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I also suggest Warm Wishes. If I could do it, anyone can. I promise!

you dont need to make a whole quilt for your first project! Make a bookmark, potholder, pillowcase or tablerunner. Try different blocks to see what you like and enjoy doing.
Then make a baby quilt. My first project was a table runner and then I made a baby rag quilt and a nappy bag to go with it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmacc502

For weeks I have watched videos, read articles, searched forums, and I am more discouraged than ever. All you quilters make everything sound so easy. I can't find just a simple patch pattern. I don't want stars, diamonds, triangles, just squares. I am getting burned out on all the info and still not knowing anymore than I did when I started. I think I'll just buy a quilt.

I'm just getting out of a burn out slump myself. Kind of got overwhelmed with the research and looking up fabrics for a series of wallhangings I've got planned out.

My first quilt had black and white nine patch blocks and then red squares of solid fabric that were the same size as the nine patch blocks...and they just alternated (nine patch, solid red, nine patch). Very easy.

There's plenty you can do with just squares. Nine patch. Four patch. You can add a solid square of fabric in between nine patches and four patches. Irish chain. Around the World. You can cut squares out of a striped fabric and make kind of a makeshift Rail Fence (which uses strips of fabric to make a square block). There are also shortcuts using squares of fabric to make pinwheels and half square triangle blocks so you don't have to cut out the indivual triangles.

Take it easy and remember to take a step back and breathe. Your brain is just on quilting information overload. Quilting can be easy and not complicated. Just get the basics down and you'll be fine. And for goodness sake, don't go out and buy a quilt from the store...those are of cheap quality.

Just take baby steps and all will be fine. Here's a tutorial for a simple nine patch.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-6460-1.htm

ShellyQ has other excellent tutorials for beginners. Check them out
in the Tutorial section. You can click on her name and check her posts.

Don't try too many things at once. You will get overwhelmed.

Happy quilting. :-)

I think what you need is to find someone near you or a quilt guild and get some one on one . They would be glad to get you started and it would be a support group for you". Not all of us are the type to teach ourselves and some require a little bit of guidence to get started. You would be very surprized if you spent just an hour with someone who knows what they are doing. in that short amount of time they would be able to show you how to cut and sew your simple square quilt together . Try and get a rotory cutter and mat along with a ruler and you would be suprized how quickly things will go. I taught myself to quilt years and years ago before such things were avaialble and a girlfriend came to visit later on with a mat, ruler , and rotery cutter. These things changed my lifeeeeeeeee. what used to be soooooooo time consuming suddely was conceivable in a short time span and I was hooked from the very beginning. No one could have talked me out of trying to quilt.

Never Give Up ! I'm still learning,and I've been at it for over 20 years.

You poor dear have been bombarded with ideas and now I'll bet you're feeling even more overwhelmed. Well, here's one more. If you want to start with squares, I suggest you try the one that EIQuilter suggested....the one with alternating 4-patch blocks and a plain block. I think instructions for this quilt may be online from Quilts for Kids or Downy Quilts. Someone correct me on this. This is one of the first quilts I tried. Choose fun fabrics and get started. Good luck.

How about a nine patch! Quilting is an ever-learning experience. Start out easy!

I just made a rail fence pattern...can't believe how easy it was! I cut strips from four colors, sewed separate colors together, end to end, sewed the four color strips to each other and then cut the big long strip into blocks. Arrange the blocks so the colors "attach" to make the fence diagonally through the quilt! So easy!!
It's easy to get discouraged, but everyone on here is so helpful...they can figure out every detail or problem that should arise. Good luck and don't give up!
My first quilt was a crazy nine patch, the second the same, but turned out way different. The third and fourth were disappearing 9 patch and they were so fun!! The next a pinwheel, which was a bit more advanced than I anticipated, then a strip quilt (easy), then a split rail fence, 10 minute block, rag quilt and now the rail fence. I've made lots of mistakes that my grandkids (recipients of the quilts) would never see and it's made me so happy to give them a part of me.
You will do fine. Start cutting and sewing and just see how things come together. The first quilt is a learning experience. Take notes. :lol:

I really do know how you feel, trust me on this one. Have you tried going to Quilt in a Day? I love how she teaches and things are soooo easy with her. I love how she teaches doing the trip around the world quilt. Soooooooo easy. I have worked on making kits for a quilt store where I live and yesterday was a disaster......I was going to just call it quits, but I just need a break. Please don't give up.