forum » The Sewing Mom

26th October 2008

Quilting With My Quilt Patch

As many of you all ready know, I’ve been learning to piece fabrics together to make a quilt. I’ve been doing piece work for several years, but I’ve always done smaller projects such as purses and tote bags which are much more forgiving if my pieces don’t match up quite right. With a quilt though, things can really look bad if not done properly, it may not even lay flat if the seams aren’t correct. Who wants a quilt that won’t lay flat? In other words, it’s important to actually know what you’re doing, if you want to make a quilt!

Quilting is becoming a family tradition for us. My mom is an avid and phenomenal quilter. Both of my sisters have been making quilts and wall hanging much longer than I have and I am the newbie, but enjoying it. The biggest thing I’ve learned so far is that when it comes to taking on projects like quilts, it can be so helpful to be a part of a quilters group, a group of people doing the same type of work, who can help with questions and directions. Before taking my beginning piecing class last month, I couldn’t even understand the directions for cutting the fabric, it made absolutely no sense to me. Since taking the class, I’ve not only completed the quilt top we made in class, but I ventured out on my own, bought fabric and a pattern, and completed a quilt top for my granddaughter too! I feel like I’ve made so much progress in the last few months and am very pleased with the results.

My mom and sister belong to a local quilt guild, a group of women who get together on a regular basis to work on projects and to teach each other new techniques or patterns. They have really been enjoying both the quilting aspect of it as well as the friendships they’ve formed. As a beginner, I’m not sure I’m ready to join a guild, but I recently found a great online quilting forum where I can go, as a member, and ask questions and get answers. This is a great place where other individuals, with the same (or greater) level of enthusiasm for quilting, can come together, much like in a guild, and share ideas. It’s also a great place to showcase projects I am working on or will complete (once I get my quilt tops turned into finished quilts!).

MyQuiltPatch.com is a subscription based quilting website that is loaded with quilting articles, patterns, projects and many other resources for quilters of all levels. Similar to a magazine subscription, there is an annual membership fee, or, fees can be paid monthly. This really is a great time to join because the site is offering a discounted “Founder Member” rate of only $7 per month, a savings of over $12 per month off the regular subscription rate. A few of the features include a forum, private messaging between members, web video chat, photo galleries and links to members personal websites. One of my favorite features is the video tutorials, I can actually learn quilting techniques from this site! Anyone with a passion for quilting should check out www.MyQuiltPatch.com and take advantage of their one month free trial they currently have available.

The biggest benefit for me is the easy online access when I’m in the middle of a project and need help. It’s an interactive community of quilters, what better place to go to with my questions? Even if I were in a guild, this is a great forum to be a member of, with 24 hour access, 7 days a week. After all, you just never know when I’m going to need project help!