Joann Fabrics is having a three-day sale starting Friday, April 4, 2008.  What’s so exciting about this sale is that quilting books are 40% off!  Yes!  Joann rarely puts quilting books on sale.

Here’s the time to pick up that book you’ve been eyeing, but haven’t actually bought, yet.  Or maybe you can pick up a book that stretches you a little. 

 Happy Shopping!

 1. How do I motivate myself to finish projects?

There has to be a reason for quilting. The reason should be tied to something emotional. For me, it was that my great-grandmother quilted. I don’t know what it is for you. Hanging a picture of the finished quilt pattern in my work area is another great motivation for me. If that doesn’t work, I make a mini quilt of the larger quilt i want to complete.

2. How do I find a good pattern?

Good patterns are all over the Internet. The best places to find them are the tutorials on quilting blogs. These are usually laid out step-by-step with lots of pictures.

3. What do I need to quilt?

Bare bones you need needle, thread, fabric and batting. That is if you are going to hand piece. If you want to machine quilt and use strip-piecing techniques (which i would highly recommend) you will need a sewing machine, rotary cutter, self-healing mat, ruler, fabric and fusible batting.

4. What fabric should I buy?

For the best experience, buy fabric from your local quilt shop. People will be less concerned if your seams are straight if they are gawking at the beautiful fabric. Also, the ladies who work at your local quilt shop have been quilting for years. They are consultants who will help you select your fabric and give you tips on completing your projects.

5. How do I baste the quilt?

I am a fusible batting kind of girl. Other people love safety pins. You may also use quilt basting spray or baste with needle and thread.

6. What quilt design should I use?

Stitch in the ditch. It is easy to hide mistakes that way.

7. How do I bind a quilt?

For a beginning quilter, I would suggest a mock binding. Mock binding is folding part of the backing over the top like a hem and then stitching it to the front of the quilt with thread that is the same color as the backing. It is an easy, quick finish. Once you get lots of fun quilts under your belt and find a mentor you can move on to hand stitching the binding if you choose.
 

Did you know that there are quilting magazines at Sam’s Club?  They had about three magazines there featuring projects ranging from beginner to advanced levels. 

If you have a Sam’s Club membership, this is something certainly to be on the look out for.  The fact that the magazines are 30% off list price doesn’t hurt, either! 

There are people out there who want to quilt, but for some reason think that they can not. Well, you can learn to quilt even if you did not take Home Economics in high school and have never stitched in your life. Here are the top five excuses folks use for not trying quilting, and the truth that busts them right open.

No one teaches quilting near me
It’s a brand new world. Yes, back in the day, women did pass on the art from woman to woman. But now there is the Internet. There are web sites, blogs and books all overflowing with information on how to quilt. I am a self-taught quilter who learned from a book. You can do it! You just need to take your time and have the right tools.

I Can not Sew a Straight Seam
Neither can I. That’s why I choose fussy patterns with big blocks that will cover my mistakes. Believe me, the only people who would probably notice your mistakes are quilters. And since you do not know anyone who quilts (See Excuse Number 1), then it doesn’t matter.

It Takes Too Long
It is only taking too long because you are choosing the wrong patterns and techniques. Choose quilt patterns that feature strip-piecing techniques and have big blocks. I’m thinking of something like a rail fence or a log cabin using two-and-a-half inch strips.

Another problem could be that you expecting too much too fast. Remember that quilts last forever. They are supposed to take some time. They’re worth it. The first quilt I owned was made by my great-grandmother. I don’t remember her, but I do remember the uqilt.

If you really do not have the time, though, you can go with a whole-cloth quilt that is just a quilted piece of fabric. There are plenty of panels available if you want to finish a baby quilt. Buy a panel. Add borders. Quilt. Bind. Done. That’s a leisurely weekend of quilting.

It’s Too Expensive
Who says you have to use quilt shop fabric when you are just starting out? Go to a chain fabric store or look in your own closets. Denim quilts are very popular nowadays. Rip up your old jeans for material. Nothing is cheaper than free!

I Do Not Know How to Use a Sewing Machine
That’s what the manual is for. I have a mini sewing machine and I learned how to use it by reading the manual. Think of everything that you’ve accomplished in your life. A sewing machine is nothing special. It is just another machine to be mastered.

There you have it. The top five excuses from people who want to quilt, but think that they can not. Now that you do not have any excuses left, the next step is to get a good beginner quilting book.

Please do not cringe.  Setting goals is merely a tool to help you get what you want.  Instead of wondering where all the time went on Christmas morning, your projects will be complete, wrapped and all you will have to do is just hand them to your recipient. 

To set goals, you have to know what you want, but that is just the beginning and probably why folks have given up on setting goals.  So here’s the process — know what you want, know when you want it and plan how you are going to get there.

1. Know what you want.  How many quilts do you want to complete?  Let’s say you want to give more quilts to charity this year.  You have to be specific.  How many quilts?  On the off-chance you say that you want to donate a quilt a month.  OK.  That is your goal.  It has been quantifiable. 

2. Know When You Want It.  What is your deadline?  Without a deadline there is no goal. In our example, we’re using a charity quilt a month, so your deadline is the end of the month.  OK.  That will give us 30 days.  Great.

3. Know Your Resources.  How much money and time can you spend on this quilt?  Knowing this will determine the pattern and whether you can afford to make a trip to the quilt shop or if you will be selecting fabric from your stash.

4. Weekly Goals.  This is where it really gest fun.  This is our plan.  We break our big monthly goal into weekly goals.  Let’s say that by the end of the first week, we want our pattern selected, material selected and fabric cut.  Second week is our pieced top.  Third week’s goal is quilting and fourth week’s goal is binding.

5. Daily Goals. This is where the rubber meets the road.  If you do not have daily goals, you will not stay on track.  You take a look at your weekly goal.  Then you plan what you will do each day with the time you have.  Schedule your time.

6. Weekly Review. Each week review where you are.  If you are ahead of schedule, Great!  Readjust your schedule to push ahead.  Chances are if you have free time now that means something is coming up that will need more attention in the near future.  If you are behind, readjust.  Do you need to choose another pattern, perhaps finish up an unifinished project to complete this goal or kick yourself into high gear?

7. Reward Yourself. When you are on track, reward yourself.  It could be a bubble bath or time to sit down and read your favorite book.  Acknowledge that you are on your way to completing your task and celebrate!

By simply setting goals, you’ll finish more projects quicker.  In the end, isn’t that what we all want anyway?

Any quilt pattern can be a baby quilt pattern. What makes a quilt appropriate for a baby is the size and the fabric choices. For the size, going with a three foot by five foot quilt is always safe. That size is good for a crib and for a play mat. Fabric choices should be bright and cheerful to catch the baby’s attention. What’s only left is the pattern. Here are some suggestions based on how much time you have to quilt.

It Needs To Be Done Tomorrow
There is nothing quicker than a whole-cloth quilt. Buy a yard and a half or a panel of fabric that already looks like a quilt like Baby Geniuses. The staff at your local quilt shop should be able to point out panels quickly for you. The only thing you will have to do is layer, quilt and bind. You could even do a mock binding. It doesn’t get any easier than that.

The rail fence quilt pattern can also make beautiful baby quilts if you choose bright colors. The trick is to pick a bright focus fabric for the border. Using that as a start, you choose three fabrics to coordinate with the focus fabric.

Head toward the juvenile prints section of your fabric store. This is where you can truly personalize your quilt. What do the parents like? Are they really involved in a hobby or activity? See if you can find a novelty fabric that features these interests as your border.

It Needs to Be Done Next Week
Go with a Log Cabin quilt. Using 2 ½ inch strips, you’ll only need nine blocks to make a great and impressive-looking quilt. Log cabins look like a lot of work, but they are a cinch with strip piecing techniques.

It is an Heirloom
For an heirloom, you will want the best fabric which means your local quilt shop. You also might want to consider having its sent out to be quilted by a professional. Depending on their rates, they may also attach the binding. All you would have to do would be to supply the material.

When it comes to choosing your baby quilt pattern, make sure that it is a tried and true pattern- something that it is easy and simple enough for you to put your own spin on it. That way everyone will be happy - you, the mother-to-be and most importantly, the baby.

What stumps most beginning quilters is the choice of that first project.  You want something that is useful and practical, but that is not too big or intimidating.  It seems, however, as if  all the quilted items that you have seen involved intricate patterns or are huge.  You may even doubt that you can quilt.

The truth is that almost anyone can quilt.  The trick is to finish some quick and easy projects at first to build your confidence.  Here are some projects that are tailor made for those beginning quilting

1.  Potholders
Who does not need a potholder?  Before moving on to the next section, really, consider a potholder.  It is a quick project that can be as complicated or as simple as you would like.  The key to a project like this is to stay away from invisible thread that will melt and to use an insulated batting like Insul-Bright.

Potholders meet all the criteria-they will allow you to practice making your quilt sandwich, can be customized for your kitchen or the intended recipient and they are quick.  Every time you take a casserole out the oven, you can admire your handiwork.  You can also think of how to get in more quilting time.

2.  Place mats
Place mats are great projects that will expand your experience.  With place mats, you can use scraps or you can work a checkerboard pattern with two colors.  You can even use a colorful piece of fabric as your quilt top!

 If you wonder who needs place mats, check with your local senior center.  Cheerful, scrappy place mats may just be the thing that brings a smile to the seniors’ faces.  Also, do not forget your family.  A set of placemats matching their dining room décor would make a great Christmas gift.  My parents loved the set I gave them. 

3.  Charity Baby Quilts
These are my favorite projects.  You grow in your quilting skills while helping a worthy cause.  Baby quilts can be whipped up in a weekend very easily.  Any quilt pattern will do.  You just cut down on the number of blocks so that the size of the quilt is about 3 feet by five feet. 

How we begin a hobby is often key to if we continue with it.  Choose something small and easy where you can get a feel if you like quilting.  You may be surprised at how well your beginning quilting projects turn out.

 The best way to improve your skills is to make more quilts. Practice does make perfect. But what are you going to do with all these practice quilts? The solution is to make charity quilts.

It is a win-win situation. You benefit by improving your skills and maybe testing out a new pattern. The charity receives a regular supply of quilts. The recipients feel loved. Three places to check out to donate are Project Linus, Sunshine Guild and Church Groups

Project Linus

According to the Project Linus web site, the mission of the charity is to provide comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized or otherwise in need through gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans.

The organization has chapters throughout the nation and sponsor a blanket day. Besides quilting, you can also crochet or knit a blanket. An advantage to working with this group is that you will not incur any shipping costs. It will also give you a chance to meet quilters in the area.

Their requirements are listed on their the Project Linus where you can search for a local chapter.

Sunshine Guild

If you are more interested in having an impact outside your community, join the Sunshine on-line Quilt Guild. This group works primarily with the two the charity Wrap Them in Love and the Rotary program named Wrap-a-Smile.

If you join, you will be amazed at how quickly you are swept into this supportive and chatty group. You do not even have to finish an entire quilt. You can send in just the quilt top and there are members who will finish them and then send them on to a charitable organization.

The downside is that you do have to pay to ship the quilts and/or quilt tops. That is the only downside to choosing this group.

Church Groups

You may check if your local church has a quilting or sewing ministry. These ministries will usually focus on missions and meet on a regular basis.

A church group is a great way to start quilting. You’ll learn by just being around the most experienced quilters who can stop bad habits before they form.

Now you have three resources to get you started on making quilts for charity. By adding charity quilts to your quilting schedule, you will end up with so much more than you give.