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?

Welcome, You are at the right place for help. I am kinda newbie too. I quilted a long time ago and am coming back again. I have learn so much.

I never learned. I just sewed before, and I always wanted to sew colored pieces of fabric together to make a design. I found a pattern at a garage sale, and did just that!

Hi! I'm pretty new to this quilting business, too. I love the Practical Guide to Patchwork! I think that will be a great resource for learning the basics, though there are tons of great tutorials here and elsewhere online to get you through each step of quiltmaking. I made my first help strictly with help from the internet! I stumbled on this site when making my first quilt. I asked for help at just about every step and received amazing advice and encouragement! By the time it was done, I was hooked, and on to the next.

No help on the machine front--I'm still just using my basic Brother machine because it is light and portable. I'm shopping for a machine better suited to quilting, though. There are too many to choose from! I'm taking my time since I don't have a great place now to set up a machine in a permanent spot.

Good luck with your quilting adventures!

i learned the basics from my mom. i'm still a beginner quilt. but am constantly learning new things. cutting accurate and matching seams is probably what i learned the most. important. start simple and build to king of the mountain. and there's some great people here and there's great u tube videos that can help.

Hi and welcome! You can get lots of information from everyone here on the board, people are all at different skills levels and they have so much to offer in terms of knowledge. One day you can pass along the knowledge you gained to another new quilter.

As for starting out is there a local quilt shop (LQS) in your area? Most run classes for beginners or have an 'Open Sew' where you can go and start a project and get help. Also, lots and lots of information on various sites on the web, but if you do a search on this board you will get tons of information. Also, ask away ~ I have found everyone on here to be so helpful and supportive.

Good luck as you begin your quilting journey!

Welcome from Louisiana:) If you have a quilt shop close by see about taking classes. There are also lots of Youtube videos. Jump in and don't be afraid to try something new!! Go for it:)

Welcome to the board from Southern California!

I had friends that helped teach me how to quilt!

wow, i sure didn't so many quick responses!! thank you!!

i have a very basic sewing machine, and i know that is fine for doing the top part... but i should have said i'm looking to be able to sew the stuffing between the layers, and mine doesn't have enough room, you know?

i have a relative that quilts (but she's in ontario, canada and i live in vancouver, bc half the time, and in seattle, wa the rest of the time)... i told her i want to learn, and she was super discouraging because she said nice quilts are always done by hand. and i'm sure that's true, but it's not the type of quilting i want to do, you know?

oh, i looked up quilting shops in seattle... some of them have classes, but you're supposed to bring your own machine, which is fine, it just means i have to wait until i get my green card and can bring my machine down there.

A big welcome from the eastern part of Texas.

I am learning to quilt from my quilting family on this web site. They are the greatest.

That looks like a great book. I took a basic quilting class at my local quilt shop (LQS). We did a sampler quilt so I learned several different blocks. I didn't have a machine and my LQS suggested I purchase a Brother CS6000i. It is light for carrying to class. The price tag is tiny - $180 - and it does the things you need in the beginning. As my quilting has gotten better, I've started to want to do fancier things than I can do on the Brother and I just purchased a Janome Horizon, but I don't think I'd recommend that right away. Better to get your feet wet and see if you really want to continue. I've just been on this board a short time but I've gotten tons of ideas already - more than I have time to execute. :lol:
Is there a local quilt guild in your area? That would be good, too. And be sure to seek out a quilt shop - you can get a lot of support there, too.

Good luck - looking forward to seeing what you start with.

sparkys_mom, is this the one you got? http://www.amazon.com/Janome-HD1000-...1042069&sr=8-1

i'm also looking into the brother now. thanks!

My mom also believes that the best quilts are done by hand. So I get the pats on the back and the encouragement on this board. Also, lots of help and great ideas. I just started in May of this year and I have a Brother XL3750. It is perfect for sewing and quilting small (lap sized) quilts. I am not sure I could do anything bigger on it. It has quite a few stitches, but I haven't tried many out yet.

One great website for learning the basics is: http://www.missouriquiltco.com/ (Click on the youtube videos link). I have watched these over and over.

I wish I had a quilting buddy, but this board helps in that area too.

And, by the way, WELCOME!

this is the sewing machine i have: http://www.amazon.com/Singer-Stitch-.../dp/B00006498M

DebQuilter50, thanks for the link! too bad you're not in seattle, we could be buddies! :)

I don't know anything about that Janome. If you want a machine that you can carry to classes, I think the CS6000i is perfect. True. you aren't going to be doing any big quilts on it, but it is perfect for classes and piecing. And the sampler quilt I posted was quilted on it - just diagonal stitching, nothing fancy - but it gets the job done.

Nice quilts are always done with love!

ok, thanks -- that's just the one that came up when i searched for what you said. do you think the cs6000i is very different from the one i have?

kristel - someone just posted the Brother for sale on the board. You might want to check it out:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-138643-1.htm

If nothing else, she gives a really good run down of what is on the machine.

I know you said you had a basic machine but you really didn't say what it was. There are some features that you will want.

sorry, it's this one here: http://www.amazon.com/Singer-Stitch-.../dp/B00006498M

i think it's fine for the top layers, but i'm also looking for one with more room. i have a fantasy of having a linen closet with a nice stack of beautiful large quilts that i made. :)

It is getting good reviews. Does it have a 1/4" foot or can you get one for it? That is really important for accurate piecing. I didn't realize before that you had anything so I would say stick with that until you decide you want to "move up". You might decide your aunt is right and you want to hand quilt. Or you might decide you want something different for the actual quilting. You will find many people have multiple machines. Some are just for free motion quilting and only do straight stitch. Give yourself some time because a good machine will be an investment.

hm, i really don't know what a 1/4" foot is... will look into that. :)

i don't mind if a good machine is sort of expensive -- it's my wedding gift from my husband. :)

Accurate 1/4" seams are essential and the 1/4" foot facilitates that.

"Sort of expensive" is relative. I would still advise you to learn some basics and see some machines before you make that decision.

thanks, sparkys_mom. :) i'm sure you're right. i just like researching products before i buy them, not looking to buy immediately or anything. but when i do, i'd like to keep it under 1k. thanks again for all your help!

Hi Kristel, welcome from Nebraska!
I taught myself to quilt by reading quilting magazines and books. There is no end to what you can read and watch on the internet. When you don't know a term that someone uses means just Google it to find the answers your looking for. It might be faster to take a class or several but if you really want that stack of quilts (which was my fantasy to start with and still is today,lol)it is possible to learn on your own.

As far as a bigger machine to quilt on, you might want to look into a Juki (9" throat) or a Bailey (13" throat) machine. There are tons of other ones and they can go as high in price as $6-7K and not even be a long arm quilting machine. I would start with at least something with a 9" throat and work up from there before I spent a ton of money on a machine. You may find that quilting really isn't your thing, though I can't imagine that, LOL!!!

Best wishes!
Rose L

The one thing you learn here is that it is your quilt and you can do it the way you want ....that includes machine quilting.

I second the recommendation of the 1/4 inch foot. It is wonderful. I have one for my Bernina 380 and love it. I didn't understand why I needed it when I enrolled for my first class and now I don't know how I would ever do without it.

Welcome, so glad you joined us. There's a lot of self taught quilters on here, so I would say we learned just by reading, asking questions, experimenting, and gradually getting more advanced and better.

is this a 1/4 inch foot? sorry if that's a dumb question.

http://www.amazon.com/Singer-Even-Fe...1047001&sr=1-1

pocoellie i'm so encouraged by the fact that so many of you have taught yourselves!!

I never really did learn. I sewed kids clothes yrs ago out of necessity. Now I look at quilts here or see a picture in a book that I think would look nice as a quilt and just study the lines of it and go from there, changing things as I want.

No, that's a walking foot, which you will need if you're going to stitch in the ditch and to put your binding on.

hm... ok, maybe i'll contact singer. besides the 1/4" foot, should i ask them about any other accessories?

Sparky's Mom, that's a spectacular first quilt!

All you need is a basic machine ...it will do wonders..you only have to upgrade when you want to do more then the limits of your machine...I started learning by actually doing...I read alot and then sat and went at it...Ive been quilting now almost 20 years and its something my wife and I do together...I make the tops she does the quilting machine..I use a Brother CE5000PRW to carry back and forth to quilt group and always use the same machine from the start to finish of any projects, even though we have several sewing machines. Do yourself a favor and join a quilting group...don't be intimidated by others who have sewn for ages...everyone has to start somewhere..you learn so much in a group (and get great advice and inspiration)and its a great time to be amongst those who love the same thing.

7 years ago I decided I wanted to learn, and I taught myself. Between books and the web, I could pretty much get answers to anything I couldn't figure out on my own.

Welcome! I learned to make "puff" quilts from a friend of my grandparents when I was 9... 40 years ago! She taught me to hand piece each one and stuffed them with nylons, left over batting, and anything else she had in the basket. We spent many summers making them for the cottages she rented out in the summer. How I wish I had one of those quilts now!