New to quilting...
 

I'm a relative new sewer... i've been teaching myself a long with a close friend who has sewn all her life. I mainly been trying to sew doll clothes, but lately ive been sewing up little covers for my Kindle, and covers/blankets to wrap the dolls in to protect them if i take them somewhere. (can you tell i collect dolls?) I recently "adopted" a Willcox & Gibbs Chain stitch treadle machine and have fallen in love with antique/vintage machines. I'm currently trying to repair my moms Singer Touch & Sew 758 and tomorrow im off to look at a Featherweight for my birthday!

So to get to the point, i have recently considered trying to learn to quilt. I'm not sure i have the patience to sew a huge quilt, person sized... but it might be fun to quilt smaller things, like place mats, drink coasters and doll sized quilts... something i can do with the scraps left over from other projects. (id love to use my 116 year old chain stitch for some free hand embroidery on them as well!)

The problem is... i have no idea how to quilt! where does one begin? any pointers? advice is welcomed! thanks in advance!

I started by making pot holders. They were quick - 9" each, I got to try different patterns and color combinations, and it taught me all the basics steps in quilting ... piecing blocks, making the quilt sandwich, quilting it, and binding it. If I screwed one (or a few) up, I didn't waste much in time or material. Everyone at work got pot-holders for Christmas that year :)

You can get free block patterns on www.quilterscache.com and choose any pattern ... 9" is a great size for a pot holder.

Yep. I too started with pot holders. I gained a lot of skill making those and learned a lot from all of my mistakes. I also did the meandering FMQ to practice that skill. Everyone seems to like their potholders I gave them. :-)

I took a class that taught me the basics of quilting. I have never regretted it. And I promise you, if I can quilt, anyone can!!

I have little patience, but quilting divides itself into parts, and I have enough patience for each. Eventually I have a quilt...I divide the quilt process into 1)pattern selection 2) fabric selection 3) cutting out fabric 4) sewing top 5) sewing backing 5) sandwiching 6) quilting 7) binding 8) enjoying. Seems to work for me. Warning, quilting is addictive!

Dina

If you love dolls, begin with doll quilts--begin with a whole cloth (a piece of fabric of the size you want) top, quilt and bind. If that works for you, go on to beginners' patterns like nine-patch. Etc.

Welcome from WI. If you are able to take a beginner class, it would really help. That's what I did 13 years ago and it was the best thing for me to do and I was instantly hooked.

Have you gone into any quilt shops? You can get lots of ideas, advise, and maybe sign up for a class. You can teach yourself, but it is easier to have someone show you, and how to use supplies correctly. You could possibly try out the supplies in class...make sure that quilting really is for you. A beginners class probably will have a simple project that takes you through all the steps of making a quilt. Have fun!

if you are going to start with potholders, don't forget to use a heat resistant "cloth" in your sandwich. a name brand for this is called "insulbright" - i think that is how it is spelled.

Start small and work your way up to larger items, you will get the hang of it very quick.