1. Get inspired to begin your quilting journey
Visit a quilt show or museum or search online to find a quilting style or a quilter whose work you like
The Festival of Quilts, in Birmingham, UK every year is the biggest quilt show in Europe, but you might find a smaller show, festival or exhibition closer to home. In the UK, for example, Grosvenor Shows run multiple events throughout the year at various locations.
Festival of Quilts, where many different styles of quilt are on show, in competition and for exhibition
Modern quilter Carolina Oneto has a comprehensive list of North American quilts shows for 2024 listed here. Or just search online for a ‘quilt show near me’.
Pinterest or Instagram are great places to find and follow quilters that you like. Just use search terms or hashtags like ‘modern quilting’ or ‘art quilts’ to find others who share your passion.
2. Start small
If you are a beginner quilter, then pick a small and simple project that will be easy to complete, so that you can immediately start enjoying what you have made.
Try to find a pattern aimed at beginners (most patterns will state the level) and that isn’t physically big, as a bigger item will take longer to complete and you may get disillusioned and struggle to finish!
Ideal first projects include a quilted needle book, a pillow or cushion cover, or a even a mini or baby quilt. I will be sharing some ideal first projects on another post soon.
Kits are also an ideal way to start, as it should contain all the materials you need to get started. Most online quilt shops will stock them. Sew Hot is one of my favourite online quilts stores in the UK, and they have a whole section devoted to quilt kits. This Sewing Room series by Sarah Ashford would be a perfect place to start.
You learn so much by doing, that the sooner you can get on with it, the better!
You could try hand quilting a small sampler to experiment with different stitch styles
3. Join a group or take a class
I believe in the power of lifetime learning and will find any excuse to sign up for a class or workshop!
I also have taken both online (paid and free) and in-person workshops, classes and courses, and there are many available, for all budgets.
I also studied online for two years for City & Guild Textiles. Read more about my experience studying with School of Stitched Textiles by reading my Graduate Story here or watch the video showing my final pieces for assessment.
I am also a member of the Quilters Guild of the British Isles. Here you can find out more about quilting, find a local group, or join a special interest group, such as my favourite, the Modern Quilt Group, who offer prompts and challenges throughout the year. There are countless opportunities to learn and develop your skills with the Guild, either in person or online with their activity platform the Loft.
YouTube is also a fantastic resource for learning a new skill, or finding what other methods are available for something like binding or machine quilting, just search it for what you would like to learn about.
Quilters are a generous bunch, and always keen to share a new or different technique for a particular task.
4. Enjoy it
Despite what your other half or family members may say, (ahem!), purchasing and gathering the materials and tools you need it a hugely enjoyable part of the process and some might say it is a completely separate hobby!
So don’t feel guilty about taking the time to explore your local fabric shop, as this is the best way to learn about the kind of fabrics that you need for quilting. This is all part of the process and can lead to all sorts of additional forms of inspiration, when you come home with all the things you need, plus enough for the next three projects as well.
Choosing fabric is a fun part fof the process
Of course, there are other ways to gather your resources, by reusing and recycling other textiles clothes, curtains or bedsheets, for example. Thrift stores, charity shops, seconds and remnants can yield surprising and exciting fabrics, trims and buttons, as can your own cupboards.
5. Done is better than perfect!
My final tip is that while it can be very tempting to abandon a project that is not going well, it is also incredibly rewarding and worthwhile to finish it and use it, either in your own home or by gifting it to someone else.
Most people that I come across aren’t sewers or quilters, and most people are incredibly touched if you have taken the time and thought to make them a one-off unique gift.
Enjoy the time it takes to hand quilt
There are multiple processes and techniques that go into making a quilt, or other quilted item, and it’s amazing how much better something looks when it is quilted and bound, as opposed to the orphan patchwork blocks that may sit around neglected and unfinished.
We tend to see the faults and mistakes that we have made because we are so close to it, whereas over time, these fade from view, and you may even find yourself forgetting what went wrong and seeing instead what went right.
Onwards and upwards to your next quilting project! I hope you have fun along the way!
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