Late last year I bought my first ever sewing machine. Having never sewed before I was surprised at how quickly I began to enjoy it and how relaxing I found it. First I had great fun making a selection of dinosaur hoodies for W which were a huge hit and then I came across this on pinterest.
A quilting series for beginners.
But I couldn’t quilt could I?
The more I read the more I began to think that maybe it was possible after all. The posts seemed really easy to follow. And guess what…It absolutely was possible and, trust me, if I can do it so can you!
First I cheated a little and decided to buy 3 charm packs of 5 inch squares to save on the fabric cutting. I was still a little scared of my rotary cutter in the beginning though I actually got the hang of it pretty quickly. I chose the essential plains, essential marbles, and Camden Market packs from Cotton Patch and as soon as they arrived I began laying out my quilt.
I then pieced together my rows…
…sewed, ironed my seams…
…and then sewed each row together.
Simple instructions on how to piece a quilt can be found here. Before I knew it my quilt was beginning to take shape!
Next, I added my borders…
… and then layered my quilt with batting and backing fabric. Then It was time to baste my quilt layers together. This can be done with basting spray or special pins…
…but I just used plain old safety pins which worked just fine. Then it was time to actually quilt (sew) the layers together. Some advise marking out the lines beforehand with pens or tape but I decided to just eyeball it.
Some of the lines even matched up! Lots were a bit wonky but I think this just adds to the home-made charm of it.
After trimming my edges all that was left was to add the binding…
I struggled a bit with the corners…
…but I battled on and finally my first ever quilt was done.
So if you want to give quilting a go my advice would be to just get started. Cotbed quilts are a great way to start and you will be finished before you know it. If I can do it anyone can!
Crafty crafty eh?
Its Beautiful! Well done!
Thank you! It is a bit wonky but I am so delighted *Grins*
thats lovely. a few years ago i did a quilting blanket for my daughter, it took me ages as i dont have a sewing machine so it was all done by hand, including marking my shapes and cutting them out.
By hand! Wow! I bet it was beautiful. What a lovely thing for her to keep as she grows up. It must have taken forever to make.
how did you find the sewing machine, are they easy to use, maybe i should get one
I bought the most basic one I could find from Argos, a Brother X5 and it is dead simple. The only trouble is I am enjoying it more than I thought and think maybe I should have spent a little bit more on one than can do a bit more.
That’s lovely J! I have some t- shirt squares sewn together ready to make a memory quilt but I STILL haven’t bought batting/wadding etc let alone thought about the binding bit! Well done you. Fab stuff. You have put me to shame 😉
Not really, I started five months ago LOL! Kept getting distracted. Still at least I finished it. Unlike The Shred…I now have a handy pregnancy as an excuse for that one though 😉
Thats a project I’ve got to do – but other things keep getting in the way! Love yours
I know the felling. I saw a lovely one on Pinterest made from someone’s childrens’ onesies from when they were babies. So cute. It is on my never ending list of Pinterest projects that I must try and get around to!
You’ve inspired me now – think I am going to buy a sewing machine! Xx
Oh that is so brilliant! Let me know how you get on 🙂
Nice work ! This is great 🙂
I started knitting a blanket when was pregnant with Little Tyke, I am just sewing it together in time for number 2 !
Never too late to get crafty ey.
Absolutely. Always better late than never 🙂
What a beautiful quilt. I’m making one at the moment and have had to unpick the layers twice, not sure where I’m going wrong but the fabric on the back keeps folding!
Are you using a walking foot? I was told I should so spent ages tracking one down that would fit my machine and I kept having this problem. I took it off and put the regular foot back on and it worked just fine. I am still very new to this so not sure what else to suggest. Is it basted securely?
How long did it take you to finish? I just love it sooooo much, i am looking for a project to do over the summer. And i think i just found it… Thanks for the idea!!
I did about an hour at a time just once or twice a week and took a few months altogether. If you need any help though I have put together step by step instructions here: http://jbmumofone.com/beginners-quilting-series/