Quilting Designs
Nov/080
Can you impart your quilting wisdom?
Tips, tricks, techniques? I've so far experimented with quilting freehand designs on to wadding sandwiched between two pieces of fabric. I'd like to start quilting with blocks and different fabrics. Can you advise me?
Assuming I buy a book to help me learn, what extra tips/personal tricks can you provide?
1. If you have the opportunity to take a class, go for it. You learn so much more "hands on."
2. Get two quilting books - "Start Quilting with Alex Anderson" to learn the basics, and "The Quilter's Ultimate Visual Guide" as a reference book.
3. While it's true that you should not let the quilt police stop you from doing what makes you happy, it's a good idea to listen to what they have to say before going your own direction. Translation: Learn how to do traditional piecing using quarter inch seam allowances and matching your points and seam intersections. Once you understand how and why that is important, you can make an informed decision about freestyle quilting (which I think is incredible, by the way).
4. Don't let "patterns" get in your way of creating. Once you understand how quilts/blocks go together, you can break down most photos of quilts and recreate them yourself.
5. Look to the internet for inspiration. Check out Flickr (a photo sharing website) - it's full of groups that feature quilts and other items made of fabric. It's free to look, and even has a basic membership for free. Once you get an account you can join the groups and participate in the discussions.
http://www.flickr.com/
6. There are also thousands of quilt and craft related blogs, some by well known quilt and fabric designers. Once you find a blog that interests you, look for their blogroll - a list of blogs that THEY follow. You can navigate your way through the online community by hopping from one blog to the next. Some bloggers provide tutorials, others have giveaways, and still more have amazing inspirational photos. And they're all willing to help you a newbie, if you're willing to ask.
7. If you would like to try some patterns, look for the free stuff first. Most fabric companies provide free patterns because many quilters want to make EXACTLY the quilt they see on the cover. That means they'll buy the fabric, which makes the fabric companies happy. They're all online - and links can be found at the website below.
8. There's a ton of info online - here's a page that assembles a bunch of links for you:
http://piecemealquilts.wordpress.com/quilting-resources/
9. On the more practical side, try chain piecing and use a leader. I was taught to call it a caboose - it's a small folded piece of fabric that you run through your machine instead of pulling the fabric away from the needle and cutting the thread. It saves thread (more importantly, you don't have a ton of thread littering the work area, the floor, and your clothes). Chain piecing is when you piece segments one right after the other. Say you're going to do 10 blocks. Sew the first two pieces together for each block, leaving just a 1/4" or so of thread between each pair. Cut them apart, press, and add the next piece to each of the blocks. Repeat until you finish the block - and you'll have finished 10 blocks, not just one. It's like factory line quilting.
10. Have FUN!
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