Topic: Quilting?

[Jitterbug]

Not sure if I can post this here (sorry Dan if not), but I was wondering whether any of the peeps on this board also do quilting?  I thought that if any do we might we able to do a block swap of some kind.

Let me know if any of you are interested and any ideas of a block that we can do.  There might even be a club somewhere else on the wide web in the UK that already does this...

Jitterbug

[Jeannine]

I am along time quilter, I can't join in as all mystuff is packed and in transit to Canada but happy to help with ideas if I can XX Jeannine

[carrot-cruncher]

I have a quilting project ready to go when I get my current crocheting project out of the way.

I've never quilted before but am doing a throw using a 9-block pattern to make up a double irish chain in lemon & mint.

CC

[star]

 :'( :'( :'( :'( I want to learn!!! I really wanted to learn patchwork, but apparently its more difficult. It just looks so beautiful. Specially the Amish styles.


Jeanine.......

I might have to kidnap you 8) ;D ;D

[star]

There is a good forum here for all kinds of home crafts.....I wish I was better at following written instructions ::) :(. But have a look lasses, it may help :D

creative living forums, ( I did put up the link, but I cant delete my user name or password for the site. I trust you guys, but its an open forum so would rather not really)


Im still kidnapping Jeanine ;D ............

[Jeannine]

Star.. best bits of advice I can give you.  Always use 100% good quality cotton and be very very sure your seamd are 1/4inch. Get a guide for your machine ot buy 1/4 quilters tape and use that as a guide.

Check out this site(they will out you a smashing catalogue in the mail if you e mail them)


                 www.keepsakequilting.com


They offer a club which offers the catalogue with other things but you don't have to jioin to get the catalogue.

They have a great selection of Amish fabrics which of course are all plain.

Have fun... keep in touch.

XX Jeannine

[star]

I have ordered the catalogue Jeanine, thanks for the link. Hopefully it will give me the inspiration I need to self teach ;) :D.

There is an absolutely stunning spring flower themed quilt in the link.........oh its very nice........not at all plain!! ;D

Keep in touch??? Of course, but you may regret all the forthcoming queries!! It wont be for a while yet though, I have to knit jumpers for my daughters, socks for SIL's, oh the list goes on ;D ;D ;D

[Jitterbug]

Quilting is really not that difficult once you have learned the basics.  My best advice to you is find a good club close to you.  I belong to one where there are older members 60 plus yrs old that I attend fortnightly (as I work full day),and then another that is once a month.  I had a very good teacher and as long as you measure accurately (twice) the rest is pretty straight forward.  It is amazing how easy it is once someone shows you the basics. 

Go around the material shops in your area - they normally know the teachers/classes in the area.  Also if they do not know they will give you someone else to contact and word of mouth is the best way.  That's the way I found my group.  If anyone wants contact in the Dorset / New forest area pm me and I'll let you have the details.

Jeanine - what are you going to do in Canada??

Kind regards

Jitterbug

[star]

Ooh ta Jitterbug, I shall do that as soon as my other projects are completed. I agree, its so much easier to be shown, rather than reading or the stab and have a go approach :D

Though I cant wait to see what the catalogue Jeanine recommended has to say :D

[Jeannine]

Jitterbug, I am going to do all the things I used to do when last in Canada.. quilting is high on the list. I miss my quilting guild very much, it isn't the same when quilting alone.


Star, I think the lovely sampler quilt you saw is a collection of Amish blocks which come together beautifully, but I think(if my memory serves me right) all the blocks are solid plain colours as the Amish don't use patterned cloth.

It is good to think of you quilting. There are quite a few block exchanges online, I have never really done a mail one but have done quite a few round robin quilts, they are smashing to do.

It is a pity you didn't mention it sooner as I probably had books and patterns going free, I sent quite a lot to charity shops, packed tons though.

I love to do Baltimore quilts the best I think.

XX Jeannine

Have fun.

 XX Jeannine

[star]

Yes the Amish sampler is beautiful. Its this one that also looks stunning....if the link works

http://www.keepsakequilting.com/productdetail/4852/TERRYS-FLOWER-BED-KIT.htm#

I have always admired quilters and those fabulous quilts. Had not thought of actually making one till a few months ago. My daughter is getting married in Sept ;D. Its probably far too ambitious a project for me to undertake as a noob to all this :-\.

I should get the catalogue in a couple of weeks ;), though I am inundated with emails and tutorials online from all my investigating. Some are better than others :D

Im sure you will settle back into life very quickly, specially when you get back to the quilters guild. Im still looking for one round here, though I dont want to hold my breath ::)

[taurus]

I may be stating the obvious, but have you tried your library Star.  Let us no how you get on and don't forget the pictures.  I'm counting the months to retirement.  Have squirrelled so much material, cottens, silks etc away. If you go the Bath the American museum as some nice quilts there. Regards Taurus

[pippy]

I love quilts like this!  Thanks for posting the thread Jeannine!

Star - best of luck (and patience) with these.  They are beautiful and a true labour of love.

I used to do a sort of patchworking before having the kids but I confess I have fallen by the wayside at the present!  I never bothered with proper quilting templates, just got old posters in semi-cardboard and drew out the patterns and cut them up!  I made quite a big wall hanging picture which is in our lounge, and a couple of quilted mats which got used for babies to roll on when they were tiny.

Have a secret desire to do a quilt when the kids are bigger tho .... ;D ;D

[star]

I may be stating the obvious, but have you tried your library Star.  Let us no how you get on and don't forget the pictures.  I'm counting the months to retirement.  Have squirrelled so much material, cottens, silks etc away. If you go the Bath the American museum as some nice quilts there. Regards Taurus

Never stating the obvious Taurus, I didn't think of the library :-[ so thank you. I will check it out.

Pippy.....it is a lovely quilt, its busy but beautiful. Incredible how every piece matches perfectly.....oh the patience involved.

[Jeannine]

Another good place to shop  is Creative Grids, it is here in the UK.You can buy all the rulers. rotary cutters etc from them,they are as good as the US ones,I use them myself. Most everybody cuts by rotary cutters these days unless it is an applique shape. Buy a basic 6 inch x24 inch ruler and a cutting mat, go mad and get the biggest you can afford. I have one that a;lmost fits a table and a wee one for small things, but at least get one that will take a width of cotton fabric folded in half longways, you can then cut strips very fast.

Good suggestion for a first quilt that is lovely and simple is a rorary cut, strip pieced log cabin, after making the blocks you can lay then together many ways to give a different finish. All you need foir this is a selection of light fabrics , then the same amount of darks. You will find loads of help online for this.

Making a sampler is a good way of learning differnt techniques but will take much longer. Once precut you can do the blocks for a log cabin in a few days and they are stunning.

Be careful buying UK books especially if called patchwork, most are done the old way and tale much much longer.

Creative grids sell US books too but are expensive.

Star the quilt you mentiones, Terry;s Flower is very pretty, but it is a bit of a cheater quilt, the flowers are large pieces of flower fabric  with the sahing round, so there is very little actually pieceing in it. I think the biggest problem would be finding rhe fabrics here, but if you do it would be a very easy and quick quilt to do.

I have all the patterns for the Womens Voces one which is done in Civil War fabrics, but done in brighter colours it would make a stunning sampler. a real teaching project.

I will try and find you a link with some simple but smashing  quilts for a first timer, but I still think the log cabin would be 1st choice, it is the one I usually do with beginners.

If anyone has a child on the way, I make one called an I spy, which is drop dead easy and looks stunning, you jst need a good selection of kiddie prints.

My quilts are all packed so I can't show you pictures bvut I will try and find a link for that too.

Have fun

XX Jeannine

[star]

Thank you Jeanine, I did notice that some tutorials showed patches done with bits of paper and to be honest I thought it was a different thing altogether.

I have bookmarked a few US tutorials.....but I have no sounds at the moment >:(, so its like watching a silent movie ::)

I would love to see any pics of your quilts, but only when you have time. I will go and have a look at Creative Grids ;D ;D ;)

[carolinej]

Ooooh, interesting ;D

I'd love to get back into quilting. I made a quilt many years ago and gave it away as a presant. I have 5 star blocks in the attic somewhere.

Time is the issue with me and quilting. It is much faster and convenient just to pick up my knitting ::)

cj  :)

[woodypecks]

Hallo ! I am crazy about quilting and applique . Will be following this thread ! (thread !  ;D )   Debbie