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Hi just thinking does any one ever just sit down and piece quilt top their way with out all the rules that seems to be around about what size seam and etc etc after reading the history of quilting it seems like the old way they had to make do with material and things they had on hand never heard of long arm quilting used hand needles and cut with sizzor sorry spelled wrong any way still reading does any one know of a good history book of quilting I am 87 year old and read a lot am trying to piece and do a quilt as you go now but piecing block first then will try to join the blocks have been on u tube look at a lot of viedo but I want to do a pattern like 4 patch or some thing then join any suggestion thanks

If you want your blocks to line up right when you sew them to each other, they need to have consistent seams. Traditionally quilters stick with the 1/4” seam allowance. The fabrics you use are your choice, but keep in mind that mixing types of fabric (like cotton, velvet, flannel, denim, and silk) all in one quilt will be more challenging. The thickness and the texture often require different needles and threads. It’s been done for centuries but prepare for challenges if you decide to tackle a crazy quilt or something like that.

I don’t know a history title offhand, but I would google Mary Fons . She loves writing and talking about the history of quilt making.

Barbara Brackman comes to mind for "history" books. There is also a series of 3 books for dating fabrics.

I think that even “back in the day” they used consistent seam allowances, even if the fabric were perhaps different, though I don’t imagine they had polyester back in the day. In the end, it’s your quilt and you can do your quilt any way you want. IMHO I would hardly call a seam allowance a rule, I think quilt basics are just that, basic ingredients necessary to have satisfactory results.

I agree quilting has really changed from the time when quilts were made because of the necessity of keeping warm. Any scrap of fabric, even the less worn out sections of clothing, was used. And, some of those quilts are now in museums! So, I think, IMVHO, that you can piece scraps in any shape, with whatever seam allowance you'd like and make a nice and usable quilt that you can cuddle under. It may not win any blue ribbons, but it certainly will show creativity and love.

there's a scrappy on my bed right now that is just squares of whatever leftover large scraps I had from the past decade or so of various sewing projects. It has cotton, flannel, a few squares of canvas, some denim squares, and a few poly satin ones. It's nearly 4 years old and it's held up just fine thru a few washes and heavy use. It's not an award winner but every square has a story and a meaning to me, I love that quilt very much. Just start quilting and enjoy yourself!

People break the "rules" of quilting every day. Just do whatever pleases you and remember that the quilt police are purely imaginary.

I suggest googling Quilts of Gees Bend. They used unusual fabrics and designs but the end results is beautiful quilts. Not typically what we think of. I saw their exhibit and thought "wow".

You have to have consistent seam allowance for any kind of accuracy in pieced blocks. Other then that there are no rules you have to follow. The big prize winning quilts rarely follow the same old tired rules. Rules that were set by probably a few people who wrote about quilting and thus was the authority. I gave up stuffed binding years ago. Full binding seems to fray and wear more then flat.

Until recently (thinking the past 20 or 30 years or so) machine quilting was looked down upon and longarm quilting was when it appeared as well. Many didn't consider it "real quilting". Heck there are still people out there who don't consider a machine quilted quilt a "real" quilt. The people who perservered and continued to machine quilt trail blazed and it wasn't long before machine quilted quilts started winning. So I guess you could say the likes of Harriet Hargrave were rule breakers too.

There are constant innovations and changes to quiltmaking. Like the modern genre for example. There are loads of techniques and quilters that are trying new things. Some work some don't.

The Essential Quilter by Barbara Cheney is a good book that focuses on hand quilting and talks a bit about the history of quilt making. https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Qui.../dp/0715305697

The only time I follow the rule is if I'm making a block that will be added to others in a communal quilt. Then it has to be the same.

There are usually good reasons for any of the quilting "rules". We can either learn them from others or stumble upon them the hard way... trial and error.

Quilting is a wide open field! You are free to experiment and make your quilts any way you like to. I don't think you will find anyone here who will dampen your enthusiasm for any style of quilting you want to do. Just enjoy!

Sometimes something wonderful comes from not following a rule of thumb. That's what creating is all about. Rules are really suggestions and made from those who have walked the path who offer more efficient and durable ways of doing things. I'm all for efficiency and accuracy but I'm also one who takes my own path...so go for it. Create away and enjoy! Be sure to share the results!

I'm 62 and I only started quilting recently, so I know what you mean. I went through life thinking I would like to try quilting one day, and that day finally came. I bet you're the same! I read a book recently that was kind of a history of quilting book that I bet you'd really enjoy called "The Quilters- Women and Domestic Art, An Oral History" by Patricia Cooper and Norma Bradley Allen. It was published in 1978 by Doubleday Books and in paperback in 1978 and 1989 by Anchor Books. The women they interviewed for the book were from Texas and New Mexico and because the book is based on oral interviews with the women it has some really interesting and entertaining conversations. Some of them are actual conversations the women had while quilting together that the authors transcribed from their tapes. It's almost like being there. I really loved the book.


As far as learning to quilt, there are a lot of books that, to me, seem to be grouped into the following types:

General, or complete quilting info- these try to teach you about the entire process from fabric to binding, and everything in between: rotary cutters, cutting matts, sewing machines, feet, thread, everything. These are pretty much the same, although everyone probably has their favorite, likely written by their favorite quilter. Fons and Porter have one ("Quilter's Complete Guide") as do Hanson and Hickey ("The Joy of Quilting") and Jenni Dobson ("Instant Expert Quilting.") I'm sure there are many, many more. Rodale Books has one called "The Quilters Ultimate Visual Guide" which is handy because it has all the terms in alphabetic order, which makes it easier to look up something you can't remember anything about except the name.

The next type is the very specialized book that covers only one specific aspect, like hand quilting patterns, machine quilting, piecing with triangles, etc.

The next type is the category of books written by someone who has made a name for themselves by specializing in a certain kind of quilt: Lap Quilting by Georgia Bonesteel, Scrap Quilts, String Quilts, Fat Quarter Quilts, etc, etc. Included here are books of patterns by a designer that use that certain technique.

The last category is reference books that have many patterns. sometimes they are classic patterns that have been used for years, and sometimes they are some other category. Examples are : 'The Encyclopedia of Classic Quilt Patterns," "500 Full-Size Patchwork Patterns," "256 Fat Quarter Quilt Blocks."

Most of us use rotary cutters because they are faster and usually more accurate than scissors and a template, especially when using yardage or at least larger pieces of flat fabric. When trying to squeeze a little patch out of a scrap of leftover sleeve, they can still be easier, faster and more accurate than a template, but only if you have enough experience with rotary cutters and rulers to be able to manipulate them easily. We're just used to using them, and you know young kids these days, they're so into speed!

As far as just cutting pieces of fabric and sewing them together, are you talking about a crazy quilt? That's how those are done. Quilt as you go is when you do part of the quilt all the way though- piecing, sandwiching the batting and backing, and then quilting it. There are a couple of ways to attach the parts together into the whole quilt, depending on how you want the joints to look. It's a lot easier to do than to wrestle a whole king size quilt through that little hole between the needle and the arm of a regular sewing machine. And that very problem is why they invented long arm quilting machines- you move the machine to make the designs in the quilting stitching instead of maneuvering the whole heavy quilt around. Can you tell I want to try that out? 'Cause I've done the wrestling, and it ain't so much fun, hon.

Did I hit everything you wanted to know? Happy to have you here!

Patti