Teach Yourself to Quilt

Whether you have fond memories of watching a mother or grandmother quilt, or the idea of quilting evokes a favorite quilt in your life, quilitng is a fun and easy hobby that anyone can learn at home. This article is a basic overview to help you start quilitng. I have been quilting for approximately ten years, and I learned from several books that I picked up and lots of practice. The first quilt that I made was a small patchwork quilt for my daughter to take to preeschool for nap time. I still have it and my kids still love it. So, if you are interested, here are some things you need to get started.

Materials:

Sewing Maching
Fabric - precut fat quarters are great
Thread
Scissors
Seam Ripper - for fixing mistakes
Rotary Cutter
Cutting Mat
Quilting Ruler
Iron
Batting

I highly recommend quilting with a machine, since it will help you to get results faster. If you don't have one, see if you can borrow one. Lots of women have machines sitting around they rarely use. Ask your female relatives, and you will probably come up with one quickly.

Thread, scissors, and a seam ripper are standard sewing tools. You will need a rotary cutter, cutting mat, and ruler to cut straight strips for quilting. These are available at craft stores. You can use any fabric you want. As a beginning quilter, I bought fabric from craft store. As I got better, I started buying premium quilting fabrics. The difference is in the quality of the fabric. Better fabrics won't fade and age as quickly as cheaper ones. That being said, I still use cheaper fabrics all the time. It depends on whether you are making an heirloom quilt, or a picnic quilt. It is up to you whether to wash your fabric in advance. I choose not to.

The best way to start is to cut some pieces and sew them together! Patchwork is the best way to quilt. Or, can find free patterns online at numerous websites. These will tell you what size pieces to cut and in what order to sew them together. The key is to use a 1/4 inch seam allowance, and press your pieces with an iron as you go. In this manner, you can sew small groups of patched pieces together into a larger quilt top.

For more information to help you get started, visit your local library, or search the internet. There are many wonderful quilting artists and quilt art galleries that will inspire you in your new hobby.