Quiltingboard Forums - how did you learn to quilt? also, beginner machines.

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auntpatty, what does candle wicking mean/do?

jollyquilting, the other advantage is that i live in a 550 square foot apartment in downtown vancouver!! i'm not sure i *could* make a king sized sort of thing until i move into the house my husband and i bought! :)

My 1st quilt (8 yrs ago) was a SunBonnet guilt, from a book. I was so discussed in the end it was packed away. Have not been interested in quilting again until last Feb when I took a class. Now I'm absolutely hooked & all my frustrations in the past are gone. I showed the Sun Bonnet quilt to my teacher & she loved it so I paid someone to do the quilting & it turned out beautiful. For me the instruction from books were hard to understand & the class was well worth the cost (6- 3 hr classes for $45.00). Now I'm a happy quilter, I finish one project & next day start the next.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kristelwyman

auntpatty, what does candle wicking mean/do?

cleaning my sewing room and ran across a "candle wicking" pillow I made in 1997. The yarn is heavier than DMC floss and cream color, the stitch is similar to french knots but you wrap the yarn with a figure 8 then pull it through.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kristelwyman

hello!

i just joined the group, and am happy to be here. :)

i really want to learn how to make quilts... i just picked up this book ( http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Guid...1039903&sr=1-1 ) and would like to try making one. i am looking for a good sewing machine i can use for quilts (the only thing i'm really interested in sewing, at this point). any suggestions?

also, just looking at the book, it seems so complicated... how did you learn what to do?

I learned from a friend who was teaching other women how to do the sampler quilt. Another friend helped more and now if I need help I ask my friends at the quilt group.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kristelwyman

i'm going to stop in at a fabric store today... i'm not sure if they sell what i'll need, but hopefully they will...

i'm going to pick up:

- one of those rings for hand quilting (when i think about it, i should at least try it)
- a Singer 1/4 Inch Foot #076838-P
- pins... are they called basting pins?
- more needles

anything else i am overlooking?

i'm thinking of trying to make this: http://sewkatiedid.wordpress.com/201.../#comment-4888 what do you think? do you think a beginner like me could do it?

Great wholecloth quilt with applique! Nice thing about it, you don't have to put the drops on by machine or use a lot of them.

It will be hard to get everything you want at one store. I would suggest your local quilt store to see what the good quilting rings look like, then either buy it there or at your local Walmart's or Joann's. The Singer foot will probably have to be from your local sewing machine repair shop or online - not everyone carries them.

Check out the Search link above to see what others have said about needles, thread, and pins to use, before spending any more money.

Other than that, go for it! If nothing else, cut a bunch of squares and strips. Put short strips on each side of the squares and long strips between each row and sew them together for a simple quilt top. You can use embroidery thread or Perle Cotton to tie knots to attach the back to the front and the batting, if you are worried about your top fitting in your machine to machine quilt it.

Don't worry about the brand of the machine. As you can see, it is a personal preference and a cost issue. Just use what you have for now and you will be able to decide how technical you want to get as you get better at it.

Welcome aboard!