learning
10-17-2018, 05:55 AM
#12
Power Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 26,073
There are usually good reasons for any of the quilting "rules". We can either learn them from others or stumble upon them the hard way... trial and error.
Quilting is a wide open field! You are free to experiment and make your quilts any way you like to. I don't think you will find anyone here who will dampen your enthusiasm for any style of quilting you want to do. Just enjoy!
Quilting is a wide open field! You are free to experiment and make your quilts any way you like to. I don't think you will find anyone here who will dampen your enthusiasm for any style of quilting you want to do. Just enjoy!
10-17-2018, 08:03 PM
#13
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Southwest Idaho
Posts: 5,999
Sometimes something wonderful comes from not following a rule of thumb. That's what creating is all about. Rules are really suggestions and made from those who have walked the path who offer more efficient and durable ways of doing things. I'm all for efficiency and accuracy but I'm also one who takes my own path...so go for it. Create away and enjoy! Be sure to share the results!
10-19-2018, 09:39 PM
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 802
I'm 62 and I only started quilting recently, so I know what you mean. I went through life thinking I would like to try quilting one day, and that day finally came. I bet you're the same! I read a book recently that was kind of a history of quilting book that I bet you'd really enjoy called "The Quilters- Women and Domestic Art, An Oral History" by Patricia Cooper and Norma Bradley Allen. It was published in 1978 by Doubleday Books and in paperback in 1978 and 1989 by Anchor Books. The women they interviewed for the book were from Texas and New Mexico and because the book is based on oral interviews with the women it has some really interesting and entertaining conversations. Some of them are actual conversations the women had while quilting together that the authors transcribed from their tapes. It's almost like being there. I really loved the book.
As far as learning to quilt, there are a lot of books that, to me, seem to be grouped into the following types:
General, or complete quilting info- these try to teach you about the entire process from fabric to binding, and everything in between: rotary cutters, cutting matts, sewing machines, feet, thread, everything. These are pretty much the same, although everyone probably has their favorite, likely written by their favorite quilter. Fons and Porter have one ("Quilter's Complete Guide") as do Hanson and Hickey ("The Joy of Quilting") and Jenni Dobson ("Instant Expert Quilting.") I'm sure there are many, many more. Rodale Books has one called "The Quilters Ultimate Visual Guide" which is handy because it has all the terms in alphabetic order, which makes it easier to look up something you can't remember anything about except the name.
The next type is the very specialized book that covers only one specific aspect, like hand quilting patterns, machine quilting, piecing with triangles, etc.
The next type is the category of books written by someone who has made a name for themselves by specializing in a certain kind of quilt: Lap Quilting by Georgia Bonesteel, Scrap Quilts, String Quilts, Fat Quarter Quilts, etc, etc. Included here are books of patterns by a designer that use that certain technique.
The last category is reference books that have many patterns. sometimes they are classic patterns that have been used for years, and sometimes they are some other category. Examples are : 'The Encyclopedia of Classic Quilt Patterns," "500 Full-Size Patchwork Patterns," "256 Fat Quarter Quilt Blocks."
Most of us use rotary cutters because they are faster and usually more accurate than scissors and a template, especially when using yardage or at least larger pieces of flat fabric. When trying to squeeze a little patch out of a scrap of leftover sleeve, they can still be easier, faster and more accurate than a template, but only if you have enough experience with rotary cutters and rulers to be able to manipulate them easily. We're just used to using them, and you know young kids these days, they're so into speed!
As far as just cutting pieces of fabric and sewing them together, are you talking about a crazy quilt? That's how those are done. Quilt as you go is when you do part of the quilt all the way though- piecing, sandwiching the batting and backing, and then quilting it. There are a couple of ways to attach the parts together into the whole quilt, depending on how you want the joints to look. It's a lot easier to do than to wrestle a whole king size quilt through that little hole between the needle and the arm of a regular sewing machine. And that very problem is why they invented long arm quilting machines- you move the machine to make the designs in the quilting stitching instead of maneuvering the whole heavy quilt around. Can you tell I want to try that out? 'Cause I've done the wrestling, and it ain't so much fun, hon.
Did I hit everything you wanted to know? Happy to have you here!
Patti
As far as learning to quilt, there are a lot of books that, to me, seem to be grouped into the following types:
General, or complete quilting info- these try to teach you about the entire process from fabric to binding, and everything in between: rotary cutters, cutting matts, sewing machines, feet, thread, everything. These are pretty much the same, although everyone probably has their favorite, likely written by their favorite quilter. Fons and Porter have one ("Quilter's Complete Guide") as do Hanson and Hickey ("The Joy of Quilting") and Jenni Dobson ("Instant Expert Quilting.") I'm sure there are many, many more. Rodale Books has one called "The Quilters Ultimate Visual Guide" which is handy because it has all the terms in alphabetic order, which makes it easier to look up something you can't remember anything about except the name.
The next type is the very specialized book that covers only one specific aspect, like hand quilting patterns, machine quilting, piecing with triangles, etc.
The next type is the category of books written by someone who has made a name for themselves by specializing in a certain kind of quilt: Lap Quilting by Georgia Bonesteel, Scrap Quilts, String Quilts, Fat Quarter Quilts, etc, etc. Included here are books of patterns by a designer that use that certain technique.
The last category is reference books that have many patterns. sometimes they are classic patterns that have been used for years, and sometimes they are some other category. Examples are : 'The Encyclopedia of Classic Quilt Patterns," "500 Full-Size Patchwork Patterns," "256 Fat Quarter Quilt Blocks."
Most of us use rotary cutters because they are faster and usually more accurate than scissors and a template, especially when using yardage or at least larger pieces of flat fabric. When trying to squeeze a little patch out of a scrap of leftover sleeve, they can still be easier, faster and more accurate than a template, but only if you have enough experience with rotary cutters and rulers to be able to manipulate them easily. We're just used to using them, and you know young kids these days, they're so into speed!
As far as just cutting pieces of fabric and sewing them together, are you talking about a crazy quilt? That's how those are done. Quilt as you go is when you do part of the quilt all the way though- piecing, sandwiching the batting and backing, and then quilting it. There are a couple of ways to attach the parts together into the whole quilt, depending on how you want the joints to look. It's a lot easier to do than to wrestle a whole king size quilt through that little hole between the needle and the arm of a regular sewing machine. And that very problem is why they invented long arm quilting machines- you move the machine to make the designs in the quilting stitching instead of maneuvering the whole heavy quilt around. Can you tell I want to try that out? 'Cause I've done the wrestling, and it ain't so much fun, hon.
Did I hit everything you wanted to know? Happy to have you here!
Patti
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