Discovering how to make a patchwork quilt starts with the pattern. This is the basis of your quilt and so it’s important to start with a good one. But what actually defines a great pattern? Well, most importantly it should be simple and easy to follow.
The tough part though, is that everybody has varying levels of skill, meaning what might simple for some, is not straightforward for others. So here are a few tips for how to select the right pattern for you.
Where?
First of all, start with something that is achievable. There are many magazines that print full instructions for nasic to make quilts. They sometimes have great photos and diagrams to help guide you through the process.
Your local library is a great spot to look for inspiration as well. Most libraries will have a section on quilting and patchwork which you can borrow books from. You will usually find basic books on the A to Z of {quilting}, as well as more detailed books on other styles of {quilting}, some of which will have patterns in them too. In several cases you can also borrow ‘current ‘ {quilting} magazines.
What Type of Pattern?
What kind of {quilt} do you like: pieced or applique, children’s or adults, traditional or modern? What colors look nice together? I recommend patterns with straightforward squares and rectangles as they’ll teach you many of the basic skills, and you’ll be able to complete it in a reasonable quantity of time. And as a side note, you might want to choose one that isn’t too large. You are better to learn on something which is a controllable size.
Kits
If you want to make a simple quilt, but you are feeling daunted by all of the selections you will need to make about fabrics and such, many shops offer kits which include an easy pattern with easy to understand instructions, and all the fabric required to make your quilt top. This looks after lots of the hard decision making process. Some also host “Sit and Sew” afternoons where, for a little charge you can bring along your own projects and get help when you get stuck.
Require More Help?
If you go to patchwork shops, many of them will have classes for making a “Beginners Quilt”, using patterns which incorporate specific patchwork techniques and styles to help build some good basic know-how and skills. This may be a useful place for you to start.
Groups
I suggest that you join a tiny Patchwork friendship group as well. I’ve found Patchworkers and Quilters to be among the most supportive, generous, and helpful people in the world. Many neighborhood centers have groups, as well as many churches. So why not check out one of those, at the very least you are sure to make 1 or 2 wonderful friends who will help you to choose a pattern.
Shows
And lastly, quilt shows are good places for inspiration too. Typically you will find a mixture of varying styles of quilts, requiring various levels of experience. Do not be daunted by the beautiful artworks made by quilters of forty years experience, just enjoy them for their beauty. You will be bound to find some which make you think “I could do that”.
It isn’t until quite recently that you’ve been able to buy an embroidery machine for the home. Businesses that incorporated embroidery into their products have had access for a long time. Models have only really been available to the home market in the last decade and now there are several models.
These machines are very similar to the conventional machine, however they differ in that the machine designs on to your fabric for you, A computer program inside the machine does this. The computer stores the designs and guides the needle in creating the design that you want. They are like ‘smart’ machines and remind me a lot of pre-programmed electronic stuff you can get today. Okay, now the cat’s out of the bag reagrding my age!
To create a design on the fabric, you choose a pre-set pattern, place the fabric under the needle (kept stiff with an embroidery hoop which come in different sizes), load the machine with the desired colored thread and then start the machine.
There is no foot pedal on these machines, unlike the traditional sewing machine. You don’t have to be in the room as long as you set the fabric up and let the machine run.
Unless you are using just one colour for the design, you will need to change the thread as and when needed.
Most machines come with some built-in designs such as alphabets that can be used for monogramming and you can purchase designs of virtually anything from Disney characters to wild flowers. There is also a plethora available online, and you can download these on to a memory card to use. The Brother PE770 does this and in fact it is one of the few machines on the market that combines both the embroidery and conventional sewing in one machine. Or you can scan a design into you computer and then digitize it for your sewing machine.
This opens up whole avenues for creativity, but on the down side, some people say that it can take some time to change the thread each time you want a different color. On the other side of the coin, there are machines out there that will change the thread automatically (wow!), so I s’pose it depends on your budget and what you want your machine to do. It’s a small price to pay to change the thread by hand, because it’s a whole lot quicker than embroidering by hand.
Go and see a few in action – at an in-store demo – before you buy if you’ve no embroidery machines. Don’t assume it will be like a conventional machine – there will be a learning curve, but it wll definitely be worth it. Many machines have lots of bells and whistles which can get the creative juices flowing in ways that perhaps you’d never thought about before.
