Conniequilts

My teacher taught us the Irish Chain.

Edie

[quote=AudreyB]I will be teaching a beginning quilting class soon and I was wondering what quilt pattern you would suggest for new quilters.

I have been quilting 12 years and have some ideas for beginners, but I was wondering what ideas other quilters might have.

The class will be six weeks, meeting once a week, and cover all aspects of quilting, from fabric selection through binding and labels.

Thanks for your help.

I never took a quilting class, but I, through my mother, showed me that if I made a few sampler quilts I could do anything. Practice on a sampler block and make one for a quilt. Then you have something to look back on and decide if you would like to make a quilt of the same blocks.

I have done this several times and have found a lot of patterns to make full quilts from. But, I still love the sampler quilts. I love the names of them, the design of them and sometimes if I can find it, the history of them, and I always go to quilterscache.com and I can get the size I want, the design/designs I want and I am set to go. I will always remember my very first pattern - Antique Tile - 12" block. 2x2 blocks, 2x4 blocks and a 4x4 block. It has to be the easiest. Mine was 5 across, 7 down, 12" blocks, 2" sashing, 4" border. It is and probably will always be my favorite. It took me over a year to make it because it is my Memory Quilt and sometimes I had to buy fat quarters just to get one little fussy cut out of one. I also think a Memory Quilt is the best to start on also. I traded fabric with my sisters, mother, and friends to get what I needed.

Just a thought, but you don't want anyone getting bored either or too frustrated at making a quilt. Points are an absolute no-no for the beginner. I still have to walk away from the machine and take the dog for a walk.

Good luck to you. I am sure you will be a wonderful teacher.

Edie

jolo

I taught my dgd on a turning twenty pattern. I turned out well.

berryberry

I took a beginning quilting class at my local LQS. The text was Piecing the Piece of Cake Way and the pattern we used from the book was the lightening 4 patch.

stefanib123

I am getting ready to take a beginners class next month, but that will be the first I've ever taken.

The first quilt I did was a 9 patch. I wish I had known about the D9P, I would have done it, its just one more cut, and one more seam.

A sampler is also good, as you get to experience different blocks.

grammy Dwynn

My '101 Beginner Quilt class' was a sampler quilt. I learned so, so much. Not all the blocks were done in the class, some were 'homework'. By doing some of my blocks at home it gave me confidence that I could do this on my own.

IMHO learning to quilt is not just learning to do the 'simple' patterns, it is learning that there is a lot to quilting. So if a teacher can 'squeeze' as many techniques into 101 classes, they will have confident quilters.

good luck on your class!

Homespun

I would suggest a Potato Chip Quilt--You can't make just one--also called "Two Step".

jackiesmith

My beginners quilting class made a "Flower Power"? quilt. Each square had an appliqued flower and appliqued centers. I am not the least be intimidated when a pattern calls for an applique. Got that out of the way first thing.

laughingquilter

I think the Rail Fence is one of the easiest quilts to make. It'd make a good starter.

catrancher

My first quilt was a nine-patch and rail set on point. I learned SO MUCH from just that one quilt. I especially liked it because it looked like a real quilt rather than something so simple I could make it without any instruction. By that I mean that a quilt made just from row upon row of 6-inch blocks is so simple a child could figure it out. When I finished this quilt, I had something I was really proud of. It was simple enough for a beginner to do a good job and have a nice quilt, but not so simple that it looked simple.

If you would like, I'd be happy to send you the instrucitons via email or snail mail. Credit to my quilt teacher Lorraine G. from the local community college.