You have to like sewing to begin with. Some people I know hate to sew. Start simple and work your way up. Also buy a 1/4 inch foot for your machine.

Simple is good when starting out, but also be sure to get a lesson on using a rotary cutter, and get fabrics that are your favorite colors so you will enjoy working on your project all the way to the end.

Just start with something simple! You can do it! The rewards when you finish are so worth it! You can find lots of help here.

Start with a simple (easy) pattern first. After that you are addicted and you will feel like nothing is "too hard." Each time you complete a project it will give you more confidence to try more difficult patterns, that is if you don't have a lot of WIP, which happens when you spot something else you want to create. Or you get hooked on this site. LOL

It seems like this is the place to be at any stage of quilting. You have so many people willing to help and the encouragement is amazing! My suggestion is to find an easy pattern and dive right in and know we are all just a computer click away! Good luck!!

Go to youtube and watch some of the quilting videos, that will motivate you to get started. There are many quilt patterns that are for beginners and are easy to do. You might look into taking a quilting class at a local quilt store, they love to teach beginners

Start out with a pattern that has squares and rectangles. Stay away from lots of points to start out. Be sure to cut accurately and sew scant 1/4" seams. Every block I make is a lesson in patience. The fun part for me is when all of these little pieces and squares start coming together to form a pattern and you can't believe how pretty it is. Good luck and have fun!

NO :thumbup:

If you can sew and sew a straight line, it's not hard to do. Start with a simple pattern. I can make straight lines pretty well. I do not quilt. I tie. My machine would never handle large quilts I make. I could never afford a quilting machine, nor send quilts out.
You'll never know unless you try, we are all here to help guide you along. Feel free to ask any question, no question is stupid, someone will have an answer.
Welcome

start with an easy quilt, get inexpensive fabric and call it a trial and error. The first quilt I made was $1.00 a yard fabric from Walmart.

I just did it for practice

It depends on what you are doing, what your up for (do you want a challenge or not), and it is all about your attitude. I see myself as a highly competent person and I believe that I can do anything I set my mind to.

Not at all, start with a small project, after some trials and errors, you will be addicted.

Hi, like some of the other replies, quilting is only as hard as you make it out to be, such as if you think you can't do it, you won't be able to. Think of the Little Engine that Could, I think I can, I think I can. I started out as a self-taught quilter, although I had been sewing since I was about 8 years old, and I sewed all my own clothes for years. Now don't laugh, but the very first quilt I made was from a cheater panel that I made for my daughter. I didn't know much about batting, so I used two layers of batting, and two layers of mattress padding. Then I sewed - stitch-in-the ditch around the squares and put an already made bias binding around the quilt. My trusty Kenmore machine loved to sew on heavier fabrics (thankfully, or I would have broken more needles than I can count). My daughter used it as a play mat outside for several years - no rocks or sticks could make their way through. Then I purchased a video and her "spinning spools" 3-ring binders with patterns, templates and instructions. Finally, I saw an ad in the newspaper for a quilting class, joined a quilt guild, took more classes, etc. - and the rest, as they say, is history. Just go for it.

If you are interested enough to ask about it, you certainly can do it. If you LQS has any classes take them, just to give you an idea. And if your shop has as nice of people working there, they will be more than happy to help you. And then of course, there is always this wonderful board. I've learned so much from this board. So keep checking in.

Welcome from Texas! No, I don't find quilting to be hard because most of the actual quilting is done by someone else! :) I LOVE MAKING THE BLOCKS, tho. I agree that you should be able to sew a straight line & follow directions, but sometimes, mistakes create beautiful things. If you want to really do the quilting part, make something smallish & practice BUNCHES! Good luck! However, always remember that this site has the most helpful, supportive & encouraging people that I have found so far.

Oh, PS...there is no such thing as a stupid question, at least that's what these lovely people told me a year or so ago. If you are new you need to ask some of the questions,....so just ask and someone here will come up with an answer for you. I'm positive!!!

There are no stupid questions......just questions waiting to be answered

I have to owe any success personally I had initially to all of the people on this board. The amount of informations here is astounding and they are so willing to share.

So become a regular board reader plus I would also suggest a beginning class at your local quilt shop. You will be quilting in no time at all.

(I would be amiss not to add that sometimes quilting can be exasperating, annoying and challenging but oh so addictive :mrgreen: )

Some patterns are hard and some are not but, if you want to do it just jump in there with something you think you can acccomplish. If you have trouble or make mistakes just remember that the best quilter on here makes mistakes and sometimes has trouble with their project. You can do it.

You can do it! At least on the beginning level - how elaborate you get later is up to you. TAKE A QUILT CLASS somewhere if you can. You'll love it!

If I can start quilting at 70 yrs old there is no reason for you to doubt that you can also do quilting. Take a beginner's
class at your local quilting shop and go from there. Good Luck and enjoy yourself. It is addictive. Sherry D

Many years ago I taught a class entitled "Anyone Can Quilt - Even if You Do Not Sew". It was a lot of fun to work with women who thought they could never accomplish such a sewing feat. We each ended up creating a simple sampler quilt. All very pretty. So, No it is not hard to learn the basics.

Why do all new-B's think they have a stupid question? YOU CAN DO IT WATERBOY!!!!!

You did not ask a stupid question....when starting something new you want to know the degree of difficulty.

Quilting can be very simple or complex. Just depends on what you want to do. Give it a try and don't judge your work to harshly...everyone has to take that first step and after that it will get easier as time go on.

If you have questions about anything in the quilting world you don't understand, just ask the QB members and you will get bunches of tips and ideas to help.
Good luck!

I was not a sewer before I started quilting. In fact many years ago when I was in home ec I was told to take typing because I couldn't sew. I took a beginner class on log cabin and used Eleano Burns book on log cabin. I have made many beautiful quilts over the last couple of years. I either stitch in the ditch to quilt it or take it to a long arm quilter As many people said don't pick to hard of a pattern

The wonderful thing about quilting is that there is something for everyone... From engineering perfection with geometric forms to absolutely free form with nothing matching. In my opinion, what is important is the desire to work with fabrics/color and if so, you can find your niche somewhere. Even before I started quilting, I would wander thru the fabric stores touching the fabrics. I think even if I didn't quilt, I would enjoy having the fabrics around. If you find your interest in in the engineering perfection, you might have a steeper learning curve. LOL! Or maybe not.

The main thing is to try it. Try several things. You will soon find if this "speaks" to you.

I heartily agree: THIS IS A STUPID QUESTION

The thing about quilting is you can start with a small quilt.
If you don't like it you didn't spend a lot of money.
But I think you will love it.

Quilting is a series of steps. Each can be done a lot of different ways so you need to choose the easiest ways to try first. None of these steps will be hard, just take some time. When I started quilting, I didn't know how to use my sewing machine or anything about quilting and I taught myself from magazines and books. If you can take a beginner class, you'll learn all this stuff faster and with lots less mistakes than I made----but hey, that's called learning! If you want, I'll send you a couple of good beginner books that I don't need any more. Just Private Message me with your address. Here's how to do that: on the left side of this message, click on my name. It will give you a little info about me, and will give you a choice to PM (private message) me. Click on that, and it works like email from there. ~Dotty

It can be as hard as you make it. If it seems like it's a chore like "doing the dishes by hand" then I wouldn't recommend it. If you start with an "advanced" project before you learn the basics, yes, it's hard.

If you start with the basics (and this forum is a must in my opinion for the basics) then, no, it isn't hard. Starting small will also tell you if you like to quilt or not. Some people don't. I can't imagine life without a couple (or four) quilts in the making.

It does require patience, perseverance, and for me it is one of the most important things in my lifestyle. Quilting is so rewarding, especially if you make something for someone else, like one of the charities. Start small and before you know it you, too, will be a QUILTER, an artist. And, p.s. there are no stupid questions except those that DON'T get asked so ask away.

that depends on how bad you want to learn to quilt it is not for everyone , but i enjoy it, my sister that can make any kind of clothing you would want , tried to quilt and she hates it !!

Actually there is a special pressure foot that will help you to sew a straight quarter inch seam. Just lay the fabric along the
guide on the pressure foot and sew away. Keep your eye on the guide rather than the needle.

You'll never know until you try. I suggest getting into a beginner's class, or start with a friend who knows a little more than you do. Before you know it, you'll both be learning from each other. Good luck. Oh, and start with something basic.

NOPE!!! If I can do it anyone can :lol:

I agree with all ... start small & simple & no question is stupid. A lot of helpers on here !! :-D

Hello from Western Mountain Maryland !! :-D

Let me tell you my story. A year ago I was going to throw out some quilt blocks of my mother's I found tucked away in a box. Finally decided no, I would try to make something from them. I can't sew. I'm a doctor; what do I know about anything creative. So, I sat down and made sashings, sewed the block together, batted and backed and quilted the entire thing by hand into a king size spread. My son latched onto it, happy that he had something that originated from his grandmother. A year later and I have been taking classes and am now completing my 7th or 8th project plus a couple of table runners. I say GO FOR IT!

Uh oh...I can't sew, draw, or a walk a straight line! But, I've learned (an on-going process) to quilt and love it.

Quilting can be very easy and quite satisfying. Start out with a pattern such as a log cabin, all straight seams and really pretty easy to do. I think a person could make only log cabins and not repeat an arrangement for months or even years. There is so much you can do with that block. Don't be afraid to try, it can become a lifetime career.

There are super simple patterns that I can follow and then some elaborate patterns and all sorts of stuff in between.

The first thing you have to do, however, is to decide if one or two mistakes are going to kill your desire to quilt. If "YES" then find something else to do. No matter who you are or how good you are, or how long you've been quilting, mistakes are going to happen. How you deal with them will determine if you will be quilting in the future.

It's as complicated as you want to make it. Have fun, and if it's fun it can't be all that complicated.

Hi, Nike. Welcome from Texas! I have loved it from the very first time. It is a hobby that offers so many possibilities once you learn the basics and practice those. I think it is kind of like a career in Nursing--I have always said it's a great career because there are so many different ways to practice it. If one area doesn't appeal to you, there are a bunch of other areas out there to try. Hope you give it a chance.

Ditto :thumbup: