crafty pat

All of the above are all very good advice. Each quilter has their own way of doing things. For me I always wash my fabrics before using to let it do any shrinking or bleeding before I put it in my quilt. I always measure twice so I only have to cut it out once. I keep cheap fabric around and always make a practice block of any new pattern as some patterns can be off,as I learned the hard way when using one from a magazine. Take your time and enjoy and don't be afraid to try something new.

fairydawn

Measure twice, cut once! Also make sure you cut accurately and sew your quarter inch seams precisely.

QuiltnLady1

Start with the best tools you can afford -- if you have an inexpensive rotary cutter or a bad mat you will hate it and you will probably not be able to cut accurately

Take good care of your machine -- clean it and oil it (if it needs it) frequently and it will like you.

To get an accurate 1/4" foot, use a lined note card (the lines are 1/4" apart) and put blue painters tape on the bed to mark the spot. I did this for years before I had the 1/4" foot and it really helps.

When cutting things out, decide how are you goin to position the fabric with respect to the ruler line to get your measurement -- on a side or maybe in the middle. If you aren't consistent, your blocks won't be the same size.

Start with fabric from a thrift store so you don't feel bad if you make a mistake and have to toss the block. This is good practice material and a lot of folks here on the board use what the get at the thrift store or garage sales all the time since fabric is soooo expensive.

ManiacQuilter2

Take your time and learn how to sew an accurate 1/4 of an inch seam.......

sew watts quilter

Take a picture of every project you make. I have been quilting for about five years and have a picture of almost every project I have ever made. I love to look back at them. I enjoy looking at the progress I have made and reminisce about my quilts and the people I gave them to.

WTxRed

Believe in yourself and the fact that you CAN make any quilt that you want to! Some are just more of a challenge than others but do-able. Don't listen to the nay-sayers.

Boston1954

Nearly everything I know is from trial and error. I wish I had someone standing next to me back in 1992 when I started and told me to pin, pin, pin. I once tried putting on a binding without pinning first, and it shifted so that I had to rip the whole side out. 66 inches!! Yikes.

AndreaC

Finish your first quilt! You might see your first finished quilt top and only see your mistakes and be tempted to put the top away and make a different one (or worse, quit altogether!), but don't. You won't believe how much better it will look when it's quilted, bound, and washed. Everyone has a first quilt. You learn something from every one you make.

marand

Use the same brand of ruler for every project because the lines on different brands are different thicknesses. Invest in good thread. Go read about it. Finer thread makes for better quarter inch seams! Change your rotary blades more often!

liking quilting

Don't listen to the "quilt police." Enjoy this great hobby and remember there's many different ways to achieve the result you're after. Not every technique works well for everyone.