Jakers1

I began quilting about 2 years ago, when I retired. I had not sewen for about 20 years. I found a class at the technical school and go to it faithfully. I would recommend you find a class either at a school or a local quilt store, or a mentor with experience. I also made a lot of friends in the class, and they also help with color, cutting, and patterns. I have a Sauder sewing table which is in the middle of the wall; when doing a large project, I use the table to the left on the sewing table and a chair to support the weight. I use an inexpensive Singer for piecing, works just fine, it is nothing fancy. At school we use Berninas or Janomes. Once you get started, you get the bug.

grandme26

Welcome! What I like about quilting , there are NO set rules. Just do it. Your quilt well turn out beautiful and you will learn what works for you.

carencake

Hello, I enjoy hand piecing and hand quilting, slow process but so satisfying. After cutting my pieces at the kitchen table I often work with a tv tray holding my pieces as the blocks develop. My latest thing is rescuing baby cribs that can not be used today by law if the side drop down. My DLH takes them apart then drills holes in the side rails to bolt together. this forms an a frame rack with equal spacing. One is used to display the ones I have not given away. mostly baby, or lap size. the other I use to hang my design wall or use the rungs to hang strips while working so I don't mess up too much. Good Luck. As in cake decorating there is no ugly quilt as long as you make it with love and enjoyed the process.

ruby2shoes

I use my 27 year old Janome sewing machine to do quilting. Was able to purchase a walking foot and a darning foot that fitted her perfectly..hey presto I'm up and quilting! I'm a novice but have done 3 quilts on the old girl and am about to do another 2. It's all about practice, and working out what you and your machine can do.

bigredharley

welcome from Delaware, and it must be those darned quilt police filling your head with nonsense. I haven't been quilting too long, maybe 6 months. I got a quilting sewing machine just because my husband wanted to buy me a machine I'd love. What makes it a quilter is that it has a deeper throat and nothing more. I don't have a long arm, although I REALLY would love one, and I seem to constantly be getting family members "sign up" for their quilt to be next. I've done baby quilts for shower gifts and they are a hit every time. The only thing I do is stitch in the ditch.

Try it!!! Start small. Pick some fat quarters and an easy pattern and you will be hooked. Good Luck!

Lovequilting22

Hi Denise! Welcome to the board! Im new here too! I love this board! Like the others have said, I'm not sure who told you all of that incorrect info, but I did my first quilt on a basic Singer. The top came out beautiful and it's in the process of being quilted on my not-so-basic new machine. (I do machine embroidery too so I upgraded for that. The sewing machine part is awesome too, but not necessary). Right now, I'm sewing on a pretty small table and like one of the other ladies said, I use a TV tray to balance the excess. You use what you have. . Good luck and I can't wait to see your first completed project. (We all love pictures here)

Jenny Doan (Missouri Star Quilting Company) always says: "there are no quilt police". I love that and I remind myself of that often when I think something has to be a certain way. The only way it has to be is the way you want it! happy quilting!

carolaug

I am self taught...though I learnt most of what I have learnt from this board and many, many utube videos. You can do it!!! I started on a Kenmore sewing machine and FMQ'd a twin size quilt on that...I was hooked...made a few more and than for Christmas my hubby bought me a Janome 7700. I use to use an ironing board to hold the weight of my quilt prior to getting a table from Ikea. If I had to do it over I would have waited to buy expensive fabric as you get better and better. Go through your closet, look for 100 percent shirts you no longer use...make a few scrappy quilts to practice on. do you have a cat...make a small cat rug. they love them!

RuthiesRetreat3

I made my first quilt in the living room with my machine on the coffee table. Kept squares in Tupperware until they were all put together. That was 1968. A couple years later I did start using the dining table for constructing the quilts and also for quilting them on my regular machine. I did hand quilt a few also, but that was very time consuming for a working mom. I didn't get a long arm until 2010 and all the quilts I made in between 1968 and 2010 continue to survive. So, you go gal and don't let anyone tell you that you can't or shouldn't do something a certain way.

Jeanette Frantz

Denise,

I am also a relative "rank amateur" in that I've only done a couple of quilts. I have a 1963 Singer 328K, a 1954 Featherweight (great for piecing) and no room or money for a "long arm" machine. I do have a very large rectangular dining room table, but it's been stacked with so much stuff from my aunt's house, I can barely see the top of it! LOL.

I could not say it better -- necessity is the mother of invention. If you have the inclination and the desire to make quilts. you can do it.

Also, the "hand quilted quilts don't last" is just not true. It's much faster to machine quilt and I think that's largely why machines are used. I have hand quilted a couple of baby quilts, but had the one large quilt I made (a hand-embroidered whole cloth quilt) machine quilted by my cousin who has a quilt shop in Oklahoma! I am in the process of beginning a very large Log Cabin quilt (actually a spread for a queen-sized bed) and I will be hand-quilting it!

If you love quilts, you will succeed in making them. They are truly family treasures!

Jeanette Frantz

Jeanette Frantz

By the way, I forgot to add my "Welcome to the Board" from Ocala, Florida!

Jeanette Frantz