I really enjoy QNN. QNN is a great way to bring together quilters from all over the world through technology. Thank you very much. It is wonderful to check in any time of day and see what programs are available. The shorter tips sessions are great too. I like the little vignettes from Germany and as a quilter from British Columbia, Canada. I love the Great Canadian Shop Hop and was thrilled to watch the show about Thread Bear shop in Vancouver, BC. I decided that I would like to respond to the QNN request for tips for beginning quilters.

Would you suggest taking a class, watching a video, joining a guild?

All of these ideas are wonderful ways to learn. Because everybody learns in different ways, the best way for one person to learn to quilt may not work as well for another person. For that reason I think that nowadays beginning quilters are really fortunate to have so many options available to them for learning how to quilt.

Classroom courses are good for most of us who learn by watching and then doing it ourselves with a teacher available on-site. Often a group of beginners really can motivate each other and at the end of the class you have met some quilting friends and have a finished (or near-finished) project as well as some new skills.  Classes are terrific for more experienced quilters also. There is always so much to learn and share! And quilters love to share ideas, I find.

However, some people are a little shy or may be in a community where a class is not available. So, there are wonderful books and videos available to help people learn to sew. These can be found through the Internet if people can't get to a store, as can fabric, kits and everything else that a person might possibly want or need that is associated with quilting. So if a person can find and log onto QNN they also have the resources needed to locate on-line quilting lessons and suppliers.

Guilds are a great resource for a beginning quilter! I am a member of the Greater Victoria Quilters Guild in Victoria, BC, Canada. We have more than 500 members currently and the "show and share" section is always my favorite part of each meeting. I am always amazed at the incredible wealth of knowledge, skill, and creativity that fellow members have. And they are so modest about their talents also. Guilds can offer classes, guest speakers, and a library of quilting resources. There is a huge wealth of information to be gleaned by joining a guild. If you can join a guild I heartily recommend it.

Start with a specific technique, pattern, author or book?

Quilting shops are a great starting place for those who are considering learning to quilt. There are quilts and other projects on display that can show you the variety of possibilities that you can do as you progress.

Quilt stores and many sewing machine stores provide quilting classes and technique books. The staff is knowledgeable and approachable and can help a person decide what might work best for them to start with.

I think that if a person is interested in learning to quilt they must have been attracted to the idea of quilting as a result of something they saw.

It is a good idea to reflect on what it is you were drawn to when you thought about learning to quilt. Was it bright coloured rag quilts? (If so, start with a simple patchwork class or how-to book). Was it a Baltimore Album quilt? (Perhaps start with a needle-turn appliqué class or how-to book).

I think that no matter where you start, once the quilting bug gets you, you will try all sorts of different techniques. Some may be more personally satisfying than others, but you can only find that out by trying different things. That is certainly part of the fun, I think. Are you drawn to machine quilting? Maybe you will like the meditation that hand quilting provides some quilters. Maybe you will enjoy both. Or maybe you will like to complete quilt tops and have them professionally quilted by a long arm quilter while you move on to your next quilt top adventure! 

What tools do you suggest?

These are my suggestions for a basic starter kit for patchwork:
1. A sewing machine with a straight stitch, zigzag stitch and hopefully with feed dogs that can be lowered or covered.
2. A 45mm rotary cutter and a spare blade, a self-healing cutting mat, and a couple of standard rulers. (6x24 and 6x6 inch)
3. Small sharp scissors, silk pins or flower-head pins.
4. A good iron and ironing board.
5. Some patience and a sense of humour.

Thank you again, QNN!!!  You are a great resource!
 
Sarah Barnes
Victoria, BC