterpretation if you just have to imagine it.

To use up some of my stash, I just did a disappearing nine patch in bright greens and pinks. That thing worked up SO quick you would not believe. I really helped me get good at squaring up blocks too.

Oooh, I didn't know there was going to be a Grass Valley quilt show. When is it? At the fairgrounds? I wonder if I could talk DH into watching the kids or coming with ...

The warm wishes pattern is always pretty and easy.
Elaine

I agree with starting smaller. I've taught several folks to quilt, and I frequently recommend a rail fence in a lap quilt size...but what do I know. My first quilt top was a fancy fan that was king sized.. :oops:

Welcome to quilting and this wonderful board. The first thing you must do is take a rotary cutting class at you local quilt shop and then a basic piecing class. For easy quilts try a 9 or 4 patch, rail fence, log cabin, warm wishes. Then move on to friendship star and snowball. With these you will have the basics. Good luck and be sure to post pics of your progress.
Connie

my first book was a booklet....I think it was callled "I can't believe I'm quilting" I will look for it later.

The first project I made, was a table runner with just 3 blocks. It was very easy and the instructions were great.

Also, I like sampler quilts with easy blocks. Then you don't get bored, with a ton of the same blocks.

Oh yeah, welcome to the board :)

Found the book that the teacher of my first classes made each of us buy. We learned to rotary cut from it and then our intro to piecing was the sampler in it. The book is: Rotary Cutting with Alex Anderson. After these classes I, as a beginner was able to do even the dreaded Y seam. When done with this sampler you have tackled all the basic shapes and angles you will ever need to know. I have looked at many books for beginners and feel this is the most complete to get started.
Connie

I agree. 9 patch or 4 patch. JUST HAVE FUN :D

Welcome to the board but be aware, it is addictive.
Any book or video by Eleanor Burns will give you a good start.
She is very detailed even to telling you which way to iron your seams.
She uses the easiest methods and likes to make oversized then trim.
That way everything turns out right.

It is always on the first weekend in May at the Grass Valley Fairgrounds. This year is an anniversary - 25 years - so it should be a real good one.

http://www.pinetreequiltguild.com/


As far as using large squares of printed fabric as a first quilt. I think that is a lovely idea. Just one thing to remember: If you plan to do only stitch-in-the-ditch, make sure and use a batting that can handle wide open spaces between quilting lines.

this is the best place for a beginner. be sure to browes around Recent Topics and Random Topics. Everyone shares their techniques and finished products ! It is a great place for any question ! Any, believe me.. grin..

Have fun quilting. 30 years ago I started a 6 block sampler, Honeycomb, card tricks, applique, .. from a class. But my most successful and repeated easiest was Log Cabin. Google the Quilt design Log cabin. THere will be free patterns.

have fun !!! If the bug bites you... it will be a life time of pleasure !

Ell

http://www.quilterscache.com/QuiltBlocksGalore.html
You may have seen this site but it is a wonderful place to browse and a lot of the patterns can be made into pillows from these blocks.
Marcia gives wonderful instructions even I can follow.
Good luck with your first try
Darlene

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.