The art of quilting is a hobby with a lot of followers. Quilting for beginners is fun and improves our thinking skills. Like any other form of craft, it offers incredible benefits for adults.
Please, see my blog post about the “10 Benefits of Crafting for Adults“ for additional information.
Once completed, quilts can be passed to family members. Also, they make a fantastic gift to anyone. I am not an expert in this field. However, below you will find 14 basic steps I consider helpful for a beginner to start a quilt. Enjoy the journey!
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14 Basic Steps to Begin Quilting:
1. Get a Sewing Machine.
This is an essential, if you do not own one already. However, this can be somewhat overwhelming. Selecting a sewing machine can be a complex process that can cause frustration. Especially, if it breaks down constantly, it could give a beginner tons of headaches.
Experts suggest finding a good distributor of sewing machines in your area. Mainly some distributors are connected to a quilting store. The distributors will guide you. It would be easier to get familiarized with the machine.
Knowing how to use, control, and clean it is of extreme importance. Buying a sewing machine is like shopping for a vehicle. Years ago, my Mom got me the best gift ever. She bought me a Brothers’ sewing machine from Walmart.
This machine is very simple and has basic stitches. So far, I have done all my quilting and sewing projects in this machine. It works perfectly.
However, before Mom got it for me, I had a used one for many years. It also worked fantastically well. Do not hesitate to check the Thrift stores to buy a used one. They have good deals. Secondhand machines help to keep costs low.
Otherwise, I recommend the following Brother Sewing Machine, XM2701 as an excellent entry level option:
2. Safety Comes First Like in Any Other Hobby.
There is a long list of injuries related to sewing. Quilting for beginners can be dangerous, if you do not take the necessary precautions. When you are beginning to quilt, you are more susceptible to suffer an injury because you have not become fully familiar with all the tools and equipment.
Therefore, the use of a thimble is vital. It helps from getting fingers pinned many times. Thimbles made of leather material are the preference for me, as well as for many quilters. However, I am also including a metal one, in case you would like to consider it as an option.
Use a magnet pin caddy. They are fabulous and make your life easier. Keeping scissors and rotary cutters sharp prevent accidents. As well as covering the cutter when not in use.
Also, holding the ruler firmly while cutting the fabric will too reduce accidents. Be careful when the iron is on. It can cause huge burns.
Later on in this blog I go into the details about what scissors, rotary cutter and ruler to use. In th meantime, here are a couple of good options for magnet caddies:
3. The Iron is Your Best Friend.
In the quilting community, there is a big difference between pressing and ironing. Pressing involves repeatedly lifting the iron from the ironing board and gently placing it back on the cloth.
Ironing is sliding the iron back and forth across the fabric without lifting it. The majority of quilters recommend pressing. However, quilting for beginners should leverage the use of the technique that works better for you. My preferred brand of iron is Rowenta. Below I left a link for the particular model I like.
You could use an actual ironing mat specifically designed for quilting, like the one I list below. A cheaper option would be to get a piece of plywood at your local hardware store. Cover it with fabric, and use it as an ironing board in the work area. You will love it!
4. Get The Right Cutting Tool: A Rotary Cutter.
Getting the right cutting tool it is extremely important when your are beginning to quilt. It is better to use a rotary cutter than a pair of scissors. Rotary cutters will cut the fabric much faster.
In sewing, it is important to start with equally cut pieces of fabric. It would take hours to cut a bunch of squares with scissors. With the rotary cutter, only a few minutes. Every time you start a new sewing project I recommend that you replace the cutter. Either one of the cutters below will do a fantastic job in quilting for beginners and are the ones I recommend:
5. Get a Cutting Mat and a Transparent Ruler.
Mats come in different sizes and materials. Sewers recommend mat size 24 inches by 36 inches.
They are handy, and it fits perfectly any work table. The ruler most commonly used is 6 inches by 24 inches, can’t live without it. After a while, rulers have to be replaced by new ones.
Here are my recommendations for the cutting mat and ruler for the sizes that offer the most benefit to those quilting for beginners. I am also including a combo package that includes a smaller mat, but it includes the ruler, as well as the cutter. This combo package is perfect for beginners.
6. Planning The Quilt.
This is the best moment of the project. It is suggested to start with a small quilt first. The project will be completed faster. There is no limit for your imagination.
Quilting for beginners should consider all the factors like size, type of fabric, colors, design, shape, your dreams. It is important to schedule enough time to work on the quilt. Otherwise, the project will be a half-finished quilt.
7. Choose The Right Fabrics.
The right fabrics will make a successful quilt. Specialized fabric stores are highly recommended. The fabrics are printed on a higher quality base and with better dyes than what you will find in supermarkets.
Do not waste time over the color selection. If it looks good to you, it will be beautiful in the quilt. Matching everything does not work. Contrast is what makes a good eye-catching quilt.
Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting is the country’s largest magazine for quilting enthusiasts. Every issue of Love of Quilting will bring you fabulous ideas, inspiration, projects, tips and techniques from master quilters Marianne Fons and Liz Porter.
In this video Mary provides excellent ideas to figure out what fabrics to use in your project.
For quilting tips and techniques, please visit http://HeyQuilty.com.
8. Pay Attention To The Middle Layer or Batting.
The importance of the middle layer, the batting, cannot be missed nor overlooked in quilting for beginners. There is a world full of different kind of battings. As well as different prices and materials.
Many quilters prefer the 100% cotton batting. However, battings made of polyester, and other materials are useful too.
The kind of batting used depends on the project and preferences. A little secret, I have used fleece on one of my quilts as a batting. Am I crazy or what?
That is why quilting is so lovely and crazy. Literally, everything can be used.
9. Choosing The Thread.
Selecting the threads may be trivial, but like everything else come in different colors, materials, and sizes. There are a lot of different opinions about which thread is the best in quilting for beginners.
A thread that works correctly in one machine may be bad for another, and vice versa. In conclusion, there is not such a thing as a thread that is the best. If the thread adapts and works in your machine, it’s a good thread.
10. Sign Up to Take Classes.
This is tremendously helpful in quilting for beginners. The fact is that quilting is an acquired skill. Attending classes will help improve techniques quickly.
Quilt shops in your area can offer technical classes or quilting projects. Stores like Jo-Ann Fabrics offer classes too. Join a quilting group or community. Taking this step will help you stay motivated, learn tips and techniques.
Local community colleges also offer classes and are not expensive. Try to contact another quilter. Quilters like to teach others.
Also, they might be able to connect you to another quilter who can teach you. If you want to learn on your own, look online. There are tons of helpful videos.
11. Join a Guild Group.
Joining a guild group in your area is fun and informative. These groups are active communities that often organize classes, projects, and meetings. In these meetings, you can learn how to quilt and meet other people with the same interest. There is an ocean of information online about Guild.
12. Ignore The “Sewing Police”.
The so-called sewing police are quilters with many years of experience who are addicted to the rules. Sometimes, people forget quilting is a hobby.
Fortunately, they cannot put people behind bars! Many times, they make negative comments on the work of beginners, and they feel demotivated.
They definitely provide us with helpful suggestions. However, in quilting for beginners, it does not matter if sewing involves making mistakes. It is the best way to learn!
13. Do Not Be Afraid To Try New Techniques.
The sky is the limit in quilting for beginners. Hand-applique is a beautiful technique that can be used.
When hand-applique is used in a quilt, you apply by hand a piece of curved fabric that you yourself turn down with your hand. Another helpful technique is using a pin to assemble oversized square or triangular pieces in the machine.
14. Last Step: Make The Sandwich.
Cut some fabric squares and sew them together. Make sure seams are all the same. Then, sew the squares into blocks.
Sew the blocks together until the desired size of the big square. The big square is the top.
Put the top, batting, and backing together called the sandwich. Baste the three layers to hold them in place.
Pin it with safety pins. Start to quilt it by hand or machine. Once it’s quilted saw the binding around it.
Conclusion
There is your first quilt. Be very proud of yourself.
That’s all there is to it. Once the first quilt is done, you will never stop quilting!
In this blog post you have learned the basics of quilting to include all the necessary tools, equipment, material, and tools necessary to get started today, from my perspective. Did I miss anything?
As you can see, quilting offers an excellent opportunity to be creative. I would love to hear about your experience quilting. Was it hard to learn? Did you have someone help you learn this crafts? You can take a look at some of my projects, which include quilts in my “Crafts Projects” page.
I encourage you to start quilting. Learn more about the history of quilting on my blog post “History and Beauty of Quilting” so that you can appreciate the intangible value of what you have created.
