I just started quilting and already lost my confidence! I need to know the must haves to quilt. And whats the easiest thing i can start with. And also is it really possible to machine quilt because I am being told you have to have a very expansive machine. Please help, I need to find something I enjoy for my downtime and I absolutely love the art of quilts!
Thanks Carrie

Welcome Carrie!!!

First off do not loss your confidence, this is only a quilt and you CAN do it!!!

Must haves for me are rotary cutter, self healing cutting mat and rulers. There other stuff I like but these are the must for me.

Easiest to start with I am self taught and started with a huge lap quilt, so I guess it is up to you and what you want/like. I know alot here recommend the disappearing nine-patch. I think any pattern with squares should be easy to tackle. If you do a google search for free beginner patterns you should of a good selection.

Machine quilting is just another skill to learn. I have a $99 singer walmart special and I wound not trade it. I have made 6 quilts, wall hangings and many other projects and it does great. I started with stitch in the ditch quilting (stitching along the seams) went ok. I just started free-motion, like everything else it gets better with practice.

So again you can do this. There are so many here that can and will offer help and confidence boost, so pull up your sleeves and jump it. I can't wait to see a picture of your first block :wink:

You do not need an expensive machine to quilt. You do need a machine that does a good job of maintaining tension, makes even stitches, and can handle the bulk of a quilt. Only really junky machines can't do that. What kind of machine do you have?

In my opinion, the easiest kind of quilt to start with is one that does not require matching a lot of seams. Rail fence is a really good pattern to start with. Bricks (rectangles) are good too, because you can stagger the bricks.

I agree that a rotary cutter, self healing cutting mat and rulers are the real necessities for today's quilting.

Just hang in there , do lose confidence ! The must have as staed before the rotary cutter, the mat and rulers.
i also agree a basic 4 or 9 patch would be a good starting point. Do you have a library close by or any one you could borrow some quilting books from ? Or even a magazine or two will be a great help. Also on the board there are so really great tutes, that have step-by-step instructions and pictures :lol:
And of course everyone here will do all they can to help you. We love to add to our growing flock of quilters :wink:
Welcome to the board
Sharon

I agree with what the others are saying and wanted to add, remember, you are the artist, you do as you like with your art piece. Do not let anyone tell you that it isn't a quilt because....., or that you aren't doing it right. The right way is how you want to do it!!! i have learned so much by reading the texts, and trying what they say. Not all works for me, but I don't know till I try what interests me. I just did my first Machine quilting on an inexpensive singer. Not a bad job, but I am my worst critic and you will probably be yours too. Just relax, enjoy, enjoy, and have fun. Oh and enjoy!!!

OK, color me the odd man out here.. as I don't think a rotary cutter and mat are necessary. It depends on what "kind" of quilting you're going to do..
I started with a good ruler, some sharp pencils and a good pair of scissors.
I am a hand stitcher primarily. You can easily make a first quilt by just cutting a bunch of squares, all the same size, and stitch them together by hand or machine. work on getting seams a uniform 1/4" and making nice corners.
before you know it you'll have a top to be tied, tacked or hand or machine quilted. Next thing you know you can try some simple HST or Half Square Triangles.. also simple and they can be made into MANY MANY different patterns.
I would suggest looking at the "basic" quilting books at a local Hobby Lobby, Quilt Shop or Library.. look for something VERY basic if you haven't done a lot of sewing before, right down to defining grain of fabric, selvages, etc. once you find something that makes sense and is easy for you to understand get it and read it through.. then go for it.. YOU CAN DO THIS!!! If you need help, just yell!

Apparently the folks on this board didn't get the memo on needing expensive machines. Check out this link on everyone using Wal-Mart cheapies.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/27171.page

I think starting fairly small is a good idea. Do a table runner or some cool pot holders. Having a project done is a great sense of accomplishment.

My machine came from the thrift store it was a simple straight and zig zag stitch, It made lots of quilts.

Step by step.
1. Rotary cutter and ruler.
2. Fabric you like... try a crib quilt size first!
3. A pattern (try one without triangles for your first)
4. Cut and sew the top.
5. Did you like what you produced?
Until you have the top done don't worry about the layering and quilting.
If you didn't like the process have a yard sale and sell it all... but if you liked it as much as the rest of us do, you can come back for more advice later. We're open 24-7!

My grandmother only needed a needle and thread. :wink:
No you do not need an expensive machine. I too have a 100.00 Walmart special. :D

Carrie,

Welcome. I have been sewing all of my life. I started with doll clothes when i was 8 or 9. My mother had a Singer featherweight that she let me use after I had sewn by hand for several years. I made my first quilt at 17 from scraps from all of the clothes I had made myself in my Junior and High school years. It ended it's life 15 years later as the thing my husband lays on when he changes the oil in the car.
My first quilt was handquilted with double thread and big knots. No one told me it should be single thread and to bury the knots.
Now I am good enough at it after 40 years of practice to get paid for quilting for other people.
I now own several Berninas but for years i sewed on a little freearm Kenmore I purchased from Sears for $139 when my daughter was born. My daughter is going to be 31 next week.
I only do machine quilting on Linus quilts or other projects for children as they will need to be laundered often. I do wash my handquilted items when necessary and usaully just stick them in the washer and dryer. I like handquilting because I can do it while watching TV or holding a conversation with my husband, family or friends. I find it very relaxing.

Start with a simple pattern so you don't get to frustrated and don't worry about it being perfect. If I worried about perfecton I would have two quilts finished not dozens and dozens. While I appreciate some of the "masterpieces" that are made what counts for me is that mine are done and usable.

I agree with most of the above! Start easy - quiltblocksgalore.com - has thousands of patterns. I would also suggest looking for a quilt guild, women's church quilt group or a retreat in your area. You can learn a lot in a short period of time working with a current quilter. I learn something new almost every time I go to a retreat!

My first quilt top wasn't so great. I pulled it out this year to take it to someone to have it quilted. I found a couple of open seams. The back of it was covered with threads and the seams weren't even at all. It wasn't until my second queen sized quilt (log cabin) that I could sew a quarter inch seam. That's a biggie---knowing how to sew a quarter inch seam. I bet you figure it all faster than I did. The old saying may be true for you: practice makes perfect. In my case it is: practice makes for a big improvement. :)

If I can say anything at all to you to help is what my great grandmother told me: "The quilt police are not going to show up at your door, so don't fret about the mistakes."

There are a lot of simple patterns you can do on table runners, hot pads, etc to get used to color, patterns, and your own designs. I very seldom use a pattern, I just have a vision of what I want and go for it. And there are mistakes, but that is okay, because I will have learned what works and what doesn't. And trust me the kids love to have my "good quilts" to play with and I also donate many of them to the homless, preemies, etc. They could all care less that a couple of seams don't match perfectly or the colors might be off a tad.

Don't give up. Lot sof people here on this site to help you!

Keep on a'quilting.


denverjjoy :roll:

If I can say anything at all to you to help is what my great grandmother told me: "The quilt police are not going to show up at your door, so don't fret about the mistakes."

There are a lot of simple patterns you can do on table runners, hot pads, etc to get used to color, patterns, and your own designs. I very seldom use a pattern, I just have a vision of what I want and go for it. And there are mistakes, but that is okay, because I will have learned what works and what doesn't. And trust me the kids love to have my "goof quilts" to play with and I also donate many of them to the homless, preemies, etc. They could all care less that a couple of seams don't match perfectly or the colors might be off a tad.

Don't give up. Lots of people here on this site to help you!

Keep on a'quilting.


denverjjoy :roll:

Quilting is suppose to be fun, so my 1st must have is a piece of advise I received at a quilting class...Don't worry about perfection, the quilting police are not going to come knocking on your door to inspect your work. Do your best & have fun. Your work will improve with time, so enjoy what you are doing!

Other must haves...
Rotary cutter
self healing cutting mat
scissors
ruler
sewing machine
good lighting :)
fabric
thread
and a plan

Start with big square blocks...then go from there. There are tons of simple to do free patterns on the internet.

Don't give up! It took over a year of toying with just the idea of quilting. I began with a very easy Christmas quilt for my great-niece from a panel I purchased, plus picked out my own backing and batting, with help from store owner. It turned out beautifully, and I got going. In the past year, I've made over 4 (over, because I'm in the middle, but not completed 5) of my own projects, and I've found a wonderful website to order things. It's called KeepsakeQuilting.com
I don't have all the gizmos...just a singer machine, and still do a lot of my work on it. Can't afford an embroidery or quilting machine in the near future, so using what I have. A word from the wise, "Emprovise!"
Janelle from Arkansas

Carrie,

First things first: take a deep breath and vow NOT to be afraid of this process, because it can be daunting. Baby steps ... baby steps ... baby steps (this is your new mantra.......)

I love the convenience of rotary cutter/self-healing mat/rotary rulers. But many a fine quilt have been made by using decent fabrics and a good, sharp pair of sewing shears that are ONLY used for fabric.

You do not need a $17,000 quilting machine to quilt with. That's a step far down the road. First you need to piece together your top, which can be done with an inexpensive sewing machine (as many have already said) or even by hand with a needle and thread.

Select your first pattern carefully. Start small (lap quilt is plenty large enough for a first project) and choose your materials at a reputable fabric store. They don't have to be $15/yd., just good quality, 100% cotton (preferred), in colors you like together so that you will enjoy working on your piece.

As for pattern and further help (because as a person who used to teach beginning quilting for many years), I would recommend the following:

Do you have a Community Education program affiliated with your local school system or Community College? They often have decent beginning quilting classes that are reasonably priced and fairly convenient. If not, call around to local churches (especially those with an elderly population), or even towns/township clerk offices with Amish or Mennonite settlements nearby. These people know how to quilt or may be able to put you in touch with someone who may be willing to teach you (or at least offer some assistance/constructive criticism about your progress).

If that fails (or to augment it), stop by your public library and pick up a good book on beginning quilting. No library? Try an online bookseller (I like Alibris.com as I can buy used books for a song that are usually in really good shape. Some even come from the collections of libraries) and try to purchase one. Some of these books even have simple blocks referenced in them for you to try; many have small projects.

Read everything you can get your hands on. After you've got your top pieced together, come back for advice on how to layer, baste and quilt it. As Mamagus said, "we're open 24/7!" We'll be glad to help!

Odessa

Don't get discouraged. I plunged in and made my first quilt with just a little booklet that I found in a stack of junk somewhere. It is actually a terrible quilt, my corners don't match up and the colors are kind of funky.

I cut the fabric out with scissors, using cardboard for patterns, and sewed it on the machine I have had for years. I borrowed a quilting frame from my Aunt and hand quilted it, learning as I went.

But, you know what? My daughter LOVES IT and is so very proud of it, she brought it over one day so that I could sign the back with a sharpie marker. And the next one turned out better. And the third one is turning out better still.

Just one warning, though. Quilting is very addicting, especially the hand quilting part. And my hubby, bless his heart, has put up with fabric/thread being scattered all over the living room, no dinner, me being sleepy because I stayed up all night quilting, etc, etc.

I got the quilting bug less than 2 years ago and learned nearly everything from the internet. Just go to google and type in what you want to know. Nobody told me to start with an easy 4 or 9 patch I chose a star patten and it is probably the best quilt I have ever made. All my points even came out good! Hasn't happened since. I have a tote with some blocks I tried and didn't so so well at but the main thing is try and keep trying. This board is the perfect place to ask questions and get encouragement. I can't believe how much I have learned in the past year and a half from just trying new things. Pot holders a re a good thing to make in the beginning as they are just one block and they don't need to be perfect to be usable. Now get chopping up some fabric and make something!!! LOL

I started with an irish chain quilt. I bought a mat kit which had the cutting matt rottery cutter and ruler. I have a home sewing machine. Not cheap because I wanted it to do embrodry work (which I never use). Here is the pattern that I used. http://www.ezquilt.com/patterns/iris...irishchain.htm
I have gotten a lot of compliments for it and I will be doing at least one for christmas because I know it goes quick and easy...

Just remember there are no quilt police and have fun..... and keep us updated.

I got this idea that I wanted the grandchildren to have a lap quilt to cover with when watching tv. I found an awesome pattern for my oldest grandchild from a book I picked up at Hancocks. It used a lot of applique which I did on my embroidery machine. But it was time consuming so I decided that the other ones needed to be simpler to get done by Christmas. I mananged to get them all done just in the nick of time but now I am hooked. Since then I have done 2 twin size, 2 full size and 1 wall quilt. I just can't work fast enough to do all that I want to do and I find my stash is growing in leaps and bounds.

My first quilt is a treasure to me. The corners don't match and all the seams are not perfect. It is my prize, I only see funny things with the quilt.
I have learned many things from this first attempt, like just have fun and enjoy creating something that is you. God did not create us in perfect size or shape. In other words there is no right or wrong way to quilt. I have completed quilts for my 2 daughters, 4 grandchldren and husband. I am now working on a black and white quilt for my neice's wedding gift. My sewing is my gift of love to my family.

You guys are so great!! Thanks for the advice and help! I bought the necessary tools. Some awesome fabric. And I bought a kenmore sewing machine. I have started cutting and I just cant wait to get my machine in so i can start piecing!!! Thanks again and I will definitely post by first product lol Is there anywhere to find quilting designs?

You will find lots of help here as well as encouragement. Just get started and you will be amazed at what you really can do. Can't wait to see your first creation. :)

Before I purchased my inexpensive long arm, I tried quilting on my regular sewing machine. I had two, a Kenmore that I purchased many years ago and and Brother sewing/embroidery machine, Even tho both would sew backstitch, and both could drop the feed dogs, (and the Brother could sew diagonal and sideways, neither one worked with quilting in a free-motion format. They just woldn't keep the tension right and the back always had onestraight thread held in place with lots of loops. So I took a quilt sandwich about 12 x 12 inches to a sewing machine store (a sew-vac store), told them I wanted to try out several of their machines, and the one that actually worked the best at free-motion quilting was a VERY inexpensive WHITE brand (about $150) and I use it all the time for free-motion quilting that I don't do on the quilting frame with my Bailey Long Arm (which by the way is a few thousand dollars less than the long arms that always get the spotlight on TV quilting shows.

Don't give up!!!!! Part of the fun is learning new techniques and trying out what works for you. Most of the gadgets are unnecessary to produce a good quilt - particularly for a newbie. You have to master understanding the pattern, cutting correctly, sewing 1/4" seams, assembling the block, proper pressing, and so on. A basic tool set will do you just fine. (Mat, rotary cutter, ruler, and basic sewing supplies) Have fun with it - my gosh, when I think back where I first started and where I am now. Worlds of difference.

I hand do everything all you need is fabric scissors, ruler, needle and thread and your on your way to quilting land.

I too, am just beginning. It seems I read more about quilting, collect patterns, browse fabrics, than I actually quilt...but I'm still havin' fun!

I just recently started looking into making a "Rag Quilt", they're supposedly super easy, and very forgiving esp for beginners. All you need to know basically is how to sew a straight line. There's lots of tutorials out there on line, just google Rag Quilt, and I'm sure you can figure it out...I did. Here's one to get you started...

http://greenappleorchard.blogspot.co...-tutorial.html

Like everyone said, just have fun with it...it's a learning process, each project will get better and better.

Now, go buy some fabric and let's both get started...

Good Luck!

I loved denverjjoy's post - " "The quilt police are not going to show up at your door, so don't fret about the mistakes." :D

I just got a new machine - a Brother XR-9000. it cost $190 at Costco and in my opinion, is a super duper hotsy totsy machine. I've been informed by less than polite salesclerks at my LQS that it's a cheapie machine. Poo on them.

I started quilting years ago on a the walmart $100 cheapie and made several beautiful quilts. A fancy machine is NOT a necessity.

Assuming you've got a machine with thread, all you really need to get started is fabric and a cutting utensil (scissors will work but a rotary cutter is SOOOO much easier).

Hello and Welcome.
I mostly agree with everyone else. Her are a couple of things that I have learned and would like to share with you.
You can use an INDEX CARD to get your exact 1/4 inch marked. Those lines on the index card are all 1/2 inch apart. What I do is cut of the last line on the bottom on the card because it's not 1/4 inch. Then I put the card in my machine. line up the neddle on the line and then take masking or painters tape, and put that on my machine bed. I run the tape the whole width of the machine. In fact, I use quite a stack of tapes together to give me a ridge to work against. I sew a few stitches to make sure that my tape is straight.
I use a rotary cutter but start out praticeing on old scrap fabric until you get the hang of useing the cutter and be VERY very careful. Remember to keep your fingers away from the edge of the ruler. Those blades are razor sharp and before you even know what happens, you can cut your fingers. {I have done this...ouch}.
Try to stay away from Elenor Burns patterns until you get better. Even though her patterns are very pretty, they can be very frustating to work with at first. Plus I think she has a lot of waste with her patterns.
Don't go out and buy expensive fabric right away. Look at cheap fabric until you get more experience behind yourself. When you fell things are not going right, Take a Break!! Even if you have to walk away for a few minutes or even days, it will be better for both you and the project.
If you can find the book "Easy Four-Patch Quilting" by Jeanne Stauffer and Sandra Hatch, get it!! It is full of very easy and fun patterns, and they show you step by step instructions. I just made the Pinwheel quilt that is in that book and it went very fast and was the first quilt I made that I thought was really FUN to do. And you can make your quilts any size you want. You don't have to stick to the pattern size. You can change anything you want about the pattern, it's your quilt.
I also use grid paper to draw out my pattern and then figure out my size on the paper before I even start on the fabric. What I d is start with the size of what I want to make, and then start deducting things from that.
Exp: Quilt size I want is 70 X 56 finished. I find out the size of the blocks, say 6X6 blocks, deduct that from 70 and 56, then I know what I have left to work with for my border or borders. Hope that last part is not too confusing for you. You can PM me and I will explain it better if you want. Just remember: TO HAVE FUN!!!!! and take breaks.
Good Luck
Bev