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.