Would you recommend this pattern for a first quilt?
 

Hello,

After receiving some great advice from my thread about supplies I feel ready to tackle my first proper quilt.

I saw this pattern today. There is a written pattern and a tutorial at Missouri Quilt Co.

http://englandstreet.blogspot.co.uk/...l-pattern.html

Would you recommend this as a first pattern for me to tackle? I have general sewing skills but patchwork and quilting are new to me.

Many thanks.

Clare x

as long as you are able to sew a consistant 1/4" seam- tend to be fairly accurate- you should be able to make the quilt. if you tend to be on the (impatient) side of personality traits you may want to start with something a bit different- but as long as you can go slowly, sew precisely, and (follow) along you should be find. everyone has their own (learning curve) my first quilt was quite extreme, i know intermediate/advanced quilters who still don't want to tackle what i did for my first- but it worked out ok for me...you need to know yourself and your tendancies- if you tend to be a bit more (impatient- consistancy not your cup of tea) a simple patch work may be a better choice to start with- I would jump in & make that one though...
since it's a jelly roll quilt- do you plan to purchase pre-cut strips? or cut your own? if cutting your own-you also have to be capable of cutting accurately-
if purchasing jelly rolls, know that even pre-cuts are not always accurate (few people are really perfect-in spite of what they may believe) :)
I like the pattern & hope you make it & show us pictures of it! :)

Cute pattern.

So, not to scare you off it but I just want to mention three things that were not included (they never are) in the video or pattern but that, as a new quilter, you should be aware of before you start.
And they are not just relevant to this pattern

First:
Not all jelly roll strips are created equal.
It's kind of hard to maintain a perfect strip width, even with a perfectly sewn 1/4" seam allowance, if you start out with unequal strips.
http://www.bearpawproductions.com/us...May%20Vary.pdf
This way you can be sure you'll end up with a 2" finished strip width.

Second:
When sewing strip sets, always alternate the direction when you add a new strip.
So after sewing the first two strips together top to bottom, turn the strip set and add the third strip (so what was the bottom is now going through the machine first).
This helps stabilize the strip set, and prevents it from bowing (which can happen if you're always sewing in the same direction). It's a torque thing.
In the case of this pattern, also alternate the directions when sewing the two strip sets together.
One side top to bottom, the other in the opposite direction.

And third (and MQC always does this):
When you cut those squares from the strip sets, please be very aware that the ALL the edges are exposed bias.
That means they are very stretchy.
And once you stretch bias, there is no unstretching it, and it can easily change the dimensions of your blocks.
So handle with care, and when you press the blocks, do it gently.
Same goes for when you attach the blocks together.
Otherwise, you could end up with a quilt top that has the topography of the Rocky Mountains.

You might want to starch the strips sets before you sew them together.
I'm a starch fiend, so I like mine to be as stiff as possible but I realize that's a personal choice.
However, some starch will help stabilize the strip sets so that when you're ready to cut those squares, they'll be less likely to stretch.


Other than that, go for it.
Enjoy the process and post pictures when you're done.

This would be a great first pattern to make. It is very, very easy and have little to no points to match. http://www.spotlight.com.au/inspirat...-garden-quilt/
You can make it larger by adding more rows. You would just need to measure your project for the finished size of the extra borders if you wanted to make it larger than the two sizes given.
I made it recently and it is my new favorite go to quilt pattern :)

I think you can do it. I enjoyed the tutorial and thought I would like to make it. It's a nice quilt! I would follow everyone's advice. It's great advice and really needs to be followed in order for the quilt to end up looking nice. But, heck yes, you can do it. I would watch the video a couple of times while I'm making the quilt, just to firm up in my mind what I'm doing and that I'm doing it correctly. But, go for it!! It's a good beginner quilt, especially with a YouTube video directions. You can go to YouTube and type in "Jenny Doan" and up will pop lots of her tutorials on different quilts BTW.

Looking back, I can tell you that if I knew all that could go wrong, I never would have attempted my first quilt.
I had to deal with bias edges and they were a bear.
I dealt with it and came out with a pretty good quilt for a beginner.
I still don't like working with bias edges.
Starching is strongly recommended.

i think its great for a first quilt.....when i started quilting i chose a pattern with stars....and while i love it it def has mistakes but its still my favorite quilt...and its nice to look back at my mistakes and see how far i have come...so even if you don't make this one perfect it will be special to you and a reminder of your quilting journey...best of luck

I had my 11 yr GD make it. We did starch. Her biggest problem was once it was laid out to remember which sides to sew together. As you sew reposition to layout to make sure rows are right.

i was crazy enough to do tumbling blocks as my first quilt... but then i didn't know enough to know that it is a difficult pattern. it was frustrating at times, but turned out great. if you are brave, jump in! there's tons of advice and support here.

You will do just fine and it's a lovely pattern for your first quilt. Don't forget to post a photo!

Pay attention to MTS' advice and go for it.

Please,Please,Please close that rotary blade after each use. I have seen a few people get badly injured by using it the way she does.

I think these strip quilts are the Best. You can go simple or more detailed.
Have Fun and I agree lots of Pics

I think it's a great quilt to start with..... really pretty. Go for it.

Who is MTS?

Go for it girl.....
Do your best
Take your time
DO NOT sew at top speed, nice and steady slow...
pin together to keep them even
Enjoy yourself, this is a craft.....
Smile and giggle a lot....mandatory !!!!!!!!
Enjoy the ride ....this is your first......like your first love or first pie or first kiss....
It will not be perfect, nothing is.....but it will be wonderful beyond belief !!!!!!!!!!!:p

For a beginner Eleanor Burns has the best instructions and the simplest methods to use.
Her website Quilt In A Day has lots of videos also.
Missouri Star has a simple layer cake pattern that would be a good beginner pattern. Its the one where you cut off 3 in of the layer cake then restack and sew togather.

Looks like something I might try and I am a beginning quilter, I would of course follow all the recommendations given here! Have fun quilting!

Looks like a great choice for a first quilt

Reminder --------------if you have just a few bias edges, blue painters tape does wonders to stabilize the bias cut until after you sew. Just don't sew thru the tape or you'll be picking blue bits for two weeks.

I think it would be perfect for a first quilt. One thing I recommend is starching your fabric. I think it helps having that crispness when cutting and sewing the pieces.

I see some people have told their stories about their first quilt so I'll jump on the band wagon. My first quilt was easy, though I had no idea how to finish the edges so I had folded them inward about a 1/4" and top stitched around the edge. It was my second quilt that was a pain. For some reason I had decided to do a recycled denim jeans quilt. It was just a simple patchwork quilt, but it was heavy and it was the middle of May and at the time we had no air conditioning. I had recently joined the board before starting the quilt and some thought I was nuts for doing a denim quilt as my second quilt ever. lol

NGeorgia, that is a cute quilt. Cute girl too.
I love the colors.

You gave good advice, to starch those bias edges.

As long as your seams are all the same, you should be fine. We will all be waiting for a photo

Yes, all of Jenny Doan's tutorials are informative, usually easy and she does a very good job in explaining things.

Hi Clare,

Thanks for visiting my blog and for your interest in my pattern. If you are a confident sewer, I think this project will be fine for you to start with - just read the pattern thoroughly and watch the video a few times first. As MTS said, you do need to be careful about stretch on the bias edges of the blocks but with careful handling and a bit of starch you should get minimal movement. I am a huge fan of starch, but didn't actually use any for this project. I found that just by setting my seams carefully as I added each new strip my strip sets were straight and stretch wasn't a problem.

Thank you to MTS for your tips, they are certainly steps I took when making my Summer in the Park quilt but just took them as assumed knowledge. It just goes to show - you should never assume! Lesson learned. I have now updated my patten with some extra tips, so if you have already downloaded the pattern, you may wish to go and have another look.

If you need any help or advice you can contact me through my blog and I would be more than happy to help. Good luck and happy sewing!:thumbup:

All the best,
Shontelle.

There are a lot of bias in this quilt and for a newbie I would suggest you save it for your 2nd quilt.

Seems simple enough

Thank you everyone for the great advice, I have learnt a lot. This really is a great forum.

Ngeorgia, your GD's quilt is wonderful.

Clare

Great Job. Personally, I have trouble with blocks set on the diagonal. Very Pretty.

summer in the park quilt
 

I made this quilt for my son's wedding and they both love it. The quilt was a very easy one to do so you should have no trouble.

I started a tumbling block quilt a few months back but have to be in the right mind set to work on it, which doesn't seem often enough. : )

Turning Twenty or Yellow Brick Road are good first quilt patterns and you see then end result fairly quickly...

Your GD did a beautiful job, love the colors, I might even attempt this one!

I just want to reiderate what has already been said about the bias edges. If i were you I would cut up some strips from some fabric you have on hand and make a table runner. Whenever making any quilt its wise to practice the pattern and see if you like it.

I had just come from visiting your blog and viewing your quilts. All your quilts are really nice; love your color choice for the Carpenter Star. Good tutorials also.

Excellent points. I would like to add that there are a lot of seams/points to try to match. If you tend to be obsessive or compulsive by nature, then trying to match these may drive you bonkers as a new quilter. However, don't let that hinder you because you never know what you can do until you try it. My suggestion would be to try a wall-hanging size first using this pattern or similar pattern and see how you do before cutting all of the fabric for the quilt size you are intending to make. That way if you do find this pattern a bit challenging you are not stuck with all of those cut pieces of fabric.

Missouri Star Quilt Company has a tutorial for this pattern

I would, absolutely. You can keep going back to the video. Jenny and her daughter explain things very well.

What MTS said is spot on!

You might want to starch the strips sets before you sew them together.
I'm a starch fiend, so I like mine to be as stiff as possible but I realize that's a personal choice.


I believe in this whole heartedly....wished someone would have told me this when I first started....the other thing I suggest.....get yourself a 1/4" foot for your machine.....makes all the difference in the world!!

I would think it would be fine if you are a confident beginner.

I could not find the written pattern. Can you give me another link for the written pattern?