Does anyone Quilt? Is it hard?

[Beauty]

As everyone knows we are adopting a baby girl from China. Well I would love to make her a 100 Wishes Quilt. This is a tradition where friends and family each send two quilting squares to you, they also send a wish for your baby. Well one square is used in making her quilt and the other is put into a book along with her with from whatever person sent it.

So I've found groups online who exchange and send quilt pieces. I also know our church has many ladies who quilt as does our family. I'm sure I could get the 100 pieces but I DON'T and have NEVER quilted.

Is it hard?? How does one learn to make a quilt? Are there books for dummies? I just think this would be the sweetest tradition for Ariel. I did see that you could pay someone to do it but its pretty expensive and would mean so much more if I did it myself.

Any one quilt???? Teach me???? LOL!

 

[happybratpack]

Hi Beth

Are you on the OHBWQ yahoo group? If not you should join, I just started the swaps this past month.

I'm no help w/ quilting...I'm going to have to learn too. If you decide you want to make one and would like to swap a square and wish just let me know!

 

[Carrieannew]

My mother quilts. She makes t-shirt quilts. But also does photos quilts. She has a website.

http://www.nanasquilting.com

Not certain that any of this can help you. But mostly just posting to get her website out there. Also there is a contact form that she is always more than willing to answer questions anyone has.

 

[MerryPoppins]

First off, are you talking about piecing the quilt (sewing the squares together) or quilting it (putting batting between two layers of fabric- usually one is plain and the other pieced) or both?

Piecing, if it's just squares you are sewing together isn't that hard. You need to be sure that all squares are the exact same size. You put two squares right sides together and stitch one side. Make sure you keep the distance from the stitching to the edge of the fabric a constant. In other words, don't have one seam 1/4 inch from the edge and the next one 1/3 inch. You want the squares to all end up the same size. Open and press after each addition. Match one end to the next square until you have a long row. Once you have the length you want, start on the next row. As soon as you have all the rows, you put two rows right sides together. This is the tricky part: pin matching the corners of the squares. When it's done, you want each set of 4 squares to meet exactly at their corners. When it's all pieced, sandwich the quilt top with batting in the middle and backing fabric. Pin and baste into place so it won't scoot around. You can quilt by machine, by hand or not quilit at all and just tack with yarn at the corners of each square.

Does that make sense?

 

[Jen_in_NH]

This sounds dumb, but are you good at sewing? If you can sew pretty well, then quilting isn't too bad. If you don't know how, then it can be a nightmare.

You might want to try some other kind of quilt first, just to practice. It would be frustrating to have something happen to a quilt that will obviously be important to you

Good luck,

Jen

 

[LBAK]

Quilting isn't that hard. It's fun and relaxing once you get the hang of it. I started taking quilting at an adult ed. class at my local high school. I love the piecing together of the quilt. The actual quilting gets tedious at times. I have to be in the mood for it.

 

[mountaineer]

I didn't really know how to sew before I learned to quilt but I do machine quilting, not hand. What I did is check out a bunch of library books, they have great instructions and LOTS of pictures for each step.

If you're interested in machine quilting there is a great book titled "Teach Yourself Machine Quilting". I've checked that one out a few times. It's by Deb Wagner.

I still can't sew anything on the machine but quilts!! My husband, oth, can sew anything with no pattern.

No matter what you choose, definitely make a couple of things before making your daughter's quilt. Practice will help.

 

[C.Ann]

I've been making quilts for more years than I care to remember - learned how from my Grandma.. She did ALL of her quilting by hand, whereas I cheat and do it by machine.. I tie off the corners of each square with yarn because that's what my Grandma did and it reminds me of her..

Anyone know how to do "rag rugs"? That's another thing she used to do that I just loved, but she passed away before she was able to teach me how to make them..

 

[Jen117]

If you have a local quilt shop, you can have them do the final quilting of the top, batting and backing. All you need to do is sew all the blocks together and buy the batting and backing. Most quilt shops will help you with the puchasing part.

I would be happy to answer any questions you may have. I learned as a wee youngin' how to sew, my mom was a home ec teacher. I am now 33 and keep up with the older crowd. I love doing it and once you "figure it out" you may love it too!!!!

Feel free to PM me for an email address if you like!!

Jen

 

[icebrat001]

When I was 15 I took a class on JoAnns fabrics, I haven't quilted in a couple of years, however it's fun and not to difficult.

 

[crz4mm2]

I don't think quilting is hard at all. I have been quilting for years and years. I took a beginner class from a woman in my town. It was a 12 week class and we did a 'sampler' quilt. It was hand piecing and hand quilting. I do all mine by hand. THere are many many books out there, but you would probably be better off to take a class. YOu could do a one night class and learn the basics. If you are doing a quilt with all squares, you could put the squares together and just quilt around the squares. That would be very easy.
I wish you lived closer, I would come and help. It would be fun.
Good luck. You have the best reason to do a quilt!! Precious baby girl.

Cathy

 

[Beauty]

I just applied to OHBWQ.

So now what I do is go to my local fabric shop and pick out material that has a meaning to me and that I could send along with a wish? Then I measure and cut the material to the right size?

 

[poohandwendy]

I love to quilt, I machine piece and mix hand and machine quilting. I would love to eventually hand quilt all of my projects but at this stage of my life, they would NEVER be finished if I set that as a goal.


I love the end result of hours and hours of patience. It's amazing how the assembly of each piece can make it easy or very difficult to make the next step.

Each quilt is so different and personal. It is my goal to make 3 baby quilts with my childrens baby clothes and my wedding gown...as future heirlooms for my childrens babies.