Supplies and Materials NEEDED to Quilt
Buy the best supplies that you can afford. Leave the fancy gadgets for later. Concentrate on purchasing good quality basic tools which will last a long time before you buy the “oh I gotta have thats”.
Strip quilt making is a quick cutting method by which certain tools are used to cut fabric into strips, then cross cut into triangles, squares, and rectangles to be machine sewn into a pre-determined quilt block pattern. In order to do this you must have:
Strip quilt making is a quick cutting method by which certain tools are used to cut fabric into strips, then cross cut into triangles, squares, and rectangles to be machine sewn into a pre-determined quilt block pattern. In order to do this you must have:
Rotary Cutter
A ROTARY CUTTER – This is a dangerous weapon. It must be used with great care and safety at all times. Select one very carefully. If you have small children at home be sure to select one that closes as soon as you release the handle and also has a locking button. Which by the way you should get in the habit of using every time you put the tool down.
Rotary cutters come, for the most part in two sizes. In the beginning select the 45 millimeter size and be sure to purchase extra blades. HINT: One nice extra gadget to purchase is the gizmo that sharpens rotary cutter blades.
Rotary cutters come, for the most part in two sizes. In the beginning select the 45 millimeter size and be sure to purchase extra blades. HINT: One nice extra gadget to purchase is the gizmo that sharpens rotary cutter blades.
Rotary Cutter Mat
A ROTARY CUTTER MAT – This is an absolute MUST HAVE. It is a self healing mat and expensive but with care will last a long time. The minimum size you should start with is about 18” x 24”. If you can afford it and have the room purchase the 36” x 24” mat. NEVER try to use the rotary cutter on anything but a self healing rotary cutter mat. You will be replacing your counter top, table top or anything else you try to use.
There are many brands of mats on the market so choose the one that is easiest for you to read the lines and numbers.
There are many brands of mats on the market so choose the one that is easiest for you to read the lines and numbers.
Rotary Ruler
A ROTARY RULER – These are acrylic rulers about 1/8” thick which are designed to be used with a rotary cutter. Choose one with 1/8” increment markings. The 6” x 24” ruler is a good size because you can cut an entire width of fabric strip with one cut. (45” fabric folded in half). If the budget allows buy a smaller one also.
The supplies listed above sometimes come in a pre-packaged kit. These are good starter kits and usually give you what you need as the basics.
In Addition You'll Need
SCISSORS – Invest in a good pair of sharp scissors and keep them ONLY for fabric use. Hide them from the rest of the family or tag them as off limits. Do not use them for paper cutting or anything else. Also invest in a good quality pair of “stork” scissors. These are a small pair of scissors used to cut those small threads and fabric tips.
SEAM RIPPER – Again, invest in a good seam ripper. How do I know if it's a good seam ripper?. The price is usually more. Dull seam rippers stretch the fabric and sometimes you’ll have to re-make the triangle or square because it’s been pulled out of shape. EVERY quilter uses a seam ripper.
SEAM RIPPER – Again, invest in a good seam ripper. How do I know if it's a good seam ripper?. The price is usually more. Dull seam rippers stretch the fabric and sometimes you’ll have to re-make the triangle or square because it’s been pulled out of shape. EVERY quilter uses a seam ripper.
Pins
PINS- While the flat plastic headed pins are nice you can’t use them around a hot iron. Invest in glass headed pins that are long and thin. There is less fabric pull when using them in seams and they can be used around an iron without melting. They can be expensive but look for sales and use coupons.
Shown are a mix of plastic and glass head pins which are very thin.
Shown are a mix of plastic and glass head pins which are very thin.
Thread
THREAD – There is much controversy over which brand of thread to buy. This manufacturer says theirs is the best, the other says theirs is the best.
One rule here, don’t buy CHEAP thread. Use a good quality cotton thread or a cotton covered polyester thread. Throw away all of the $1.00 a spool threads. Cheap thread causes lots of lint. It doesn't run well in a sewing machine. It has lots of "burrs". Hold it up in the light and you'll see a lot of fuzzies sticking out these are not good for your machine. Stay away from 100% polyester threads for piecing because you'll be using a hot iron to press and it will melt the poly threads.
If you’re paying a lot for your thread you want a color that goes with just about everything. Invest in a neutral color which can be used for most projects. It's really surprising how well a neutral grey goes with everything.
Thread marked as “quilting” thread is for hand quilting and because you’ll be focusing on machine quilting you don’t have to purchase “quilting” thread.
One rule here, don’t buy CHEAP thread. Use a good quality cotton thread or a cotton covered polyester thread. Throw away all of the $1.00 a spool threads. Cheap thread causes lots of lint. It doesn't run well in a sewing machine. It has lots of "burrs". Hold it up in the light and you'll see a lot of fuzzies sticking out these are not good for your machine. Stay away from 100% polyester threads for piecing because you'll be using a hot iron to press and it will melt the poly threads.
If you’re paying a lot for your thread you want a color that goes with just about everything. Invest in a neutral color which can be used for most projects. It's really surprising how well a neutral grey goes with everything.
Thread marked as “quilting” thread is for hand quilting and because you’ll be focusing on machine quilting you don’t have to purchase “quilting” thread.
Iron
IRON – Any brand of iron will do. You don’t have to invest in an expensive iron to quilt. The only qualities the iron must have is: it must get hot for cotton, and it must have steam. You must learn correct pressing methods in quilting. You are not ironing a pair of denim jeans.
Sewing Machine
The last (or perhaps the first) must have supply is a SEWING MACHINE.
This will be your most expensive purchase. Don’t fall for the line that you have to have the most expensive “quilter’s machine” to quilt. That is a bunch of bunk.
What the machine has to do is sew an accurate ¼” straight seam allowance. Quilt piecing is based on an accurate (VERY ACCURATE) 1/4" seam. Your machine MUST be able to be adjusted to sew a perfect 1/4" seam. Sometimes the needle can be adjusted, sometimes the machine comes with what is called a ¼” quilters foot. To check the ¼” seam allowance on a machine, cut two strips of fabric 1” x 3 ½”. Sew the two strips together, press open and measure. The sewn pieces should be 1 ½” wide. If they aren’t, you’ll have to do some adjusting of the machine until you do have it correctly. If the machine can’t be adjusted to sew an accurate ¼” seam allowance, don’t buy it no matter what the sales person says. All the bells and whistles on a fancy machine are just that, bells and whistles. You don’t need them to quilt. They are nice and the decorative stitches are fun to use, but remember you don’t NEED them. Quilt piecing is done with STRAIGHT STITCHES.
JUST A NOTE: I have an $1800.00 Janome 6600 machine a $350.00 Brother Sewing Embroidery Machine and a $150.00 Brother machine which I take on trips so as not to juggle my expensive machine around. The $150.00 Brother machine which I purchased at Wal Mart sews really well. It sews an accurate ¼” seam and drives over thick seams very well. Its light weight and easy to use. I’m not pushing the sale of the Brother machine I’m just saying that it does a very good job piecing quilt blocks and it was relatively inexpensive.
Some of the best machines you can buy are the older machines which are not computerized and made of metal parts, not plastic. You can buy them on ebay, craigslist, through your local paper. An old Singer, Pfaff, Bernina is a fabulous machine to learn quilting. A machine must drive over seams easily. A thought to remember is that these new computerized machines can jam when going over bulky seams and sometimes when they jam the only way to "fix" them is to take them to the repair man who then resets the computer for a very expensive fee.
This will be your most expensive purchase. Don’t fall for the line that you have to have the most expensive “quilter’s machine” to quilt. That is a bunch of bunk.
What the machine has to do is sew an accurate ¼” straight seam allowance. Quilt piecing is based on an accurate (VERY ACCURATE) 1/4" seam. Your machine MUST be able to be adjusted to sew a perfect 1/4" seam. Sometimes the needle can be adjusted, sometimes the machine comes with what is called a ¼” quilters foot. To check the ¼” seam allowance on a machine, cut two strips of fabric 1” x 3 ½”. Sew the two strips together, press open and measure. The sewn pieces should be 1 ½” wide. If they aren’t, you’ll have to do some adjusting of the machine until you do have it correctly. If the machine can’t be adjusted to sew an accurate ¼” seam allowance, don’t buy it no matter what the sales person says. All the bells and whistles on a fancy machine are just that, bells and whistles. You don’t need them to quilt. They are nice and the decorative stitches are fun to use, but remember you don’t NEED them. Quilt piecing is done with STRAIGHT STITCHES.
JUST A NOTE: I have an $1800.00 Janome 6600 machine a $350.00 Brother Sewing Embroidery Machine and a $150.00 Brother machine which I take on trips so as not to juggle my expensive machine around. The $150.00 Brother machine which I purchased at Wal Mart sews really well. It sews an accurate ¼” seam and drives over thick seams very well. Its light weight and easy to use. I’m not pushing the sale of the Brother machine I’m just saying that it does a very good job piecing quilt blocks and it was relatively inexpensive.
Some of the best machines you can buy are the older machines which are not computerized and made of metal parts, not plastic. You can buy them on ebay, craigslist, through your local paper. An old Singer, Pfaff, Bernina is a fabulous machine to learn quilting. A machine must drive over seams easily. A thought to remember is that these new computerized machines can jam when going over bulky seams and sometimes when they jam the only way to "fix" them is to take them to the repair man who then resets the computer for a very expensive fee.
So to recap SUPPLIES NEEDED:
A Sewing Machine, an Iron, good quality Thread, a Seam Ripper, Fabric Scissors, Pins, a Rotary Cutter Ruler, a Rotary Cutter Mat and a Rotary Cutter. Oh, of course a pattern and fabric.
A Sewing Machine, an Iron, good quality Thread, a Seam Ripper, Fabric Scissors, Pins, a Rotary Cutter Ruler, a Rotary Cutter Mat and a Rotary Cutter. Oh, of course a pattern and fabric.
Choosing a Pattern
OK, SO NOW YOU HAVE YOUR SUPPLIES, SELECT A PATTERN.
There are thousands of quilt block patterns available. You can get just about any pattern you want FREE from the internet. Just look up "free quilt patterns". You'll have to abide by copyright laws, but if you're making the block or quilt for your own personal use there will be no problem in violating those laws.
You’ll want to choose an easy pattern to begin your journey. Choose a 4 Patch or 9 Patch patterns which are very easy. They don’t have any triangles and you choose a few colors, cut strips, sew the strips together, cut the strips apart and sew them back together.That’s it.
PLEASE, don’t make the mistake of choosing something that is full of triangles and partial seams, etc. They’ll probably land up in the UFO (Un-Finished Objects) pile and never see the light of day again and you might even give up trying to learn to quilt because it was too hard. Truly it isn’t. If you want to try a few triangles in a block try a pattern called Hourglass.
There are a few books that I recommend for first time quilters. You’ll find easy blocks in each of these books and they will take you to the next step in your quilting abilities.
#1. YOUR FIRST QUILT BOOK (or it should be!) by Carol Doak, published by That Patchwork Place. Haven’t got a clue about quilting? This is the book for you.
#2. Fat Quarter Quilts, by M’Liss Rae Hawley, published by That Patchwork Place, Martingale. NOT the C&T publications M’Liss Rae Hawley Fat Quarter Quilts. They are two different publications and I am not recommending the C&T publication. JUST A NOTE: This particular publication is how I really learned to quilt. I haven’t taken classes and what I learned has been gleaned from books and this is one of the best. I made every quilt in the book and some of them twice. It gave me a great understanding of how to look at quilt blocks and how to put them together. The binding instructions were the first ones that I could really understand.
#3. Rotary Magic, by Nancy Johnson-Srebro, published by Rodale. This book has hundreds of tips, tricks, and techniques guaranteed to instantly improve every quilt you make. JUST A NOTE: I use this book all the time as a reference guide. It is a mainstay in my quilting book library.
#4. Marsha McCloskey’s Block Party, A Quilter’s Extravaganza of 120 Rotary Cut Block Patterns, published by Rodale. JUST A NOTE: This is another book that is a mainstay in my quilting book library. It was my start to designing my own quilts. It has good chapters in Designing your own quilts, Mix and Match projects and Quiltmaking Basics.
Some of the above books might be out of print and you’ll have to go searching for them on places like eBay, Amazon or secondhand book stores, but they will be worth your time and effort to seek them out.
There are thousands of quilt block patterns available. You can get just about any pattern you want FREE from the internet. Just look up "free quilt patterns". You'll have to abide by copyright laws, but if you're making the block or quilt for your own personal use there will be no problem in violating those laws.
You’ll want to choose an easy pattern to begin your journey. Choose a 4 Patch or 9 Patch patterns which are very easy. They don’t have any triangles and you choose a few colors, cut strips, sew the strips together, cut the strips apart and sew them back together.That’s it.
PLEASE, don’t make the mistake of choosing something that is full of triangles and partial seams, etc. They’ll probably land up in the UFO (Un-Finished Objects) pile and never see the light of day again and you might even give up trying to learn to quilt because it was too hard. Truly it isn’t. If you want to try a few triangles in a block try a pattern called Hourglass.
There are a few books that I recommend for first time quilters. You’ll find easy blocks in each of these books and they will take you to the next step in your quilting abilities.
#1. YOUR FIRST QUILT BOOK (or it should be!) by Carol Doak, published by That Patchwork Place. Haven’t got a clue about quilting? This is the book for you.
#2. Fat Quarter Quilts, by M’Liss Rae Hawley, published by That Patchwork Place, Martingale. NOT the C&T publications M’Liss Rae Hawley Fat Quarter Quilts. They are two different publications and I am not recommending the C&T publication. JUST A NOTE: This particular publication is how I really learned to quilt. I haven’t taken classes and what I learned has been gleaned from books and this is one of the best. I made every quilt in the book and some of them twice. It gave me a great understanding of how to look at quilt blocks and how to put them together. The binding instructions were the first ones that I could really understand.
#3. Rotary Magic, by Nancy Johnson-Srebro, published by Rodale. This book has hundreds of tips, tricks, and techniques guaranteed to instantly improve every quilt you make. JUST A NOTE: I use this book all the time as a reference guide. It is a mainstay in my quilting book library.
#4. Marsha McCloskey’s Block Party, A Quilter’s Extravaganza of 120 Rotary Cut Block Patterns, published by Rodale. JUST A NOTE: This is another book that is a mainstay in my quilting book library. It was my start to designing my own quilts. It has good chapters in Designing your own quilts, Mix and Match projects and Quiltmaking Basics.
Some of the above books might be out of print and you’ll have to go searching for them on places like eBay, Amazon or secondhand book stores, but they will be worth your time and effort to seek them out.
FABRIC
Of course, you’ll need fabric to quilt. Use 100% cotton. Do not use cotton/poly blends. You’re headed for a big headache if you do. Don’t use used sheets from the thrift store. Any stains which are on them but not apparent will show up. They are not a good choice.
Quilt shops offer the best fabric available and the most expensive. Wal Mart has fabric as does JoAnn’s, and Hancock’s etc. These fabrics are just fine for quilting as long as you remember to purchase 100% cotton. It’s up to you if you want to spend $6.99 per yard for that baby quilt or $13.99 per yard. For me, a non-heirloom baby quilt, the $6.99 per yard fabric is just fine just make sure that it's nice and soft to the touch, not stiff. For an heirloom wedding quilt that is planned to spend lifetimes in a family, no question, the $13.99 per yard fabric. Think about what the quilt is going to be used for when spending the money. When you're learning to measure, cut and piece quilt blocks I can't see spending an arm and leg for fabric. However, the fabric still needs to be a good quality 100% cotton fabric or you won't have the good results you are looking for. The internet is a fabulous place to purchase fabric. Fabric.com, JoAnns Online have great sales and coupons. Save your fabric buying time when you have coupons.
Of course, you’ll need fabric to quilt. Use 100% cotton. Do not use cotton/poly blends. You’re headed for a big headache if you do. Don’t use used sheets from the thrift store. Any stains which are on them but not apparent will show up. They are not a good choice.
Quilt shops offer the best fabric available and the most expensive. Wal Mart has fabric as does JoAnn’s, and Hancock’s etc. These fabrics are just fine for quilting as long as you remember to purchase 100% cotton. It’s up to you if you want to spend $6.99 per yard for that baby quilt or $13.99 per yard. For me, a non-heirloom baby quilt, the $6.99 per yard fabric is just fine just make sure that it's nice and soft to the touch, not stiff. For an heirloom wedding quilt that is planned to spend lifetimes in a family, no question, the $13.99 per yard fabric. Think about what the quilt is going to be used for when spending the money. When you're learning to measure, cut and piece quilt blocks I can't see spending an arm and leg for fabric. However, the fabric still needs to be a good quality 100% cotton fabric or you won't have the good results you are looking for. The internet is a fabulous place to purchase fabric. Fabric.com, JoAnns Online have great sales and coupons. Save your fabric buying time when you have coupons.
SELECTING FABRIC
Selecting fabrics can be a trying experience. One way to start out is to select what is called a “FOCUS” fabric. This is usually a print and will be the theme of the quilt, such as floral, animal, botanical, etc. Choose additional coordinating colors that go with the focus fabric. Usually the selvedge edge of the fabric will have coordinating color swatch in it. Use these colors to choose complementary colors. Plaids go with stripes, stripes go with florals, etc. sometimes you have to toss out your long ago learned rules of what goes with what when making a quilt.
Make sure when choosing fabric that you choose a dark fabric, a medium fabric and a light fabric. Choose prints of different scales. If you choose all small prints, while the quilt will look nice it might sometimes lacks the pop you see in quilts you like but don’t really know why. But again, this is your quilt and there are no rules. You’re free to choose any colors, any scales of print, etc. Don’t let someone try to dictate to you what you “have to do”. The only really good principle to stick by is to choose a dark, medium and light fabric to give added depth to your quilt.
Make sure when choosing fabric that you choose a dark fabric, a medium fabric and a light fabric. Choose prints of different scales. If you choose all small prints, while the quilt will look nice it might sometimes lacks the pop you see in quilts you like but don’t really know why. But again, this is your quilt and there are no rules. You’re free to choose any colors, any scales of print, etc. Don’t let someone try to dictate to you what you “have to do”. The only really good principle to stick by is to choose a dark, medium and light fabric to give added depth to your quilt.