Getting Started
A. Choosing What to Make
First, I think about the person for whom I am making the quilt. Second, I look at pictures or patterns for inspiration. Third, I go to my “stash” and look at fabrics to see what I already have that can be incorporated into the quilt. If all of these things come together, I am on my way. If not, I go back to #1 and start again.
Mary Jane Hollcraft, Indianapolis, IN
My quilts are always started with someone in mind, so that’s the first decisive factor. If it’s for a baby or young child, I choose a simple design, solid seams and intersections, machine appliquéd (not hand needle turn), and often minky or flannel backing. For a teenager, I go with their favorite colors or themed fabric. For adults, they often want a color for a specific room. My mother-in-law loves aqua and purple batiks, my son wanted it to match his bright red couch, and my daughter wanted blue, greens and yellow with imprecise blocks, so I chose a Jan Mullen pattern.
I usually have a new technique or ruler I’d like to try, or I fall in love with a fabric line or quilt I see in a magazine.
DeAnna Dodson, Aubrey, TX
Sometimes I just want something that is simple, that I can finish quickly. I usually have several quilts going at the same time, so it’s nice to finish an easy one in the midst of larger projects that take a long time.
Carol Lattimore, Ozark, AL
I go to a local quilt shop, and if I like the project they are doing, then I will take that class and make the quilt.
Rosemary Bowlby, De Soto, IL
If color scares you, pick one fabric you love, then look on the selvage (side) where there will be little circles of color. These are the dyes used to make the fabric and if you match those colors to other fabric, everything will work just fine. And if you like the colors, that is what matters.
Carol Nussbaumer, Estes Park, CO
I love trying new patterns and find that making small charity quilts with an unfamiliar pattern offers a great opportunity to decide if I am interested in making a full-size quilt using that pattern. Inspiration often comes from a quilt magazine or from a picture in social media.
Signa Ferguson, Pelham, AL
I get bored easily, so I don’t like to make anything that is very repetitive.
Charlotte Kewish, Gibsonia, PA
I am constantly on the lookout for quilts that are beautiful and that are at my ability level. I save patterns and pictures of these quilts for a later date. When I’m ready to start a new quilt, I go through those pictures and patterns. Then I go through my stash to decide what will work, and lastly, I shop for more fabric that will be needed.
Allison Evrard, Coopersburg, PA
I really lean toward small projects such as runners, table toppers, and baby or throw quilts. These are so much more manageable to me.
Martha Bean, Hanover, PA
I usually make quilts as gifts, so whatever inspires me about that person, I try to match to a pattern. It’s not always easy, but it is interesting to see what I come up with.
Brenda Seth, Waterford, PA
I have a list I call my “HSY list” (pronounced “hissy”). HSY stands for “haven’t started yet.” Sometimes I will choose a quilt from that list that I know will go perfectly with some fabric I have, and other times I choose one that works for the time I have right then to devote to making a new quilt.
Janet Espeleta, Boonville, MO
Attend quilt shows to be exposed to all the different kinds of quilting so that you can start to focus on what really appeals to you.
Anne Jackson, Prior Lake, MN
I love quilts with unusual angles.
I love quilts with unusual angles, especially 60° angles and a fair amount of piecing. Quilts combining two blocks to create a secondary design appeal to me, and quilts that throw together a lot of large squares and rectangles are boring to me.
KC Howell, Medina, OH
I start with a color combination or focal fabric that inspires me. I collect the fabrics and then find a pattern that works with the fabrics. It seems backwards to some, but I make a lot of scrap quilts and have a lot of fabric already on hand. I would prefer to be totally inspired by color or a single fabric, rather than finding fabrics to fit a recipe.
Nancy Henry, Rochester, NH
I have recreated two of my grandmother’s quilts that had become worn from years of loving use in new fabric.
Signa Ferguson, Pelham, AL
I’m mostly inspired by nature when I’m thinking of what quilt to make next: flower shapes, butterfly patterns, trees, lakes or rivers, too. For example, when I created my first granddaughter’s quilt, I remembered her mother liked the moon, so I incorporated that into it.
Caroline O’Connor, Ypsilanti, MI
Favorite 10 Fabric Designers, According to Our Survey
I have so many I couldn't name just one favorite designer. I'm a very eclectic quilter and love them all. But to name a few, I would say Kaffe Fassett because of his astounding sense of color theory. The combinations of colors he comes up with are always blowing me away. Amy Butler and Pat Bravo never cease to amaze me with each new collection they come out with. And Tula Pink always fascinates me with her sense of design and themes in her collections. I love the way she thinks.
Francis Stanley, Slidell, LA
After a few projects, you will find that you stick to pretty much the same color palette or fabric lines. Don’t be afraid to “get out of the box.” When I was asked to sew samples for a local quilt store, I had to work with fabrics I never would have worked with on my own. It opened up a whole new world for me. Now I see scraps from those quilts in other projects I’ve made and think how proud I am of myself for taking a chance.
Susan Chandler, Solon Springs, WI
I figure out the who (is it for), the why (celebration or just a cozy), what (color the who likes), when (how much time do I have to complete it), and where (to buy the fabric). What fun it is to choose a quilt!
Annette Jordan, Portville, NY
Don’t try too hard to match the decor of a room. When I started I was stuck on the thought that I had to make a quilt that would go in a certain room. It just would not come together.
When I let go of the idea that I had to match the room, I made an awesome quilt that went with nothing in my house. So I painted a guest room to match the quilt! The best thing I learned by doing this is that every quilt can stand alone. If you are inspired by and love what you create, you will want to make more quilts!
Nancy Henry, Rochester, NH
Time is always the great decider for me. How quickly do I want my quilt? If the answer is “yesterday,” then a simple, no-nonsense pattern is just the thing. If time is no problem, then I have the luxury to explore more intricate designs and techniques.
Penny D’Aloia, Coburg, Australia
I begin with the people the quilt is going to be made for: what are their likes or dislikes, do they have a favorite color, will the quilt be used or just displayed? Are they organized people or artistic, have they planted their garden with the tulips all in a row or randomly? This tells me what kind of design they are looking for, as they often don’t know.
After I can answer these questions, I then begin to look at old magazines and old quilt books. These hold such great beauty in design and color and often lead me in my thinking regarding color or design. This allows me to begin to develop in my mind the quilt I am looking to design.
Kellie Hewitt, Marion, VA
If the quilt is for myself, I often like to try new techniques, so I can expand my quilting experience. If the quilt is a gift, I try to base my choice on the recipients’ likes and how they will be using it.
Karen Vecchioli, Staunton, VA
There have been times I make up my own pattern because I want to use my current stash or scraps.
Peggy Quinlan-Gee, Salt Lake City, UT
I look on the web and places such as Flickr to see pictures of quilts. I find that before I even finish the quilt top that I’m currently sewing, I’m already thinking and deciding my next project. I write a list of quilts I like to make and cross them off as they’re completed, but for every quilt I cross off the list, I seem to add two or more.
Kerilee Corrie, Ross, Australia
My favorite place for quilt design lately is my EQ 7 program (quilt design software by Electric Quilt company). I can move blocks in and out, color them, and really play with the quilt before I ever commit anything.
Victoria Page, Amarillo, TX
For my first quilt, I chose my favorite color, blue, and my favorite object, snowflakes, and the quilt just evolved from there.
Bethany Beiler, Smoketown, PA
Some of my best ideas come while performing routine household tasks.
My creative process does not respond well to requests from friends or family members for a quilt of a particular color. In general, I do not dream well in other people’s colors. The combination of pattern and color vibrates when I know I have it right. A great deal of my inspiration comes from looking at 19th century quilts, but I can also be inspired by modern designs. Color combinations often come to me based on scenes I see through my car window while driving, and some of my best ideas come while performing routine household tasks such as washing dishes or ironing.
Betsy Scott, Richmond, VA
The recipient gets input on the colors, but the pattern decision is mine. Then I spend time going through the patterns and books I’ve collected over the last 20-plus years.
Mary Coudray, Belleville, WI
I browse in a good quilt store with lots of samples, patterns, and books. I also subscribe to a number of quilt magazines, and I go to local quilt shows whenever possible. I have more quilts in mind than I’ll ever have time to do.
Deborah Gross, Willow Grove, PA
I love the vintage quilts. I want to learn as much as possible so the traditions won’t die. I have a list of “someday” quilts, from a Wedding Ring to a Dahlia, Log Cabin, I want to make them all!
Barb Mikielski, Dallas, PA
Several things prompt me to make quilts: classes to learn a new technique or improve skills, seeing a pattern I like, or a group of fabrics I want to put together. This year I wanted to enter a themed contest. I didn’t get the quilt done in time to enter it, but I had a wonderful time designing the quilt.
Kirsten Franz, Denver, CO
B. Specific Quilt Patterns
I’ve just discovered the Disappearing Nine-Patch blocks. These are so simple to do, but are so effective with the opportunity to move them around to make different designs.
Barbara Falkner, Wellard, WA
The Nine-Patch is my favorite pattern. It is so versatile. I appreciate the economy of the design: small pieces can be easily used in this block, and yet the overall design can look very pulled together if you have a good color sense. With today’s rotary cutters, it doesn’t take long to put together a whole group of blocks.
Celeste Collier, Guntersville, AL
Currently my favorite pattern is Grandmother’s Flower Garden. This is a project that I am currently hand piecing, and I always carry my hexagons with me because I can work on it anywhere since it is so portable.
Geralyn McClarren, Harrisburg, PA
I love Grandma’s Flower Garden quilts done in ’30s fabric, especially if they have a Nile green diamond path. I went to a bed turning a few years ago. When the narrator took off the quilt and showed one just like my favorite, I got a huge lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. My husband thought I was nuts, but most of the women seated near me gasped when they showed this quilt. It was pristine, perfect and well documented. I will never forget that quilt as long as I live. What a legacy some grandma left for her family!
Donna Clements, Hoquiam, WA
I like Pickle Dish quilts because I can do so many interesting things with them.
Sue Sacchero, Safety Bay, Australia
The Missouri Star is my favorite quilt block. I have made my four granddaughters quilts using a variation of this block called The Wonderland Block. It’s just amazing how, even though it’s the same block, when using different colors, the effect of each one is unique.
Anne Ryves, Thornlands, Australia
Baltimore Album style quilts can tell a story. You can instantly connect with the quilt maker and understand the story. It becomes more personal.
Betsy Pyle, Lancaster, PA
I find the Mariner’s Star beautiful and versatile and rather exotic. I also love all star patterns because they make me think of heaven.
Carol Baruschke, Dunedin, FL
I love pinwheels and star blocks of all sorts. I like a lot of motion in my quilts.
Victoria Page, Amarillo, TX
I like Churn Dash because it is a quick and easy pattern.
Chris Tamsett, Red Hill, Australia
Most patchwork is squares and angles, but I am drawn to circles. I like the softer curved lines of Orange Peel (my very favorite), Dresden Plate and Yo-Yo’s.
Diane Bachman, Leola, PA
I love half-square triangles because they are so versatile and you can make so many different patterns for a block by the way you arrange them.
Billye Wilda, Eagar, AZ
My favorite pattern is 54 Forty or Fight. This became my favorite block after I was introduced to the Tri-Recs rulers by Darlene Zimmerman. I highly recommend quilters use these to make the “peaky” and “spike” triangle units for this and many other blocks.
Janet Espeleta, Boonville, MO
I love Puzzle Box for big prints; it’s perfect for that traditional poinsettia Christmas fabric and those gorgeous big hydrangea prints.
Wendy Akin, Terrell, TX
The traditional block pattern that I use most often is the Double Irish Chain. I like it because it is quick and easy to put together, and it looks like it has taken a lot more work than it actually has. Non-quilters think that you sew each tiny piece of fabric together, one at a time!
You know you married the right man when he likes the Ohio Star as much as you do.
Barbara Johnson, Dallas, OR
You know you married the right man when he likes the Ohio Star as much as you do. The ceramic tile in our kitchen has an Ohio Star in the middle. It was his idea!
Debbie Henry, Lucinda, PA
The Tennessee Waltz by Eleanor Burns is my favorite pattern. I had been quilting for only a year when I made this, and it was, at times, like putting a puzzle together, but this was the most rewarding quilt I have ever made. It can look totally different with the choice of fabrics, and I’m preparing to make another one soon.
Nancy Chase, Columbus, MT
The New York Beauty is my favorite block. I love all of the spikes and curves in this block.
Audrey Clark, Red Lodge, MT
I love stars. Stars can be any color or size and go with traditional or contemporary designs. I am particularly into oversized blocks right now. I have a large star that is essentially the quilt top (about 50˝ or so). It’s a beautiful quilt and pretty quick and easy, and can be used with brights for a baby or reproduction prints for a wall hanging or table topper.
Vicki DiFrancesco, Conowingo, MD
I like simple patterns that show off the fabric such as Nine-Patch, Variable Star and Square-in-Square.
Jill Bowman, Jamestown, NC
My favorite quilt block design is the Blooming 9-Patch, where the colors blend into each other until the center of the quilt can be quite different from the edges. I enjoyed figuring out how to put the quilt together after seeing it in a book. I used a neutral palette, with black at the edges, blending to brown, then tan, and finally, white in the center.
Eileen D. Wenger, Lancaster, PA
I like blocks that create secondary patterns, like Jacob’s Ladder. Mary Ellen Hopkins would call it a two bell block.
Jann Dodds, Kenthurst, Australia
I enjoy designs that stack the same repeat of the fabric.
I enjoy designs that stack the same repeat of the fabric, such as Stack n Whack and Four Patch Posie. I then work those into traditional settings such as pinwheels or simple squares set on point.
Marian Gowan, Hendersonville, NC
My all-time favorite quilt block is the Log Cabin. It’s a very simple block, but the layout options are endless.
Cincy Bailey, Valrico, FL
Pinwheels are always fun because one can make them spin in different directions and look different with all kinds of color combinations. These blocks can be made in so many different ways and they add so much to so many different types of quilts, from baby quilts to elegant flower garden quilts, to novelty kids’ quilts. They also make a wonderful scrappy look with your stash or a new line of fabrics you can’t wait to try.
I like the Carpenter’s Block. It can be easily redesigned to any size you want, and it looks great in three tones of fabric.
Kim Clark, Lakewood, CO
I like the Lemoyne Star. It makes an elegant quilt.
Marti Blankenship, Pleasant Valley, MO
I will never get tired of making Dresden Plates. I love the old fashioned look using ’30s reproduction fabrics as well as modern fabrics. Anything works with them and you have to love that for stash busting.
Francis Stanley, Slidell, LA
C. Sources of Inspiration
Nature inspires me. I take a daily walk and soak up the colors and textures I see. I am still working on my plan for a quilt with a series of panels showing the four seasons looking out over the lake.
Deborah Vivrette, Hidden Valley Lake, CA
I look for designs everywhere. I once did a quilt using the design in the ceiling tiles in a doctor’s office.
Marie Sugar, Lancaster, PA
I am so happy that my first quilt came from Sunbonnet Sue blocks that my grandmother had completed and never put together as a quilt. After she died, I found the blocks and it provided a real connection between us when I made them into a quilt. She made it so easy for me: all the hard work was done.
Carol M. Johnson, Greenville, SC
One time I designed a small appliqué quilt based on an October ale carton.
Annie Morgan, Johnson, VT
The old quilts in museums are masterpieces made by our fore-mothers. There are mistakes, fabrics that don’t match, and many have been mended and repaired. But, there they are speaking to us from across the generations saying “Just make it! It doesn’t have to be perfect, you don’t have to have a degree in sewing, you just have to have a love for it and it will be a masterpiece!”
Diane Bachman, Leola, PA
Recently, I attended a shop hop with 11 stores; each one had multiple quilts on display which also inspired me.
Amy Kentera, Highland Mills, NY
I visit Pinterest, quilting blogs, or check out books at the library.
Karen Woodhull, Lumberton, NJ
A single color can pull at me to work with it and devise a colorway that revolves around that one hue.
I am in awe of nature, particularly wild nature, so I am drawn to scenery that includes mountains, the sea, wildlife and flora.
I am a keen gardener and can be totally inspired by a single bloom or the colors of autumn in my garden.
Color is pivotal to my quilting ideas—a single color can pull at me to work with it and devise a colorway that revolves around that one hue.
Anne Clutterbuck, Ocean Grove, Australia
Lately I’ve been recreating the graphics on boats. I take a picture of a section of an image painted on a boat, and make a quilt that matches the image.
Noelle Clesceri, Oakwood Hills, IL
My favorite is appliqué because I love hand work. My next favorite is trying to reproduce an antique quilt, so I prefer Civil War fabrics.
Wilma Scholl, Kaufman, TX
My business is doing long-arm quilting for customers. I get inspired when I see some of my customers’ quilts.
Susie Young, Anthony, KS
In my church sewing group, we receive a lot of donated fabrics, so it can be challenging putting together a quilt with fabrics that you may not have picked at the store. I love that challenge.
Nina Banagay, McMinnville, OR
One quilt I need to make is a depiction of Pachelbel's Canon in D. It’s my favorite piece of music, and I must translate it into fabric.
Cathie Shelton, Montgomery Village, MD
Much inspiration comes from members of my quilt guild. We participate in a number of Blocks of the Month which make us go outside of our comfort zone at times and try something we have never tried before.
Sharon Purves, Cannifton, Ontario
I take photos of architecture, natural lines and shadows in winter landscapes, and keep my eyes open for daily structures, fences, shapes, and discarded broken items. These may provide ideas that I can apply to the spaces in my quilt that require quilting.
Dagmar Yaddow, Rhinebeck, NY
I enjoy checking out books from libraries and browsing through until a special quilt just jumps out—and that is all I can think about!
Marcia Dionne, Laconia, NH
I have recently started looking a lot more at quilting blogs instead of magazines or books. I think blogs are a great reference for quilters because usually you can ask the quilters a question directly without trying to guess the methodology behind their patterns and it makes it easier to learn how they come up with their designs and how to execute them successfully. A lot of the patterns are also free which is great.
Nina Banagay, McMinnville, OR
I look at pictures for inspiration. Magazines! Catalogs! Then if I need a real shot in the arm, I go to the quilt fabric store. It gets the juices flowing.
Virginia Olcerst, Marriottsville, MD
I make family reunion quilts every two years. I will pick one color or several colors and ask my family members to send me fabrics, then make a final decision on the quilt based upon the fabric I receive. If I keep running across a particular quilt pattern again and again, I make that quilt—like the Sister’s Choice/Farmer’s Daughter block when we made a memorial quilt for my sister after she passed away. I find it a great challenge to use some fabrics that I would never have chosen, but the final quilt for that particular family reunion is always quite beautiful.
Margaret Dabrowski, Lowell, MA
Some event needs to inspire me. For example, I tried to grow weeping cherry trees and they all died, so I was inspired to quilt a small weeping cherry tree.
Mary Andra Holmes, Prescott, AZ
I have 20 years of quilting magazines that I look through all of the time. Something I didn’t really like 15 years ago may be the perfect design now. I take tons of pictures at shows and museums: I may use the layout from one and the border from another, the colors from this one and the blocks from a history book.
Diane Meddley, Parrish, FL
I read quilt magazines and when a quilt design inspires me, I tear it out and slip the pages in a plastic sleeve for safekeeping until I’m ready to start a new project. I gravitate toward piecing projects that employ timesaving techniques like strip piecing, half-square triangles, etc. I’m also easily attracted to scrappy quilts, not necessarily as a way to use up my stash, but because I find them more visually interesting than quilts with limited fabric selections.
Jan Mast, Lancaster, PA
When I go into a building, I look at the floors and the walls to see how the tiles are laid out. Sometimes that gives me the inspiration for different projects.
Patricia Baptista, Dartmouth, MA
I look at online quilt shows to see exhibits too far away for me to attend. My favorite is the Tokyo show. I also attend 3 or 4 shows a year, including the international show in Houston.
Eileen Ellis, Tabernacle, NJ
A favorite memory is taking the train from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Portland, Oregon in July. I had a queen-size quilt that I hand quilted as I looked out to see the amazing yellow canola fields and the periwinkle flax fields, then the river water gurgling along right next to the train, then to wake up Sunday morning to see Mt. Hood across the Columbia River . . . .
Marlys Wiens, Edina, MN
My quilting friends never let me down. Often I pair up with one or more gals and we all make the same quilt using different fabrics.
The public library is also a great source of inspiration. I check out quilting books. If I find I am checking it out more than once, then it is a book I must buy to put in my own collection. I have bookcases of books, patterns, quilt magazines and newspaper clippings. A couple hours browsing in my patterns usually inspires me to focus in on a couple quilts.
Marti Blankenship, Pleasant Valley, MO
I challenge myself to create little quilts to express feelings.
I’m interested in the creative process, so I challenge myself to create little quilts to express feelings. I read the story of the 12 × 12 quilting challenge and I decided to try my hand at it, so I wrote down a series of topics such as centrality, joy, Venice, embellishment, and so on and created a doll-sized quilt for each topic.
Silvia Triches, Udine, Italy
Nature inspires me most. The colors in nature and gardens fit so well together that it is hard to improve on! I do a lot of landscape appliqué.
Nancy Henry, Rochester, NH
I get inspiration from books with pictures of old quilts, such as museum catalogs and state documentation books.
Beth Fisher, San Antonio, TX
Look at your window: it’s an outline of a quilt. Now, use your imagination to divide it into three vertical panels.
My eyes see pattern, design, shape and color in the things and places that surround me. Sounds a bit “arty,” but it’s not. Look at your window: it’s an outline of a quilt. Now, use your imagination to divide it into three vertical panels. In each panel what are the three or four main colors? For me, first panel, it’s blue/grey sky, terracotta roofs, green cyprus tree. Second panel: blue/grey sky, terracotta roof, cream weather board, greens of pot plants and two spots of intense red, the last of my autumn flowers. Third panel: blue/grey sky, charcoal metal roof, cream weather boards. Now imagine all those things are just squares and rectangles of color. Go on, tweak the colors and shapes in your head a little bit, but keep it simple. You have a quilt!
Penny D’Aloia, Coburg, Australia
I am inspired by chat groups on Yahoo. I belong to several appliqué groups: Appliqué-Addicts, Sue Garman, and Ladies of the Sea.
Karen Nick, Lutz, FL
For reproduction fabrics—Jo Morton or Barbara Brackman. For contemporary fabrics—Martha Negley or Amy Butler. For batiks—McKenna Ryan. For traditional—French General.
Jan Mast, Lancaster, PA
Going on a quilt retreat is a huge inspiration for me—I sew with an awesome group of quilters that take my breath away with their workmanship and creativity.
Karen Martin, Breezy Point, MN
I visit Pinterest for inspiration. I could get a lot more sewing done if I had never discovered Pinterest.
Gale Priesmeyer, Bellville, TX
I subscribe to several magazines and buy patterns. In order to keep all these quilts in mind, when I get a new magazine, I mark the page of the quilt project that interests me and then add that information to a notebook, organized by magazine.
Lisa Sachs, Hackettstown, NJ
I am inspired by all kinds of sources for quilts. Some have been:
♦ pictures in magazines
♦ the carpet design at an airport
♦ quilts others have made
♦ a sound barrier wall design on the side of a busy road
♦ the challenge of what to do with pre-cut fabric
♦ a design on a napkin
♦ a fence
Anna Osborn, Omaha, NE
D. Finding Time To Quilt
First of all, I think it is important not to get hung up on how much time it takes to make or finish a quilt. Make a decision to sew every day and never leave your sewing machine without setting up what you will sew next. That way, if you only have 10 or 15 minutes, those will be productive minutes. It is amazing how much you can get done in small increments of time.
Betsy Scott, Richmond, VA
I try to prepare hand sewing or quilting projects over the weekend that I can work on during the evening hours while I spend time with my family.
Blair Mahan, Medford, NJ
I make time: quilting is my stress reliever. I am self employed, work long hours, and sometimes it feels out of my control. I go to the “dungeon,” my basement sewing room that has my comforts: the sewing machine, lots of fabric and books for perusing, a TV, tablet and phone. I kick off my shoes, turn on some mindless TV and sew. If I’m particularly stressed, I organize the room, straighten up the fabric, refold and put away new purchases and get out the next project. Sometimes 20 minutes may be all I can give, but I am relaxed after and the calmness is profound. The family knows where I am, there’s a chair for them when they come visit, but don’t touch! Everything has a place and I like it organized my way.
Barb Mikielski, Dallas, PA
When I was in 6th grade, I greatly admired Olivia Martinez’s saddle shoes which were always spic-and-span brown and white. I asked her how she found time to polish them and she told me, “I make time.” This has stuck with me for many years and when I have a little block of time, I do at least one thing on my quilt.
Elizabeth Beardsley, Boulder, CO
As I’m doing chores, quilting is the carrot at the finish, even if it’s only 5 minutes looking at a pattern or auditioning fabrics.
Barbara Augustine, Woodbridge, VA
I never watch TV without a piece of handwork in my lap.
Eileen Ellis, Tabernacle, NJ
I do not watch a lot of TV, so every day after dinner, I set this time aside for my quilting.
Jean McCrea, Thornhurst, PA
I separate my quilting into three categories: hand work that can be done while chatting, watching TV, etc.; cutting and machine piecing which I do in the sewing room whenever I have 10 minutes free; and design work I incorporate into my daily life by always looking for inspiration in my surroundings. I have a sewing room right off my kitchen. In there, at the ready is always a project in the works.
Kathleen Keough, Berwyn, PA
There is always something else I need to be doing. There are always errands to run, groceries to buy, food to cook, children to care for, appointments that must be kept. Quilting is on my To Do List just like all those things. I pencil in time at least a few times a week just for me.
Diane Meddley, Parrish, FL
I really enjoy it when my husband goes hunting with a male buddy and I stay home. I have everything ready: fabric, thread, patterns, batting, audio books, coffee, and microwave food. Day one: clean house and do laundry. Days 2–6: sew, sew, sew! Day 7: vacuum, dust, change sheets and hand wash the coffee cups in the dishwasher because that’s all that’s in it!
Nancy Chase, Columbus, MT
As a rule I have a hand-piecing “kit” in my purse for found moments while I wait. This tip came from Jinny Beyers’ book on quilting. I have always hand quilted at least fifteen minutes per day before or after work. It is surprising how much you can accomplish within small blocks of time over a month.
Shelia Smith, Goldthwaite, TX
I have a 20-minute rule. Every day, I find 20 minutes to do a quilt-related thing. No exceptions! Many days, I get a lot more time to quilt, but that is my minimum and some days that’s it.
Mary Kastner, Oakland, CA
I am able to quilt every single day and I still work a full-time job.
About 20 years ago I read 10-20-30 Minutes to Sew by Nancy Zieman. I literally couldn’t put it down. I have lived by that book ever since. She taught me what to do in 10 minutes, then put the item away, then 20 minutes, etc. I am able to quilt every single day and I still work a full-time job. I also do this with my housework. i.e., I spend 30 to 45 minutes every night cleaning something, maybe an hour. When I break every task down into segments, it goes very fast and I’m not overwhelmed.
Jenean McGuigan, Chicago, IL
Sometimes you just have to skip cleaning the house! Quilts are permanent and bring joy; the floors just get dirty again.
Wendy Akin, Terrell, TX
Being retired, I consider my quilting time what I want it to be. I don’t have so many deadlines I have to meet or obligations I have to keep. Kids are grown and it’s now my turn. So what if the house isn’t spotless, it’s still clean. Meals don’t have to be on the table a certain time anymore, so I can quilt a few more minutes. This is one of the few advantages of getting older: being a little selfish with my time.
Francis Stanley, Slidell, LA
Quilting is my therapy. I am a teacher, and we are experiencing stressful times in education. I find time to play in my sewing room every day after work. I try to have simple, repetitive blocks cut and waiting by the machine (I love scrap quilts) so I can just send things through the machine and work with all the pretty fabrics after a long day. People often say “How do you find the patience to sew all those small pieces together?” My answer is that the sewing gives me patience for everything else in my life.
Lorraine Vignoli, Commack, NY
Even though I am retired, there never seems to be enough time to quilt! I try to look at the week ahead and plan to quilt on days that have a large chunk of free time. I also look at the weather forecast ahead of time, knowing which days I won’t be working in my garden.
Allison Evrard, Coopersburg, PA
My local quilt store has a sit-and-sew every Monday, which I regularly attend as it provides me regular sewing time. I tend to be so energized that when I get home, I sew the rest of the day.
KC Howell, Medina, OH
Quilting serves to recharge my emotional battery, and that is why I never reach the end of my rope.
It is vital for me to set aside quilting time because of the hectic daily activities of going to work, running a household, being a grandmother, a volunteer, and actively engaging in a number of choruses and other cultural activities . . . Quilting serves to recharge my emotional battery, and that is why I never reach the end of my rope.
Dagmar Yaddow, Rhinebeck, NY
I rush through cleaning the house. I sew in between loads of laundry and always try to cook enough for two days’ worth of meals.
Pat Zimmerman, Kissimmee, FL
I make time! Thursdays are “my” day. I don’t do laundry, clean the house, or run errands. . . . I sew all day with no guilt or interruptions. We have a sushi date for dinner and I hang on until the next Thursday.
Christy Proost, Mechanicsville, VA
I set aside 5 hours every Monday to work on UFOs (unfinished objects). I try to fit in other time during the week as I can, which isn’t always easy, but at least I have my Mondays.
Amy Braunagel, Columbia, MO
I give up a few hours of sleep a week and totally ignore housework and sometimes cooking.
Joyce Carey, Waterford, MI
I make the time. I worked a full time job and learned to sew in 20–30 minute increments. I never put my projects away, so they are always ready when I have the few minutes to sew. I also get up early and reward myself with a half hour of sewing before I leave for work. I make time every day to cut, sew, iron and play with designs. Both my children grew up with me quilting and they both have a strong sense of color and design. They also learned the importance of their mother having time for herself to do the things that gave her pleasure (and they also had a father who is a great cook).
Anne Gallo, Chelmsford, MA
Everyone has 24 hours in a day. An older woman once told me if you don’t organize your time, someone else will. Make an appointment with yourself.
Barbara Porter, Arroyo Grande, CA
I make time. Quilting is an important part of my life, and I would become very stressed if I were not able to sew. I work full time, so weekends are my main quilting opportunities. I like to get up early, prepare my dinner (usually in a slow cooker), do a load or two of laundry, then have the rest of the day free to sew.
Pat Deck, Oreland, PA
I hand sew every day during my lunch hour at work. I call it “me time.”
Patricia Henseler, Maple Grove, MN
I just try to do 15 minutes a day. I also keep track of what I have done on a small calendar and I can see when I haven’t done anything for a while. That usually gets me going again. It also allows me to know when I started and finished a project.
Barbara Hughes, Elkins Park, PA
I have recently learned that if I can’t sleep, sitting at the sewing machine and just doing a little is when I quilt the best.
Susan Lesko, Bloomingburg, NY
I do a lot of hand appliqué and used to do hand piecing. A project like that was essential to be able to take with me when I attended the kids’ baseball practices, doctors’ waiting rooms, etc. I actually started and finished hand piecing a quilt on a 6-week family car trip when my kids were really little!
Nancy Henry, Rochester, NH
I quilt best in the mornings, so I put off housework or errands until afternoons.
Nancy Jolley, Tucson, AZ
I work full-time, so it is difficult, but for my own sanity, I need to spend at least 30 minutes a day in my quilting room. Either Saturday or Sunday of every weekend, my husband takes charge of the house, and I have the entire day to quilt.
Ann Hay, Carlisle, PA
I had more time to quilt before I retired. I would get up an hour earlier than I had to to go to work. I would race through getting ready then set the timer and sit and sew. When the timer went off, no matter where I was, I had to stop and leave for work. Since I retired, there are weeks that go by and I don’t have time to sew.
Terry Green, Attica, NY
We take off every Wednesday to sew.
I am my husband’s caregiver, and when he naps during the day, I quilt.
Doris Carbone, Dracut, MA
I have two girlfriends and we take off every Wednesday to sew. It is an appointment every week, and it takes a lot for one of us to cancel our appointment! It is a time of sisterhood in fabric. We help each other, share ideas and fabric and have fun! We are very different in age and sewing ability and experience, but each has something to offer. It is a mental health day in the middle of the week that gets us through the rest of the week.
I schedule quilting time into each day like it is a meeting I need to keep. This is my therapy, so it is like an appointment with the doctor.
Kim Clark, Lakewood, CO
I am fortunate in that my husband of 54 years is interested in my quilting. He pins quilts on the longarm while I do piecing at the domestic machine. How neat is that? He is also experienced at frogging (ripping out stitches in quilting). Our daughter bought him an ergonomic seam ripper for his Christmas stocking gift.
I do stay organized. Doing laundry while piecing a quilt is a snap. Slow cookers were surely invented by quilters. There may be a little dust on the furniture or crumbs on the kitchen floor but with the love and support of my family, I (almost) never feel guilty about making quilting one of my life goals.
Marti Blankenship, Pleasant Valley, MO
E. A Sewing Space
Have a sewing room. I had to use my kitchen table for years, but finally got a room that I can just shut the door on and make dinner without having to clean up first.
Nancy Chase, Columbus, MT
You really need the ability to display your fabric stash—you can’t create with it if you can’t see it.
Peggy Quinlan-Gee, Salt Lake City, UT
It’s nice to have cork boards to pin up anything that you don’t want to go missing after you put it in a “safe” place—for example, directions you most often use, inspiring pictures, small appliqué pieces, etc.
Dolores Smith, Westford, MA
Favorite 5 Fabric Companies, According to Our Survey
This is the best time ever in the history of the world to be a quilter. There is such a fabulous array of designers. Judie Rothermel does such lovely reproduction fabrics. For bold colors, there is Kaffe Fassett, and then Moda has some designers who do traditional styles. And all the modern, contemporary looks featuring citron and gray! And the anonymous folks who do batiks. Wow!
Valerie Turere, Brooklyn, NY
Get a card from Superior Threads to hang on a bulletin board (a must) in your sewing room that identifies the types of thread and how to use them.
Nancy Chase, Columbus, MT
I have a sewing machine in my kitchen. When I put potatoes on to boil, I can sew two seams. When I wait for the coffee to perk, I can square up a block or paper piece some seams. It’s amazing how much I can accomplish minute by minute. Slow and steady wins the race!
MaryJean Bower, Bloomsburg, PA
A plastic case that a certain brand of chewing gum comes in makes a wonderful disposal for bent pins, dull needles and dead rotary blades. Just tape the little door shut when it’s full and throw in the garbage.
Debbie Daugherty-Ball, Salisbury, MD
Make sure you have adequate electrical outlets for machine, iron, lighting, and radio/TV.
Rachel Applegate, Slingerlands, NY
Clock! I’d be up all night if I didn’t have one in my sewing space!
Kris Newlin, West Chester, PA
Outstanding lighting is important for sewing. Try the new LEDs—lots of clean light and no heat!
Jana Pratt, Barnegat, NJ
A sewing space needs lots of storage, good light, and a design wall if you can swing it.
Teresa Caldwell, Long Valley, NJ
Since I don’t have a lot of wall space for a design wall, I rigged up a flannel-backed vinyl tablecloth that hangs from the ceiling that I can let down or roll up. I also like a floor that is easily cleaned, not carpet.
Cathy Jolley, Fillmore, UT
I don’t have room for a design wall, so I use my king-size bed top.
Vicki Kasten, Rosemount, MN
I have designed (in my head) storage to hang on the front of my cupboard doors. Using a quilt I don’t love anymore, I will attach pockets to it made of see-through plastic like a hanging shoe holder, and have all my templates and rulers on display. That way I’ll be able to get my hands on them easily when I want to use them.
Louise Lott, Healesville, Australia
I seem to flip between projects, so I need lots of room in my sewing space. It’s helpful if this room is close to the kitchen so I can run in and check on the Crockpot now and then, and close to the utility room with washer and dryer so I can throw in a load.
Nancy Fairchild, Crossville, TN
An ashtray, with its raised sides, is perfect for holding little bits of thread or fabric.
Verna Fitzgerald, West New York, NJ
I keep objects in my sewing room that I enjoy seeing. I have a couple of bulletin boards—one with quilt pins and other pins I have collected and one with pictures of quilts I have made or would like to make. I also have other items on my sewing room wall that just speak to me: handmade art from my children and friends and old irons and sewing related items.
Pamela Olson, South Windsor, CT
I keep a tweezers in my sewing space; they help grab so many things.
Nancy Koyanik, Troy, VA
A magnetic pincushion is great for getting pins off floors.
When I’m seated too low at my machine, I use door stops to prop the back side of the machine up. It really makes the throat plate more visible.
Karen Asman, Martin, OH
Keep a dust mop or vacuum nearby to keep the floors neat. A magnetic pincushion is also great for getting pins off floors.
Robbin Golden, Summerville, SC
I have a cork floor which is good for standing on for a period of time as I cut fabric.
Norma Whaley, Salt Lake City, UT
I use a pretty flowerpot near my machine to store all of my scissors. I have a clear vinyl shoe pocket rack that I hang on the wall with my notions clearly visible: one for marking pens, one for tape measures, one for rotary cutters, one for glues, etc.
Carolyn Vidal, Newport, WA
I use a pencil box to place my sewing notions in (cutter, markers, small scissors, etc.) so that I can easily see what I want and store them efficiently.
Emily Schanck, Taftsville, VT
I have four pairs of scissors in my sewing room: two on the cutting table, one at the machine and the other just floats around where I need it.
Mary Helen Ames, Perkiomenville, PA
Clean up every surface of your workspace at least once every week and put things where they belong instead of where it is convenient.
Michelle Harrison, Morganton, GA
When you finish a project, press and fold extra fabric and stow it away, sweep the floor, clean the machine and change the needle, put supplies and notions where they belong and start the next project with a clean room and machine.
Nancy Chase, Columbus, MT
F. Advice for People Who Want to Learn to Quilt
I’ve heard that you should never give away your first quilt. Keep it so you can see how your skills improve over the years.
Susie Curry, Chesterbrook, PA
Out of my first 20 quilts, some were lovely, some were dreadful and the rest just average. I get better with every quilt—and more adventurous. You just have to start somewhere, but make sure you pick fabrics that you really love. Then the finished quilt will please you no matter what pattern it is and how many mistakes you can find.
Deb Spencer, Greenwith, Australia
Join a guild in your area. One advantage of belonging to a guild is that you have opportunity to take classes from very good quilting teachers at reduced costs.
Charlotte Kewish, Gibsonia, PA
Don’t take one instructor’s methods as the only way to do things—every instructor I’ve taken a class from has been convinced that her way is the ONLY way to do things, but you have to experiment with other methods to find what works for you.
Carol Moll, Schnecksville, PA
Eleanor Burns is the best. I tell beginners to buy an Eleanor Burns book and do what she tells you to do, page by page. It’s almost no fail.
Cincy Bailey, Valrico, FL
If you want to learn machine quilting, it is important to already be familiar with your sewing machine. It is very difficult to learn sewing and quilting simultaneously.
Sandra Leigh, Birmingham, AL
Remember that all those beautiful quilts you look at have mistakes that each quilter is aware of but no one else is.
Kellie Hewitt, Marion, VA
Find a quilting buddy. My friend and I started quilting together in 1989, she in New York, me in Florida. We started by doing a wall quilt each month as we both sewed, but had no quilting experience. We would comb through magazines to decide on the pattern for that month, buy and cut the fabric together, and then “race” each other to finish the quilt by the first of the month so that we could display them. We still check with each other to see if we remembered to change the quilt each month.
Amy Israel, Port St Lucie, FL
Take your time and just enjoy your work. It does not have to be perfect—nothing is ever perfect. Some of my biggest mistakes have become the unique feature I like the best in the finished quilt. I try to blend the mistake in and make it look like it was a planned feature.
Mary Marlowe, Hedgesville, WV
I’m teaching myself with YouTube.
I took a class long ago before I was even married and it didn’t go well for me. So this time around, I’m teaching myself with YouTube. It’s free and nice and quiet just the way I like it.
Kimberly Dutcher, Brighton, MI
Watch YouTube videos for any areas of quilting that you may have doubts or questions on. Don’t get discouraged.
Barbara Merritt, Brackney, PA
Find a mentor. My grandmother was my mentor, and my memories of learning to sew with her are the best from my childhood. I am currently mentoring my best friend who comes from a non-sewing family and my 8 year old daughter. I get to share in their joy when they master a new technique or finish a project. Your love and joy of quilting are doubled when you share what you know with someone else!
Diane Bachman, Leola, PA
Don’t worry about finishing everything. Sometimes learning you don’t like a technique or a fabric is valuable enough. UFO’s are not necessarily bad. Sometimes you just lose interest for a while and will come back to a project. Sometimes it’s better to do a big project in manageable chunks instead of telling yourself you can’t start anything else until it’s finished. Nothing will kill your enthusiasm for quilting faster than plowing through a project you have lost interest in.
Sally Eshelman, York, PA
You have to love to iron! And you have to be willing to take things apart when they aren’t right. If you’re the type that says “close enough,” then quilting probably isn’t for you because being just a little bit off on your blocks will throw off the whole quilt.
Cheryl Desmond, Bristol, CT
I think if you want to learn, you need to have that spark of curiosity about the craft, backed up by a willingness to commit time to mastering techniques. It is important to begin with a project you can achieve in a realistic time frame—something simple but appealing. That first project is what will get you hooked, so it has to be something that you can see yourself finishing and enjoying.
Anne Clutterbuck, Ocean Grove, Australia
Checking quilting books out of your local library lets you learn without spending a lot of money.
Karen Vecchioli, Staunton, VA
Quilt making is not like sewing clothes with a pattern. It is like putting together a puzzle, one piece at a time. Much of it is repetitive and slow and can be very relaxing if you are chain piecing.
Donna Royson, Blythewood, SC
A great book to begin with is Jinny Beyers’ Quiltmaking By Hand with DVD.
Shelia Smith, Goldthwaite, TX
Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t do something in quilting. There are no rules in quilting except close your rotary cutter each time you use it. If it feels good to you, it will look good to you . . . it’s in your heart, not a book or anywhere else.
Mardi Niles, Scotia, NY
Read! I was laid up from two back-to-back surgeries, so I bought Quilting For Dummies and Eleanor Burns’ It’s Elementary among other beginner quilting books and just read for all of my 12 weeks of bed rest and recovery. I also watched Eleanor Burns and Fons & Porter on PBS, and by the time I could get back into the sewing room, I had so many ideas!
Lisa Hughes, Richland, NY
Focus on the process and enjoy that. The finished product is not as important as the process. If you don’t enjoy the process, you probably shouldn’t keep quilting.
BJ Chadwick, Marmora, NJ
For people who are afraid that they will buy the wrong fabrics or use the wrong stitches and not make quilts as nice as they would want them to be, take lessons from your local quilt shop.
For people who love the creative process more than the finished product and who see a mistake as a branch into something just not thought of, pick yourself some fibers, get a good techniques book, and go for it.
Louise Bem, Indiana, PA
I made my first quilt reading one of the Quilt in a Day books by Eleanor Burns. I had only been a garment sewer until then.
Joyce Ciembronowicz, Lake Zurich, IL
I suggest taking a beginner class for quilting, not just a class that beginners can do. The difference is, a beginner class teaches things you will always need to quilt: measuring, pressing, piecing, layout, etc.
A class that beginners can do will teach you a pretty simple project, but once you finish it, you will only know how to make that one thing. You want to learn things you can expand on and use in your next project.
Lots of churches have sewing groups that do charity sewing. Many of those ladies are also quilters and are great sources of information.
Karen Martin, Breezy Point, MN
Start with a small project so you don’t become overwhelmed. Take a class with a teacher who is relaxed and not looking for perfection, or you will become discouraged.
Ann Hay, Carlisle, PA
This is the best advice I have after 20 years of quilting: join a quilt guild and purchase your fabric at a local store. Both of these will give you a source of free advice and a chance to make new lifelong friends.
Mardelle Tanner, Sodus, NY
I learned to quilt from my grandmother in the ’60s, and worked with that knowledge until I retired, at which time I really got my eyes opened from online resources to new and better ways of cutting, piecing, and quilting.
Take a beginning quilting course at a local quilt shop. Both shops where I currently do business have 8-session classes that cover the whole realm of getting started in quilting, plus taking classes puts you in contact with other quilters of varying experience. After that, subscribe to online resources such as The Quilt Show. There’s a lot of free material out there to get you familiar with the whole field and what is new. I learned to quilt from my grandmother in the ’60s, and worked with that knowledge until I retired a few years ago, at which time I really got my eyes opened from online resources to new and better ways of cutting, piecing, and quilting.
Carol Moll, Schnecksville, PA
Buy the Hargrave’s series Quilter’s Academy. They are the best books to learn how to quilt I’ve seen so far (and I have a lot of books!).
Silvia Triches, Udine, Italy
Don’t try to do every technique in your first quilt.
Debbie Daugherty-Ball, Salisbury, MD
You don’t need every gadget ever made and you don’t need an expensive sewing machine. Just the basics will do fine.
Ann Hay, Carlisle, PA
Try out as many rulers, marking tools, thimbles, needles, scissors as you can. There are differences and tools are expensive. Try asking friends to borrow their favorite ruler for a few days just to see if it works for you. Ask why they like it and what they use it for. Just because it is their favorite does not mean it will be your favorite.
Mary Andra Holmes, Prescott, AZ
Purchase good materials and tools—or use a friends’ until you know you want to do this. Don’t try to do it with old crummy fabric that stretches, or a ruler that slides around, or a rotary cutter or scissors that are too dull to cut, or a sewing machine that continually has tension problems or comes unthreaded every time you use it. Any of those will make you throw up your hands and say “I don’t like quilting” when what you really are doing is trying to quilt with bad materials or tools!
Ruthie Hoover, Westerville, OH
Always look at your projects from 15 feet, not 5 inches, so you’re looking at the whole picture.
Amy Rochelle, South Lyon, MI