I do now and have always loved quilts. I cherish a couple that were my grandmothers and I even have some pattern pieces she had stashed away in her bible. I unfortunately have no skill in that area. I have tried several times to produce a quilt, have started more than one and never finished one yet. I decided the other day that with all that fabric I really ought to find a use for it. I want to quilt, I love the finished products and I would use them but I just can't get the hang of it somehow. So, I got a book about beginning quilting at the local quilt store. I have more than enough fabric and I decided I would work on using up the fabric up that I had to try to make a quilt. Perfection would not be required (good thing I make up my own rules) and I will work on it slowly so not to frustrate myself. I needed to get some things before I start so I made a quick trip the quilt store for the suggested items to start quilting with from the book I bought. I knew I needed a new blade for my rotary cutter. The book I bought suggested some rulers in particular sizes and I picked one up. I do not want this to become a huge investment, though as my track record with quilting is not good. We will see. Even if I can't make them it doesn't dim my love for them one bit. Stay tuned for the progress on that front.
Until next time, hope stitching finds a place in your day. Marjo
Good luck on your quilt making journey, Marjo!! I'm new to quilting myself and have only made 3 quilts so far. What helped me was to take a class with my local quilt store, they guided me through the process and I was able to go back to the store whenever I had questions. And I guess you would call me a "piecer" because I have the quilt store long-arm quilt them for me. I haven't gotten up the nerve to do the actually quilting yet.
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to tell you that I am literally sitting here holding an egg cup the is exactly the same pattern as your tea cup on the top of your blog! I have two of them that were given to me by a family member who thought I might like them because the pattern is a needlework/cross stitch pattern. I love them, they are so delicate looking and have been trying to come up with an idea as to what I was going to do with them and have decided to felt some wool into an egg shape and use them as pincushions. I was just funny that I opened up your blog today and there was your tea cup with the same pattern! Just had to share!
Good luck with the quilting. I'm getting back into quilting myself. It's lots of fun, but very different from stitching!
ReplyDeleteI have heard wonderful things about the Quilters Academy book. Harriet Hargrave was here not too long ago and I wasn't able to take her class. I'm sorry I missed it! I'm looking forward to seeing your progress into another fiber art!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your new adventure! You can do it! I think I must have been crazy when I started quilting 9 years ago. I went to my first quilting class which was more like a club, not a class. You should have seen the teachers face when I started lining up my fabric to cut it. I had no idea what I was doing. Thankfully she helped me a lot.
ReplyDeleteThe best think I've learned over the years, is use a scant (That means Less than a 1/4" inch) seam allowance. If you do that, your block will turn out better. Don't forget to square up your blocks. This is huge! A step I didn't learn for several years, unfortunately.
Don't be afraid to unpick. I think I have a flippin' PHD in unpicking, but I'm happy to say that I can do it quickly now, and I have learned a lot because of undoing my blocks once in a while.
Have a wonderful time. Don't spend too much on supplies. A good rotary cutter, ruler and mat is all you need to start.
Take Care and many hugs.
Good luck with quilting! As much as I love quilts, I have never (as of yet) really tried my hand at it!
ReplyDeleteQuilting is addictive! I love cross-stitching, but quilts are sooo much faster to make. I'll look forward to seeing what you piece together (pun intended).
ReplyDeleteYou are well on your way - as you've selected the perfect book to learn from. I started quilting just a few months back, using this book. Now I have 13 quilts made - with only 3 left to finish. You can do this - it's fun, addictive and so very satisfying. Check out my progress here http://patchnblock.blogspot.com/ where I've documented the learning process. There are a few who are blogging this book - please feel free to join us. Support and encouragement goes a long way to finishing a project! Good luck and best wishes from me.
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