I have been bombarded with so many websites and patterns to chose from that I couldn't decide which one to make into a quilt so I made my own using microsoft excel. You have to play with it awhile to get the right size and it's kinda fun creating your own. I'm attaching an irish chain that I did. I hope it goes thru. There are two pages. One is the complete pattern. The other shows how to group your blocks. You can also make a life size template and copy it to stock paper. Have fun with this. I have more if anyone is interested. E-mail me at [email protected] if you want me to send you some.

Sorry guys I couldn't get it to attach. Does anyone know how to do this? If not just send me an e-mail I'll send it to you that way.

I'll try it again.

I just made a very easy beginner level quilt called The Yellow Brick Road
by Atkinson Designs. You just take a bunch of fat quarters and following instructions cut rectangles and squares then reassemble them into 9 inch blocks. Arrange in a pleasing pattern and add a border. I wish this had been my first quilt but it is great tio have in the repertoire when you need a gift quilt on short notice.
Rita

Dear Melissa

Try patterns from www.cottontales.net. They often use fat quarters or you can modify that to 1/4 yards of fabric that pleases you as opposed to lots of fat quarters. But the company seems to have simple patterns and I've completed a few already and have had good results. Go for the lap size projects, since you can finish them faster , and when young kids take up so much of our time and concentration, that is important.

Good luck.

Hi Melissa!

A coupe of questions first...

What is your purpose in quilting? Do you want quilts quickly for the families beds? What sizes? for what age groups?
Do you want to increase your skills?
Both?
The suggestion about the Yellow Brick Road pattern is excellent - it comes in many suizes and uses a strip piecing method that is super fast. I have an Amish ffiend who recently pieced a queen size YBR & said that it was confusing to her because it was "TOO EASY"!

Sound like my kinda pattern!

Keep us posted on your progress...

Marsha

"QUick Quilts" on line or the magazine has easy patterns

Also, for more easy quilt patterns, the Hancock's of Padukah catalogue has some great patterns from fat jellyrolls, that are stitched together and just cut across into big blocks and then sewn together with a 3 inch strip sash to finish. You rotate every other big block of strips and it makes a great and easy look. The catalogue is a wonderful wish book to browse through and drool over the gorgeous patterns.
Call 1-800-845-8723 for the catalogue.

As for what I don with my lap quilts and double size quilts, I like to throw them over the back of my sofa to enjoy the colors. I fell in love with a loud print collection by a guy named Kaffee Fassett. Look it up. It's terrific.

Have fun everyone. that's what it's about.

JM

Debbie, instructions for attaching photos is the first line of the pictures page. Please read it and try to post pictures in that section. We would all like to see your photos. :D

The hand print design is a great idea. Another one that our family made was for our fourth chid. Each of her big brothers drew 2 pictures on transfer paper.... I ironed it onto plain fabric, outlined their drawings wth embroidery thread and made their designs into a baby quilt. Each brother made 2 pictures and also wrote a message to their little sister. I sewed them all together to make her quilt. Her dad and I also each made a square. She is 22 years old now and still treasures that quilt.