Hi Ladies/ gents?? Only just joined the forum but looking through the posts and seeing all your pictures of your work really amazed me. as I am new to the hobby I look at them and wonder... Will i ever be able to produce anything like that :D

Sure you can! If I can, you can too!

There are lots of 'newbies' here, and everyone had to start somewhere :D

Us later developers were the lucky ones, cos we found this board and didn't need to struggle on our own. You will have all the help you will ever need and inspiration by the truck load.

I know how much it has helped me the last couple of years :thumbup:

I'm fairly new to quilting also, but take a class at a local shop. I've taken several so I could get a little exposure to many different techniques and ideas to help me decide what I want to explore further. You can do it, maybe not overnight, but with a little practice and patience. Some things are way easier to do than you might think!!! Every quilting poject may not turn out a masterpiece, but most likely, its a little better than the one before!! Celebrate the little things, sometimes just completeing a project is an accomplishment :lol: :lol: Welcome to our world :!: :!:

Thank you ladies... You are very inspiring... :-)

Welcome from Lynchburg, VA
Rose Hall

Welcome to the community Ellie.. from Maryville, Tennessee, USA

Welcome again. This is the way to learn! And don't forget to ask questions.
:lol:

Welcome to the board! Believe me...if I can do this...you can...and this board is fantastic for getting help..have fun and just jump right in!

Ok Ladies I am ready to Jump!!!! had a really good time today.. (I dont get out much!!) :lol:

Hi again Ellie - I was very much a hand piecer and quilter until I came here - only used my machine for putting on borders - but I've been so inspired by all the wonderful patterns, and different projects I've seen here that I've really got into machine piecing. The hand quilting will stay though and I don't think I'll ever leave piecing over papers (my first love!) behind. The great thing about the board is the inspiration and support you get. I've made some great friends on here - even though you get nagged sometimes as well! (only kidding folks!)

K x

Hi I have already seen on members avitars some gorgeous designed quilts... is there a facility for downloading patterns?? I have just this afternoon bought a book.. by Katherine Geurrier.. Quilting from start to finish.. I actually got this out from Library and found it so good I looked online.. its being delivered to my local W.H Smiths ...Newsagents... Its got everything in it... I not very good with a Rotary cutter... useless actually.. but One day...............

Guess who will be sat outside waiting for the shop to open next Monday???? :lol:

You will get to grips with your cutter, they are quite daunting at first, as long as you check and double check before making the cut...ask me how I know this????? :D

Hope WH smith is in a centre, be abit cold waiting for the door to open lol!!

Welcome to the forum.

I agree, you can do it! We all had to start somewhere too.

Welcome from SW Iowa. I struggled my first year trying to teach myself to quilt and then found this site. Everyone here is so helpful and my list of quilts I want to make is growing by leaps and bounds. So many wonderful inspirations here.

Welcome.

First off, if I can do it, you can too. I is a man. *L*

Second, the board is great. More info and experience than you can shake a stick at.

Third (OK, OK, I am an engineer, I like numbers). start simple. Turn20, Yellow Brick Road, Rail Fence are all great patterns for you to master first. If ya make a mistake, no one will notice but you and the time factor will let you get a quilt done fast.

Fourthly, next do a quilt in a day by Ellenor Burns. Perhaps the simple but elegant Log Cabin in an 'all sevens' or 'barn raising' pattern. You will learn so much on how to make short cuts that make the piecing go faster.

Fifth ( I always like that number) Ignore when magazine articles tell you how to do a pattern. When it says "Cut out 272 10cm squares of each of the first seven fabrics"... someone has no clue. There is a better way.

Sixth - Make a quilt for yourself. It is always inspiration to make quilts for others when you are looking at your own handiwork. It's even better if you are snuggled up underneath one of your own quilts with a quilting book, magazine, or partner who supports your habit.

tim in san jose

We are supposed to make a quilt for ourselves?????

I've got a Guerrier book too - the Encyclopeadia of Patchwork, something like that. It's very good, clear instructions etc. I refer to it often, I'm sure you'll love your book!

A tip I just learned when rotary cutting - the hand on your ruler, let your little finger hang off the edge and sit on the mat (obviously the OPPOSITE side from where you're cutting :D ) - makes slippage NEARLY impossible. Also, get in the habit of thumbing the cover back over the blade EVERY time you've made a cut. I do it now without thinking. I saw a tute on Youtube the other day and the woman was putting her cutter aside with the blade OUT - made me wince every time she did it! It does you no harm to have a little fear of those things, they is sharp!

K x

PS If you look back at some old topics, you'll see it's not only your fingers you have to look out for - some 'boarders' have injured their knees, even feet! :shock:

Welcome! I was new to quilting too when I signed up last year. I have learnt SO much by reading all the posts on here. Usually when I want to ask something I do a search for it first, most of the time there is already plenty of advice in the threads already! Enjoy, we can't wait to see your work.

I too had trouble learning how to use the cutter, just keep trying and soon you will just have it down pat. I love this board, if I get off track and can't get in the mood to quilt, I just come on here and look at all the beautiful quilts and I am off and running. I have only been here a couple of months and have learned so much. everyone here is eager to help including me, so just ask away. :D :D


Ninnie

K, you nag, or get nagged?
If you nag...which would be a verb,
does that make you a nag?....which would be a noun or pronoun
gee, you keep repeating that word, and your brain gets all twisted up...it's a real nagging problem, if you don't stop in time :roll: :lol:

welcome, Ellie. we usually wait at least 24 hours, before we nag anyone. :D unless they nag us first :wink:

I don't nag...do I nag?...what is a nag?,...or how do you nag?...is it a repetitive thing, this nagging?....is it like bugging or pestering someone?
now, K, you got all the questions nagging me! :!: :roll:

Welcome and have fun!

Welcome and enjoy....feel free to ask questions and be sure to show pictures!.....:-)

Best thing I did was take a begginers class....you do learn alot.......Anything of Eleanor Burns I have learned from....get the DVD's....and I live breath for any quilt knowledge.....:-)...

Oh and we don't really "NAG".........:-)......your to funny quiltncrazy

there is another class in september already signed up for, wish it was sooner but they only on at school terms thanks all of you for the support

I also know this. Extra fabric is a good thing to have on hand.

We all started at the beginning... Let your imagination go, don't forget to challenge yourself along the way, and have tons of fun!

also, may sound funny, but while you are working on your stuff IRL, and you follow other ppl's threads of progress...after a while, you are exposed to so much, your soaking up, that you don't even realize how much better you are getting, with all this new knowledge.
It's like going to class, but WAY more fun. Pretty soon, your more confident, bc you read questions, and go, hey, I know that. You feel like you have done more than you have. sounds funny, but it's good for the ol' braino. :D
:D :D :D

LOL...I got stuck, Cathie! no, we don't nag anyone, but watch out, we make give you a giggle...we got plenty of 'em here. :lol: