ladydi64

Like she says, but most of all enjoy and have fun, when it becomes work, put it down and walk away for awhile, always works for me.

SueSew

Polyparrot, I am printing your post and putting it in the 3-ring binder I keep all my quilting notes and helps in. Thank you for your advice!
Sue

greenini

The beginner's quilting class I just took, the teacher suggested we measure with our border fabric across the middle of the quilt, in the middle and just cut it there. Seemed to come out ok, tho I only have 4 borders to judge by!

quiltmom04

I would suggest to start with larger piece blocks and get smaller as you get better.While some people are wired to start with a micro half square triangle quilt, I know that would have frustrated me when I started. Choose designs that will offer you a chance to complete them with not too much frustration, like a rail fence, large nine patch. When you acheive success with completing a few quilts, you'll be more inspired to move on to harder designs, knowing that you CAN do it! Good luck!

Marvel

There is a site you will love. Google Marcia Hohn. She has about 2ooo free quilt patterns. There is a list-menu where you can learn to quilt step by step. She has many options from the cutting to piecing and quilting, and binding. You can only get better. We were all beginners at one time.

jolo

Just hang in there, I have been piecing and quilting for over 40 years and still learning new techniques etc. It is so much fun,dont know what I would have done without my passion for this theraphy.lol.

LyndaK

Wonderful tips and suggestions here! Also remember there are different ways to do things and don't let anyone tell you you're wrong. That happened to me and I was so demoralized I quit quilting for a few years. There are no quilt police, just a few opinionated people who aren't always right!:)

sammy89

I am self tought too.I came from germany and got hooked on simply quilts in hgtv.To bad there is no more books helped too

GrandmaLola

I am self-taught too. My aunt taught me some "bare basics" of sewing when I was 8 yrs. old, and I had "Home Ec" classes in 7th and 8th grade. But I must say that I have learned more through this Board that any other source--and now I am so addicted to quilting, I never want to leave my sewing room!

EagarBeez

I did not realize how many are self taught. I too am self taught. Sisters do not quilt, my mother did not quilt. No one else in my family that I know of quilted except maybe my grandmother, before I was born made a wedding ring quilt for my mother and father when they married.
I just looked on the internet, read these blogs and started out, thought of a simple design and had DH put it pattern format for me on the computer.
My aviatar is the first I ever made. I did it all by hand. It's a quillo. I saw one on a bed in a John Wayne museum, I went home and looked at how it was made, decided I wanted to do my first project using 5 inch blocks