hi folks, i am new at forums and a fairly new quilter. i love it but have such a hard time picking a pattern. i have some wonderful 30's prints all set and ready to use for a quilt for my queen size bed, but just can't make a decision. any help?

Oh you're just beginning a long journey. I never saw a quilt I didn't want to make! Start with a good magazine and look at their quilts. Fons and Porter offer some good beginner quilts as well as McCalls.
Decide if you like traditional patterns or some of the more modern ones. I think with the 30's repros you might lean toward traditional quilts. Google free quilt patterns and you'll find tons.
Welcome to the board. You'll like it here.
Karen

I spend lots of time trying to decide what pattern to make. I agree a traditional pattern would be best. Now, which one. Sigh.

Welcome to the board from Southern California!

Totally agree and have a hard time at picking out patterns too. There is always next quilt.

I haven't met a pattern I don't like...that's the problem. I do favor traditional - but am so darned indecisive for a 62 yr. old. I made 2 baby quilts and took one quilting class - so that was easy. Now I want to quilt to keep these hands busy and because I love the precision of it all...my ocd is showing. Thanks, Mona

Since you are a beginner, check out Eleanor Burns book, "Egg Money Quilts". It is all popular 30's blocks.

That's probably why I have more books and patterns than I'll ever be able to make in my lifetime! Good luck!

That is a great place to look for 30's patterns. One of my favorites is Bow Tie. I think it looks great with muslin background and 30's prints.

thanks so much. i keep looking at my magazines and have a couple of books, but will get that one for sure. thanks for the encouragement - and as with most things in life, it's always so wonderful to talk to people who know where you are and have been there.

I love 30's and 40's fabric, I am in the middle of making my daughters quilt I named Bedroom Floor because using all the different fabrics. In her quilt she really didn't want a pattern like the double wedding ring. So I am making it in a Chevron ( V ) and it is turning out great. Although what turned me onto using 30's prints was two wonderful books (Link to the '30s) Making the quilts we didn't inherit by Kay Connors and Karen Earlywine The quilt that I fell in love with in that book is Chain Line looks hard but very easy to make. They give great instructions! Then there is Nana's Big Quilts by. Beth Little. I am planing on making the quilt on the cover of this book only not doing the sawtooth edging. Keep looking in magazines and quilt books the right one will come to you. And you will know it because your heart say this is IT! ;-)

what a wonderful reply...you spoke with your heart and i thank you. i will look for those books...i am a book lover as well as a new convert to the love of quilts. thanks again for the encouragement and information.

I've just finished a log cabin pattern for my dad and it came together quickly .

Quilter girl does not like yellow but she made a gorgeous quilt:

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-28583-1.htm

You can search this site for 30s quilts and she more.

Oh so many patterns and sew little time..lol...I agree start looking at magazine..I love F & P but also really like McCalls Quick Quilts as I really think they are a great resource for beginners. Welcome to the group.

Go to quilterscache.com and take a look at her selection. She has them rated with yellow pins next to the name. One pin is easy, something a beginner can do. I personally like "Crossed Roads" but I cannot remember how many pins it has.

When I need inspiration for a pattern, I have two places I go to:

I open Google, click on Images and in the search field, I put something that relates to the kind of quilt I want, such as "patriotic sampler quilts" "large quilt blocks" "9 patch quilts" etc. So many gorgeous images to look at and sometimes the web pages that result are helpful.

Then I take my inspiration and head on over to
www.quilterscache.com and check out her hundreds of blocks. The great thing about this site, is almost every block is shown in a quilt pattern, plus she has images of the blocks made by others, along with instructions.

Diane

thanks dee fox, you gave me a big smile with that reply...thanks i needed that. gonna love this feisty group.

I'm so indecisive I made a sampler quilt. That way I could do one of all the different blocks that I liked. It also gave me a chance to try all the different piecing techniques. I really had a great learning experience making it. Still am actually. I'm to the sandwiching stage.

I love Quilter's Cache. I have made many a quilt from their patterns. As a new quilter I found that a Sampler Quilt was the best starter. I started with a 12" block that you can find very simply with Quilter's Cache and then just go from there. Your colors do NOT have to match, you can design either from your heart or your palate. I do both. I am working on two Sampler Quilts right now and love each one - just finished a Log Cabin block, now am working on a Lady of the Lake block. You never get bored. Also, as I am prone to do, keep a log of your blocks/quilts. Give a book with the provenance of your quilt, stories of the fabric, why you chose that particular block and end the block page with a little saying or adage, maybe a recipe - a little family anecdote or something a little humorous or a lot humorous. Just a little thought. I just made a quilt with 632 blocks (4" and went darn near nutso. I am so happy to be back doing a sampler. It takes 35 blocks (7 down x 5 across with a 2" sashing and 4" border) to make a huge quilt and 3 across x 5 down with a 2" sashing and a 4" border to make a coverlet. Have fun, enjoy and love what you are doing. Edie

I also enjoyed using Quilter's Cache, was in a block of the month club which picked a star block each month. So much fun! I have some really beautiful star blocks that need to be sewing together I still am deciding on what to do with sashing and borders. They have hundreds of blocks to choose from, it’s deciding which ones to use is the hard part. :? Their instructions are great. Although I really didn't get into paper piecing...much too hard and messy for me. :|

What is fun you can test your ability as you go along and try something new or a little more complicated which helps you learn. The trick is to get some muslin or scrap fabric to try out the block first. This way you can see if you like and are comfortable enough to use it in your quilt. :thumbup:

my first quilting class i took several years ago was a sampler quilt class...it was enjoyable and made me realize i wanted more quilting. the bad part with that quilt was that i had made it as a tribute to my best friend of 40 yrs. who had died suddenly. i finally lost my way with the whole thing and just had to put it away. got back to quilting last fall and am hooked. i appreciate all the help and suggestions. thanks. mona

I too had so many quilts I wanted to try but started thinking in overwhelm mode, then came up w/ the idea to do my own sample quilt. So just as soon as the small pile of UFO's is done I am going to start planning a sample quilt-hopefully it will force me out of my comfort zone and force me to try something new. My problem w/ patterns is I lose my pateinces and tend to go off in my own direction.

Don't plan a sampler quilt - plan to make one. Don't make the blocks in any order (you change it around anyhow). Just have fun with it. I am working on Lady of the Lake now. Very simple, very pretty, very fun! That's how I like to quilt. Edie

Try Farm Boy or Dutch Doll these are 30's patterns my mother got them out of McCall Magazine and a Progessive Farmers Magazines.

Those are applique' like Sunflower Sue? I can tackle anything in this world, but applique' is not in my vocabulary of quilting! I did a lot of it in a Memory quilt that I made and thought I would go nuts. :thumbdown: So I will attempt anything else (almost). God love the ones that can and I have the utmost respect for them, but I just cannot do it!

Keep on truckin'! Edie

excellent idea! her instructions are very clear,easy to understand. If you don't have it, check the library.

or you could get some bleached muslin and make a simple 9 patch..with muslin squares seperating the 9 patch. simple pattern but would look very nice with 30's prints.

Turning Twenty is a very easy quilt and pretty.

well edie, you brought chuckles from me on that one. i tried applique with my first sampler quilt class and did my least favorite thing - ripped out over and over until i had ruined the material. swore off that torture until i'm good at one thing.

hello and welcome from Illinois, i know how you feel i have enough quilt patterns bookmarked to last me the rest of my life !!!! just hope to get most of them done

If'n I find a pattern I like from Quilter's Cache, or others, I print it out and paper clip it (no staples, please) easy to put one page behind the other and that is how I do my patterns. I have used them over and over. The tried and true ones are the ones I like the best and have pretty much mastered. Besides I am partial to hst's. I am working on Lady of the Lake now and discovered that I am the only person in the whole wide world with a dull Fons and Porter ergonomically designed seam ripper. Edie