Advice for beginning quilters

I’m so glad to hear there are a lot of new quilters out there!  Quilters like nothing more than sharing their obsession with others 🙂

During the Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway several people asked which of my patterns I would recommend for beginners.  Three of my patterns are good for beginners so I’ll give you the advantages and disadvantages of each. 

“A New View” is a great basic quilt pattern.  It is 98% sewing together strips.  This is a great way to start.  It is also put together using a typical quilt block structure, which I think is great experience for a new quilter.  The slight disadvantages of this as a beginner pattern are the size (it is big at 80″ x 84″) and that it uses a large number of fabrics that many beginners don’t have.  But, if you choose this one, you’ll have a lot of fun shopping!

“Bold” is another very easy quilt to make.  You only need two fabrics and it is a nice size for a beginner at 40″ square.  The down side of “Bold” is that is not put together like a typical quilt.

“Summer Sudoku” is also a great beginner quilt.  It is based on the traditional nine-patch block which any quilter should have tried at least once.  “Summer Sudoku” requires small amounts of nine different fabrics so it is a lot of fun to shop for too.  At 36″ square, it is a great beginner size.  The only real disadvantage is the applique in the border which a beginner might not feel comfortable tackling.  If that is the case, you can just forget the applique and leave the border plain.

None of these disadvantages are serious.  My best advice is to find a pattern you love, some fabric you love and have fun!

I have more to say on this subject, but I’ll wait and make it a separate post so it doesn’t get too long.

4 Comments
  • Lauren
    Posted at 13:40h, 23 December Reply

    I am a new old quilter (I am learning it for the second time from someone who knows, but I taught myself the first time around). I really like the way your first pattern looks. It looks difficult, so I would feel like I really accomplished something by the time I was done.

  • Cheryl Arkison
    Posted at 13:57h, 22 December Reply

    I've always adored the New View quilt. It's also a good beginner quilt because value and colour matter in that quilt. Good lessons.

  • Quilt Inspiration
    Posted at 15:31h, 21 December Reply

    Summer Sudoku is great for a beginner pattern ! Love the applique combined with the square blocks, and it would be a good way for someone to learn piecing and applique. It would make a perfect baby quilt!

  • kwiltmakr
    Posted at 14:23h, 21 December Reply

    When I started making quilts every patten I saw and liked looked too hard. I would have liked one of those pattens for a beginning pattern.

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