Computer Crafting and Digital Designs: CDs and Software: Quilting/Sewing Software

All items in category Computer Crafting and Digital Designs: CDs and Software: Quilting/Sewing Software:

• Custom Quilt Label Kit

Quilting So, You Want To Make a Quilt

Where do you start? In the past, our grandmothers made their own templates from cardboard, laboriously traced around them and cut the individual pieces out with scissors. The pieces were then hand or machine sewn together and the whole quilt was carefully hand-quilted. You can still make quilts this way if you choose, and it can be very satisfying. However, if you'd like to make a quilt using the new rotary cutting methods, you can achieve a finished quilt in a fraction of the time. The new methods not only make quilt making faster, but also easier and more accurate.

Choosing a pattern if you are a beginner need not be difficult. Some books or patterns give you a difficulty rating. If not, look for a pattern with larger, simple shapes like squares and right triangles. A good basic how-to book (Start Quilting with Alex Anderson, or Quilter's Complete Guide) can be a great resource, or purchase an individual pattern (Something's Fishy) that catches your eye.

If you are intimidated by the color choices available, you can purchase a kit. This will have all the fabrics you need for a particular project chosen by experts. Or, you can limit the number of fabrics you use. A two-color quilt (red and white or blue and white) is classic and always dramatic. Or, chose a print in the colors you like, and using the color dots on the selvedge, pick complementary fabrics.

Choosing fabric colors for a project is half the fun of creating a quilt. To get started, select a focus fabric or print, then select fabrics in the colors of the print to enhance the scheme. Establish a color palette of dark, medium, and light fabrics. Using color and patterns in unexpected ways adds dimension and character to quilts.

After you have chosen your pattern and fabric, you need a few basic tools. These consist of a mat, a rotary cutter and a thick Plexiglas ruler. The rotary cutter comes in various sizes and shapes, but basically they all are the same - a rolling blade. Choose one that has the features you want. Remember, when the blade is dull, you only replace the blade, not the entire cutter.