Ok, so you don't want to rush out and buy a whole bunch of books. I don't blame you. So, I will offer you a very nice beginner's guide here online. Free.
First and foremost, supplies can be very expensive. If you have a Joann's ETC or Joann Fabric nearby, go to Joann.com and sign up for the Sales Fliers. Make sure you take these in to the store often and have them scanned so that you will continue to receive them. These fliers generally have a 50% off one item coupon as well as advanced notice of sales, such as 50% off all quilting notions.
Scissors:
You will want a nice new pair of dressmaker's shears that are used only for FABRIC. (I use the 8") Do not use them to cut paper. If you are on a limited budget, I would recommend Fiskars brand. However, if you have the extra money, and/or a 50% off coupon, Ginghers are awesome. You will also want a small pair of embroidery scissors, or thread snips, for keeping near the sewing machine.
Cutting Mat:View
A cutting mat is a special mat surface that is used in conjunction with a rotary cutter and special ruler. Most mats are called "self healing" in that after a blade puts a groove in the mat, it just melts itself back together, so to speak. (I don't know how they work, but they do.) The combination of the mat, rotary ruler and cutter, allow you to get uniform and smooth cuts, whether that be strips or squares, than you can get with scissors. Get the largest size mat to fit your cutting area, the 18" x 24" is a common size for many quilters. The cutting mats are all about the same in price. I highly recommend the Omnigrid brand. It has a grey back so that you can use it to cut darker fabrics. Thus, you can use both sides of the mat. An online source that has great prices on quilting supplies is www.hancocks-paducah.com.
Rotary Cutter:View
There are currently two brands that I would recommend. If you have small children around, then I highly suggest the Olfa Ergonomic cutter. It is a bit more pricey, but you can lock it shut, and believe me, it is hard to unlock. It is also a good choice because, unless you lock it open, it opens and closes the blade release with the pressure of your hand on the grip. Thus, preventing the possibility of injuries when you forget to close it. The second choice is the Fiskars. I used that one for the first year. It also has an ergo style handle but you have to press a button to open and close. Perhaps not a good idea with children around because it is so easy to forget to close it. These cutters have razor sharp blades. They are serious business.
********* ALWAYS CLOSE YOUR ROTARY CUTTER WITH EACH PASS, BEFORE YOU SET IT DOWN! *********
Rulers:View
You cannot use a standard ruler with your cutting mat and rotary cutter. There are special rulers made for this purpose. They are strong and acrylic with both inch and metric measurements. It is very important to use *only* a ruler designed for rotary cutting. They are thicker and designed to have the rotary blade run along side it. My favorite brand is Omnigrid. I just find the lettering and coloring easier on the eyes. A popular size is 6" x 24", however, I now find that I use my 12.5" square ruler more often than any other. There is also a 15" square available. (The store didn't have them when I bought mine.) I find that I get more use and more control out of this size ruler. But, get what your budget affords. If you can have only one, I would recommend the 6" x 24". If you can afford several, then I would recommend the 6" x 24", the 12.5 or 15" square, and a smaller 6" square ruler for squaring up smaller blocks.
Thimble:View
If you plan to hand quilt, or even hand tack your binding to the back of your quilt, a thimble is imperative. Trust me, your thumb and fingers will thank you. Now, there are as many styles of thimbles out there as I am years old, but just get a plain old $1.50 stainless steel/aluminum version to start. I have "wasted" money on 3 other styles and still go back to the old faithful thimble. As you get more into quilting, and if you find a passion for hand quilting, there is a thimble called Roxanne's Thimble that is supposed to be awesome. (Can you tell I don't hand quilt?)
Needles:
You will need needles for both hand quilting and your sewing machine. For hand quilting, I recommend that you get a combo pack of "betweens" and "sharps". These packages usually have something like "quilting needles" on them. Honestly, I haven't figured out the difference between them, but I don't do a lot of hand quilting. The smaller the needle you can handle, the better. Will give you smaller stitches. For your machine, 70/10 universal are good for piecing and 80/12 universal are good for machine quilting. If you plan to use heavier materials, such as denim, you will want the 90/14. Also, for hand quilting, there is a product called "thread heaven" or just regular beeswax to treat your thread with to reduce tangling.
Pins:
You will need both straight pins and bent safety pinsView:
- For piecing, you will want some straight pins. Now, there are some yellow headed pins that are longer that are supposedly made for quilters. I dislike them. They leave a larger hole in the fabric and are just not that sharp. I get the smaller multi colored and the glass headed pins. The glass headed are great for ironing because they won't melt. The smaller, finer needles you can handle, the better.
- For applique, there are these really small needles that specifically say "applique." They are wonderful. Pretty tiny, but take up little space and are easily inserted. Like the applique pins, there are also "silk pins" which are pretty nice.
- An almost absolute MUST are the flower head pins. They have a long needle body, but thin, and slide in fabric wonderfully. The flat flower head helps keep things flat. When piecing, they are wonderful to hold fabrics together.
- Don't forget something to hold your pins, whether it be that old fashioned tomato or a handy dandy magnetic sytle pin cushion. (I have two of the latter for my two different style pins.)
- When you get to basting your quilt, there will be several options. I would recommend a combination of spray and pin basting. Thus, you will want some of the bent safety pins. Not the straight version. These are silver, not gold, and bent on one side. The bend makes them easy to slide in and close on the quilt. I would recommend getting the medium (3/4") and larger(1") sized versions.
Miscellaneous Notions
Whew! Sounds like we are spending major $$$ now doesn't it? Well, it is true. The upstart for quilting can be high, up to $100 or so, not including your machine. But, remember, you don't have to get it all at once. Buy here and there, when on sale, and build up your tools. Now, here are the final notion suggestions:
- The unfortunate reality, and most used tool for any quilter, is the unsewer. That is, the seam ripper. Now, most will get one of these with their new sewing machine, but investing in a longer handled version will aid in the comfort of the whole unsewing process.
- Storage Organizers: You will of course need some way to keep all of your quilting tools organized. There are many, many organizers on the market. Chose one that gives you plenty of storage space, decide if you want it to house your books, mags, etc, and also is easy to move around, or carry around.
- Plastic Templates: Whether to use as a guide for applique, or to mark your quilting on your quilt itself, these are handy little designs cut out of nice weight plastic template material.
- Needle threader
Sewing Machine
Unless you plan to hand sew, you will need a good sewing machine. Chances are you already have one, but if not, avoid the temptation to buy a cheapo $150 machine from your local retailer. Visit your local sewing machine store and get yourself a nice used machine if that is all you can afford. It is imperative that you have metal gears. If they are plastic, and they break, your machine is pretty much totaled. Reliable sewing machines available are: Huskvarna Viking, Bernina, Pfaff, Brother (not necessarily the version you get from stores like WalMart though), Janome (they make a wonderful little fella called the Janome Gold Jem that is about $300.)
If you absolutely cannot afford a higher priced machine, purchase a machine for which you will be able to buy additional feet. Also, being able to drop the "feed dogs" is essential for free motion quilting. You will want to be able to get the following additional feet:
- 1/4" piecing foot: this enables you to get true 1/4" seam allowances, the standard for machine piecing and by which almost all patterns are written.
- Walking foot: also called "dual feed foot", this foot helps guide the bottom and top fabric through the machine at the same time. This is imperative when machine quilting so that the lining/backing, doesn't move ahead of the quilt top, thus causing puckering in the quilting.
On to Easy 1Patch Baby Quilt
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