Quilting for Beginners - Introduction to Quilting
I Could Never Make a Quilt … Could I?
When I tell people that I am a quilter, I often get responses like “I could never make a quilt. I just don’t have the time.” Or “I’m not creative”. Or “It’s too big of a project”. Or the ever popular, “I couldn’t do the math”.
I just love these conversations because I get excited about quilting all over again and my enthusiasm usually gets the other person interested in quilting too.
I tell them that yes, quilts are not an overnight project, but most quilters will tell you that the joy in making a quilt is the process. Putting the last stitch to a quilt is often a big letdown because you know it is all over. However, that feeling is quickly forgotten because all along you have been planning your next quilt and now you are eager to start it!
There is an old saying. “How do you eat an elephant?” The answer is “one piece at a time”. Making a quilt is the same. It is created one patch at a time. First you create the small patches, then the patches are sewn into rows, then the rows into blocks and finally the blocks into a quilt top.
With the number of new tools available, the quilting process has speeded up considerably. Accuracy has improved as well. Your masterpiece can, therefore, be created quicker and easier, which of course, leads to the next quilt. Did I mention that quilters are always planning their next quilt or next 9 quilts?
Today’s fabrics are so rich in color and visual texture that entering a quilt shop is a delight to the eyes. One of the nicest aspects in visiting a quilt shop is that the staff just loves being there. Most are avid quilters themselves and quilters love sharing ideas and helping you choose fabrics. Make sure no one is waiting in the car with the motor running! You will want to be in there for hours.
Four Patch - Nine Patch Quilt
4 Patch - 9 Patch Quilt
Don’t worry about how creative you are either. Most libraries have oodles of quilting books and magazines. These have patterns and articles for every skill level. The mathematical calculations are already done for you, so you can just follow along with the step-by-step photographs or drawings if you want or, if you’re daring, add a dash or two on your own.
Quilting guilds and workshops abound in every city so you can spend a really fun afternoon, make some new friends and learn a new tip or technique. And it does not end there. There are quilting software programs just waiting for the time when you are ready to design your own quilt.
In the end what will you gain for your trouble? A new circle of friends, a new appreciation of color, and last but not least, you will enjoy the soft feel of the fabric as you snuggle under a lovely new family heirloom.
Quilting for Beginners - Introduction to Quilting
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