About ten years ago I walked into a JoAnn Fabrics and passed by a quilting class going on in the store. Saw a lot of quilts being made and fell in love so I signed up for lessons...6 of them and learned how to quilt from those classes. Boy am I glad I learned back then because JoAnns has since discontinued the classes. How did you learn how to quilt?

A book that is the way I learn most craft things

TV, magazines, books and self taught. It also helped that I had 30+ years of sewing, so my machine was already my friend. I should also add, here on QB.

From a book back in the early 90s.

I have sewn clothes and home decor for years. When I decided to quilt, I started surfing the web and quickly landed here. The folks on this board have taught me 95% of what I know. The rest comes from other online sources and trial and error.

I was tought by my Mother, my Grandmother,Great Aunt,my Wifes Grandmother. Started cutting blocks for my mother by hand. I have done many for friends and family.

Looked at a book that I inherited from my mother, and used her "stash" to try it out. Since then, I've rarely used any of her fabrics-our tastes were always so different. In one year, I amassed twice what she left behind!

Books, blogs, and online tutorials for me. Also, when I joined the board, I did all the Blocks of the Month for practice. It was a great way to get my feet wet and learn the basics. I always encourage new quilters to try BOM's. They are a great way to expand your skills and you don't have to spend lots of money. Chop up one of those shirts the dryer shrank or use inexpensive fabric. Your skills and confidence will build with each block.

I always wanted to quilt, but was nervous about starting. I bought fabric, but just didn't know how to start. I bought a book by Mary Ellen Hopkins (It's OK to Sit On My Quilt) and that kick started my quilting obsession.

Self taught ...

I was in a car and a friend was hand quilting. I was looking over her shoulder and thought with my background in garment making I could figure out how to piece a quilt. That was the easy part. Quilting (by machine) was more difficult.

books, you-tube and still learning!! I get a LOT of tips, tricks, and "I didn't know THAT" from this board.

Sitting beside my Grandma on the front porch, sewing blocks together by hand. That was the pretties cover I'd ever seen. It was made from some old clothes "rich" family members had given us that didn't fit anyone. During the depression you never threw anything away, if you couldn't use it you could always find someone else could.
Sure wonder whatever happened to it.

Youtube taught me! I even made up my own pattern for my first quilt using graph paper. I later found out that the pattern was already invented and copyrighted as a "Bento Box" LOL (I had never seen one before)

My sister and I took classes taught at a LQS by a wonderful woman who has been quilting for 60+ years. She is a stickler about learning things the correct way which I do appreciate even though I have learned a bunch of alternative ways to do things. The county Community Education sponsered the class.

My husbands grandmother gave us a quilt for a wedding present. A couple years later our daughter had a class in high school where each student made a small quilt. She taught me some of the basics - but I learned most from this board!

I have pretty much taught myself. And mostly through trial and error. I didn't have a clue when I first started. I sewed for years using the 5/8 in seam allowance and tried my first quilt that way. Needless to say, it went into the trash after many tears and much frustration.

I started reading blogs and books and have learned the most from this message board.

Actually self taught. Paged thru mil's old quilting books back in the summer of 2000 and thought I could do that, so I bought up a bunch of material and got busy. Didn't know squat about rotary cutting so I cut the pieces for the Dresden Plate, the Bow Tie and the Spool quilt out all by hand!All were queen sized and all were hand quilted. So glad I wised up after watching Eleanor Burns and got the rotary cutter! But I still hand quilt all my quilts.

By trial and error. I picked up a little by reading here and there. Didn't have anyone to teach me and didn't know about classes for a long time. But I have learned a lot from this board, so I am getting there. Reading Q & A's and tutorials have both been very helpful, too.

My "sewing" friend and I were chatting one day years ago about how both our mother's were quilting... we thought, well, we should quilt, too. She mentioned our conversation while at choir practice to the lady sitting next to her who replied, "My sister quilts and she'll teach us. She's been wanting to teach me too!" So, that summer, we spent several days over the summer learning to quilt the old fashioned way... everything by hand, cutting each piece individually, etc... Next summer (we were both still teaching back then), we're fabric shopping and stumble into a wonderful quilt shop in OKC... we're standing there with our mouths dropped open when a staff member says, "You've never been here before, have you?" Well, we signed up for "Beginning quilting", discovered the rotary cutter, and have never looked back! Our quilt teacher has become a dear friend over the years... we've gone back to the shop for many different classes, all of them VERY helpful! Our only problem is there is just not enough time in every day to play!!
We have a mutual quilting friend here in our small town who is practically 100% self-taught and she makes wonderful quilts!!

The three of us are thinking about some kind of ministry for our church... teaching sewing basics, then possibly quilting basics.... some way to give back!

My Grandmother quilted, my Mother and a favorite Aunt. I started sewing when I was about 10. I sewed all of my life, for myself and for others. At 1 point in time I worked for a bridal shop doing alterations for the gowns. Anyway- when I deciced to make a quilt it only seemed natural to do it. I told my mother I wanted to make a quilt, she then gave me a bunch of scraps, and I started form there. I not have a small stash(not much space for more) and quilt whenever I can fit it into my schedule. Thats my story and I'm stickin to it. :)

I already knew how to sew from 6 years of home ec in school. I decided about 10 years ago I was going to make a quilt so I went to one of the free places for pattern, found one I liked, read the directions and made the quilt. I made a lot of mistakes and learned from them and every quilt since then has been a little bit better. I also watch all the quilting shows on TV and learn a lot from them.

An easy kit and books

I am self taught. I learned by reading pattrns and magazines. My first quilt has so many mistakes in it. I used a cotton/ poly blend fabric and 5/8 inch seam allowances because I though 1/4 inch seams would not stand up to the washing and wearing the quilt would have to take. I didn't bind it, but I did "pillow case" it and then top stitch around the outside edge and machine quilted it on my Sears Kenmore machine. The quilt turned out surprisingly well and my daughter still has it. I made it for her when she was 2 years old and she is 37 now. I have come a long ways since then.

About 10 or 15 years ago, I pieced a top side of a potholder. It wasn't very good, but I was hooked and have been ever since.

I just don't have enough time to sew with working full time.
Awaiting retirement!!!!


chris

Like DogHouseMom, I am self taugh with a garment/home dec sewing background. A friend was quilting and got me interested. Watched Simply Quilts on HGTV and it was all over but the cryin'! DH was very supportive even though I was unemployed at the time. He figured it was probably a cheaper hobby/craft than other things I could have become interested in.

I learned from the Internet and magazines.

Mary

Wow! This pretty much describes me too :-o I might add - "trial and error" was also my teacher.... lol

Mine started with wishing I had a quilt for my queen sized bed like I had on my twin bed when I was a child. I didn't know it at the time but that one was a hand pieced Trip Around the World that my GG-GM had made in the 1930s. I just was kind of thinking that I would love to learn how to do that.

Without mentioning that to anyone, my MIL decided that she was going to buy her DD (my SIL) and myself a sewing machine. At that point I mentioned to my husband that I would kind of like to learn to quilt. He said that his Aunt (in this case his father's brother's wife) did quilting so I should talk to her. She lives in another city but did once live here. She sent me to what is now my LQS.

I signed up for a class that made the Yellow Brick Road quilt with absolute beginners over the course of eight three hour courses. I knew I needed more classes but was hooked. That was January 2004. The LQS also offered a Quilting By Degree Program that is 87 hours of instruction in total. Rotary Cutter Basics (3 hours) Primarily Patchwork (12 hours) Quilt Construction (12 hours) Hand Quilting (6 hours) Machine Quilting (6 hours) Colour Wheel Basics 1 (6 hours) Colour Wheel Basics 2 (6 hours) Colour Wheel Basics 3 (6 hours) Colour Wheel Basics 4 (6 hours) Applique Basics (6 hours) Foundation Piecing (6 hours) Quilt Labels (6 hours) Quilt Binding (6 Hours). There are no time limits between start and finish and the LQS tracks your courses for you. You can also take the courses just cause you want to, rather than only those who are working towards their "degree".

What with no children in 2004 and a 6yo boy and 3 yo girl now, I am registered for Foundation Piecing next Saturday and then Quilt Labels on June 16th and I will finally be finished!!!!

They do also do a "Master's Degree" of much more advanced courses where there are a few required courses and then a bunch of courses that you choose from in order to total a certain number of hours of class. I've started that one already too.

I am loving my courses and am sooooo excited with finally finishing my "degree" after seven years.

Tara

Wow! This pretty much describes me too :-o I might add - "trial and error" was also my teacher.... lol

Books and magazines, then I took a couple of workshops. I think I'm still learning though!! I've learned a lot on this site!

I am still learning. Keeping up with this board helps so much. I learn something everyday. I would like to teach my grandaughter someday.

watched a youtube video and then created a patchwork quilt. Then I found a LQS and did a BOM. That taught me a lot and now I take a class once a month to learn a new thing :)

This Board, and UTube...and other blogs.

I learned with Mary Ellen Hopkins It's Okay If You Sit on My Quilt, too, in a class with an MEH trained instructor. Mary Ellen herself became my friend several years later and I still use all the techniques I've learned through all her books and seminars over the past 3 decades. SO grateful I learned to quilt this way, it has served me so very well!! :-)

Jan in VA

I taught myself using the internet

Me, too. And although I had the required semester of sewing in 8th grade and a mother with wonderful needlecraft skills, I have to say that most of my sewing skills were self taught also, from reading the manual and sewing books.

I am not a good student in a class where you have to work along with the instructor. For some reason my mind wanders and I miss what's being said. If I can dig it out of printed words, where I can get back to it over and over, that's what works best for me. I've also taught myself knitting and crocheting and several other things. It was a slower process than it would be today, now that step by step video tutorials are available 24/7 for any technique you want to learn, and you can pause and repeat as needed.

My BFF taught me quilting 6 years ago. I visited a quilt shop with her, and once I saw the quilts on display and the beautiful fabrics, I was instantly hooked. She was a very good and patient teacher!!

my GM taught me to sew and then to do some piecing on her treadle, sure wish i had it now. it was her moms and was old when i was learning.

My Grandmother and my Aunt taught me how to quilt while they were also busy teaching me to sew, knit, crochet, embroider, needlepoint, x-stitch, tatt, bake and garden. I'm so glad my brain was such a huge sponge back then when I was little! And I'll forever be thankful that I had those two wonderful ladies that knew how to do so much and were eager to pass their skills on to me.
Anything they hadn't taught me, I picked up from magazines and books.

My grandmother and mother. I was small when grandma was alive and still quilting but I was always there. They let me set in on a few of the quilts and show me stiching, etc. I learned piecing by myself or patterns, but the hand quilting is all grandma. Mom told me just the other day she wished grandma was here to see some of my projects.

Started just by doing it and it looked it. Then lots of books. LOTS of them. And now I'm learning a lot here and on Youtube.