Been sewing since I was 12 and decided to make a king quilt. Simple 8" blocks and RF. I had decided to just hand quilt x's in the squares. Well, that too 6 months of evenings!

Best teacher I have found is this board! It has so inspired me to try new things.

I use to help my grandma trace her patterns unto fabric and then cut them out and place them all in piles. Her livingroom was her sewing room. So grandpa would sit and trace and cut while he watched TV. They always had a card table in their during the winter. Grandma did not quilt during the spring or summer because of her intense gardening. I never did do any sewing there..because I was so active in school. The sewing...I just took the plunge. This board is teaching me tons.

By watching Alex Anderson, Nancy Zieman and others after I retired "the first time". Now that I am again semi-retired, they are not on TV anymore.
Jo Ann

My mother and my grandmothers all quilted. When I was 17, my paternal grandmother came for an extended visit. we hand pieced a Dresden Plate top. She couldn't stay long enough to quilt it. My Mom finally helped me quilt it. I think a Rail Fence would be an easy one to start on.

I signed up for a "quilting class" at the local Vo-Tech Center of the high school. We learned a lot, had two very good teachers. The first thing I made was in that class and we did a wallhanging consisting of a Dresden Plate and that Shoe-Fly thingie pattern on the other. Then our local Library began a quilting class and we later formed a Guild. We've made lots of different quilts now and it is very good to join a group if you can. If no group is available for you, find a pattern you like, maybe just simple "blocks" and watch lots of on-line videos. They are great and you can also get answers here on the Board! Good Luck - you'll love it!

same here :)

I learned from from my Grandmothers they both quilted. My Maw had a quilting frame hung from the ceiling (I am blessed to have it now)she either tied or quilted on it. My Grandmaw had a large hoop she used. My cousin who found it in my Aunties things gave it to me last summer. I would do blocks thing they were just small quilts like theirs. Then learned to sew four blocks together. Boy would I like to go back sit in front of Maws old stove & quilt w/ her Memories are Great.

I watched any t.v. show I could, read magazines and books. taught myself.

Woke up in the middle of the night and suddenly "realized" why I'd been saving all those old blue jeans. I cut strips and strips and strips, knowing nothing except that I would sew them together. I read LOTS of books. Turns out, the first (denim) quilt I made was so hard, no self-respecting quilter would even attempt it. High-loft batting, set-in seams - the whole deal. So 9 years later, I chain piece and keep it simple, with a good machine (and about 1,000 remnants and notions I'll never use) Live, learn. Rinse and repeat.

I have taken a handful of classes but for the most part I've learned through books, trial and error, and through blogs/forums/youtube online. I have been sewing since I was little so that background helped, but I don't feel like I really knew my sewing machine until I started quilting heavily.

The first book that I bought that really got me going was Fons and Porters Complete Guide to Quilting. I have an older version but the new one has more modern projects and some updated techniques in it. I think it's a great book for a beginner. I also used to DVR Fons and Porter, Kay's Quilting, and Sewing with Nancy (she does a lot of quilting these days as it's gained so much popularity) which are on Saturday mornings in my area. Those ladies were really helpful when I was starting out too.

I don't know what the easiest pattern for a beginner would be other than making simple 6" or 9" squares and piecing them together to practice. Once you're comfortable with using your 1/4" seam and pressing, a great beginner pattern that was one of my very first quilts is the Yellow Brick Road pattern by Atkinson Designs...here's a link:

http://mysite.ncnetwork.net/res6z38p/prod308.html

I was able to find this for about $7 at my local quilt shop and have even seen it on occasion at Jo Ann Fabrics. The possibilities are really limitless and it's a great learning project. ;)

Other than that, I just would scour the internet for projects that I liked and felt I could handle, and I would go through that Fons & Porter book and pick projects to practice. I made a lot of small things, wall hangings and runners to get the techniques down.

Good luck to you! ;)