A crafts forum. CraftBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » CraftBanter forum » Textiles newsgroups » Quilting
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

"Drat", says newbie...



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #11  
Old August 16th 06, 05:21 AM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
Cats
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,853
Default "Drat", says newbie...

Hi from OZ (Australia) Jean

I started out to make a Cathedral Window quilt from a
magazine article that showed ONE cathedral window panel
about 16" square made up as a cushion. I - in blissful
ignorance - assumed that I could reduce the block, pad the
inserts and make a quilt the size of a KS bedspread in just
a couple of weekends.

Over 30years on I still have the unfinished quilt with me.
It has travelled all over the country and I kept it to teach
myself to "look before I leap" (It didn't work LOL). I
chose a very small scale to work on, bought polyester fabric
in a very dark colour (hard to work at night) and never
factored the extra work involved in making over 240 tiny
little cushions for inserts ROFLMAO

My advice to any newbie would be - start small and simple
with good quality fabrics (cotton preferably), batting and
threads - and finish it! Learn the basics and all the
"rules" - which you can then disregard at will of course,
but at least not thru ignorance.

Welcome to the wonderful world of quilting.

--

Cheryl & the Cats
_ _ _ _ _ _
( Y ) ( Y ) ( Y )
~ ~ ~
Enness Boofhead Donut
Now in hibernation with a wake-up call for Spring!
http://community.webshots.com/user/witchofthewest
catsatararatATyahooDOTcomDOTau



"Jean B." wrote in message
...
: All I can say right now is "drat"! I came here looking
for
: ideas for surface design and dyeing, and now I (person who
has
: always loathed sewing) want to make a quilt! You must be
: contageous or something....
:
: I am also thinking I want to do something by hand
first....
: Are crazy quilts the easiest? Any good links for total
: newbies? Hmmmm. I'd better go look at the FAQ if there
is
: one. I have been looking at eye candy--and at more
practical
: things like about.quilting....
:
: I don't know whether to close with a smile or a frown.
Time
: will tell....
: --
: Jean B.


Ads
  #12  
Old August 16th 06, 07:53 AM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
Patti
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 5,076
Default "Drat", says newbie...

Welcome, Jean.
The bad news - it's incurable.
The good news - it's life enhancing and most enjoyable (though it can be
frustrating!)

As to a crazy quilt:
I honestly wouldn't suggest that you do one for your first quilt -
unless you are 'vowed and determined' to do so! The techniques are so
different from the vast majority of quilts that you might do.
Also, I would suggest that you start with something smaller than a
bed-sized quilt. If you make something useful - like place mats and/or
a table runner, you will be learning 'how to do' without having most of
the snags of weight and sheer size. And, if you were sure you wanted to
do 'crazy', these would be manageable.
With Christmas not *too* far away, perhaps a Christmas set of mats and
runner would be fun. If you didn't manage it by *this* Christmas,
there's always another one round the corner g.

Check out 'crazy quilt' on Google- Images to see examples. There will
be hundreds!

By the way, there's plenty info about dyeing over the years. You could
use that as a keyword and have a look in Google - Groups -
rec.crafts.textiles.quilting.

All the best,
..
In message , Jean B.
writes
All I can say right now is "drat"! I came here looking for ideas for
surface design and dyeing, and now I (person who has always loathed
sewing) want to make a quilt! You must be contageous or something....

I am also thinking I want to do something by hand first.... Are crazy
quilts the easiest? Any good links for total newbies? Hmmmm. I'd
better go look at the FAQ if there is one. I have been looking at eye
candy--and at more practical things like about.quilting....

I don't know whether to close with a smile or a frown. Time will
tell....


--
Best Regards
pat on the hill
  #13  
Old August 16th 06, 03:24 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
Debra
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,520
Default "Drat", says newbie...

On Tue, 15 Aug 2006 20:31:58 -0400, "Jean B." wrote:

All I can say right now is "drat"! I came here looking for
ideas for surface design and dyeing, and now I (person who has
always loathed sewing) want to make a quilt! You must be
contageous or something....


Yes, we are very contagious. I came looking for the name of a block,
now I make quilts.

I am also thinking I want to do something by hand first....
Are crazy quilts the easiest?


That depends. Do you feel you need a pattern, or would you like to
fly by the seat of your pants and make it up as you go along? Although
there are crazy patch patterns online, they aren't the way traditional
crazy patches were made. Crazy quilting is a very free form kind of
thing. Cut up some scraps in various colors, put them in a bag or bin
and mix them together, cut paper or muslin for a background the size
you want your block to be, sew the fabric scraps to the background
until the background is covered, trim the edges of the block and you
are done with you first block. You might want to add surface
embroidery stitches over the edges of all the seams of the block and
that can be done by hand or machine.

Another easy by hand block type is applique. There are a lot of
applique block patterns online covering almost every possible theme
from alligators to zinnia flowers. An easy butterfly pattern is on
this web page: http://quiltmaker.com/patterns/patt189/

Any good links for total
newbies?


Some quilt blocks he
http://www.quilterscache.com/QuiltBlocksGalore.html
http://www.quiltbus.com/quiltblocks.htm
http://www.quiltbus.com/QuiltBlocksII.htm

quilting links to explore
http://www.quilterscache.com/QuiltBlocksGalore.html

cats and quilts here, including how to pet-proof your sewing space
http://www.catswhoquilt.com/patterns.html

Hmmmm. I'd better go look at the FAQ if there is
one.


Our FAQ is posted once a month, unfortunately I don't have a link to
the online site.

I have been looking at eye candy--and at more practical
things like about.quilting....


I don't know whether to close with a smile or a frown. Time
will tell....


Pick a small project first. A table runner or placemats, baby quilt,
lap quilt, or a simple wall hanging will be big enough that you can
decide if you enjoy quilting while being small enough that you can
finish the project fairly quickly. You could even make a four block
sampler with each block made using a different method to find which
technique you enjoy doing the most; crazy patch, applique, traditional
piecing, and paper piecing.

My first two projects were simple and I've included a link to the
webshots pictures in my signature line if you would like to see them.
The wall hanging was machine strip pieced with an applique boat added
to it. The applique and quilting were done by hand.

Debra in VA
See my quilts at
http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere
  #14  
Old August 16th 06, 03:40 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
Georg
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 137
Default "Drat", says newbie...

Jean B. wrote:
All I can say right now is "drat"! I came here looking for ideas for
surface design and dyeing, and now I (person who has always loathed
sewing) want to make a quilt! You must be contageous or something....

I am also thinking I want to do something by hand first.... Are crazy
quilts the easiest? Any good links for total newbies? Hmmmm. I'd
better go look at the FAQ if there is one. I have been looking at eye
candy--and at more practical things like about.quilting....

I don't know whether to close with a smile or a frown. Time will tell....


Easy depends on what you like to do. How natural is embroidery for you?
Crazy quilts have fabric tossed on willy-nilly and embroidered over and
decorated. If this style is wonderful for your frame of reference of
what you like to do, well jump in!

If your focus is "surface design", think about the fabric of a quilt as
yet another surface to design. You can fold the fabrics like paper, add
textures with rips of fabric, beads, embroidery, and if you don't want
to wash the finished piece, glue or attach other items. Weave fabric
strips (with finished edges or no). Tie knots in strips. But remember,
the heavier the stuff you put on the front, the sturdier the backing
will need to be/heavily quilted or other stabilizer. You can also do
prairie points or other textural fabric techniques.

Think about purpose of the finished object- for the wall as Art, or a
lap quilt. Do you want to snuggle into it or have a picnic on it? These
answers will affect your finished quilt.

You may even like the textured surface of a Cathedral Windows quilt.

-georg
  #15  
Old August 16th 06, 06:04 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
Roberta Zollner
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,988
Default "Drat", says newbie...

Welcome Jean! You can keep on dyeing, makes for great quilts. Would be
interesting to use hand-dyes in a crazy quilt... Ever hand-dye velvets or
other textured fabric?

I've only done crazies on the machine, so can't answer your question. They
were super-easy on the machine though. I do one now and then to cull the
scrap basket.
Roberta in D, Queen of the Scrap Heap

"Jean B." schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
All I can say right now is "drat"! I came here looking for ideas for
surface design and dyeing, and now I (person who has always loathed
sewing) want to make a quilt! You must be contageous or something....

I am also thinking I want to do something by hand first.... Are crazy
quilts the easiest? Any good links for total newbies? Hmmmm. I'd better
go look at the FAQ if there is one. I have been looking at eye candy--and
at more practical things like about.quilting....

I don't know whether to close with a smile or a frown. Time will tell....
--
Jean B.



  #16  
Old August 16th 06, 07:33 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
Jean B.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 66
Default "Drat", says newbie...

Sandy Foster wrote:

In article , "Jean B."
wrote:


All I can say right now is "drat"! I came here looking for
ideas for surface design and dyeing, and now I (person who has
always loathed sewing) want to make a quilt! You must be
contageous or something....

I am also thinking I want to do something by hand first....
Are crazy quilts the easiest? Any good links for total
newbies? Hmmmm. I'd better go look at the FAQ if there is
one. I have been looking at eye candy--and at more practical
things like about.quilting....

I don't know whether to close with a smile or a frown. Time
will tell....




Welcome, Jean! G We love being contagious! LOL! As for hand work, you
can do any quilt that way (crazy quilts aren't my thing, but they're
truly masterpieces). I'm currently in love with Linda Franz's Quilted
Diamonds (http://www.lindafranz.com/) and am doing them entirely by
hand. She puts out a wonderful DVD explaining the entire process. HTH!


Oh, you guys are bad! First making me think I want to make a
quilt, and now being just so darned nice. :-) There's no way
I can reply to y'all, so please don't be dismayed if I don't
reply to any particular message. I'm going to try to sit on
my hand. :-) So this will have to suffice for a several
messages I think.

--
Jean B.
  #17  
Old August 16th 06, 07:36 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
Jean B.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 66
Default "Drat", says newbie...

Mika wrote:

Hi Jean. Welcome to the cyber quilt frame. Lots of good information can be
gleaned from the ladies here if you bribe them properly. That means
Chocolate or fabric or more chocolate or even more fabric. Sit down and take
a load off and pass the chocolate. You do have chocolate right? ;-)

Hugs,
Mika


Not my chocolate!!!! I have a chocolate stash.... DARK
chocolate.... I'm a chocoholic.... It will take a while to
accrue nice cloth though. I did just pick up the last
supplies to try out the methods in "Color by Accidental", so
we'll see what happens. (Since everything I read said one
should use a mask when dyeing, I decided to take that advice.)

--
Jean B.
  #18  
Old August 16th 06, 07:38 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
Jean B.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 66
Default "Drat", says newbie...

Kellie J. Berger wrote:

hee hee hee... yup contagious and enablers to boot! lol....
Welcome!

dunno if crazy quilts are easiest but they are fun! there are a lot of
simple patterns with striking results. Irish chain, Snowball, yellow
brick road, etc. ad nauseum grin

http://www.kjbeanne.com/rctqfaqs.htm i keep the faqs on my site. They
won't tell you as much about making quilts as about the terms we talk about
here.

if you have days to look for patterns and drool go here
http://www.quilterscache.com/
if you have months go here http://www.quiltwoman.com/sp_links.cfm

and there are lots of other places such as the websites of the ppl here!
have fun! ask lots of questions, show us pics on your website and welcome
again!

Kellie J Berger
www.kjbeanne.com/kellie.htm


Oh, thank you for the link, and the suggestions re easy
quilts. I was also thinking it would be wise to start
small.... Gee, I have to put together ... a square.... Are
there other total newbies here?

--
Jean B.
  #19  
Old August 16th 06, 07:41 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
Jean B.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 66
Default "Drat", says newbie...

FurrsomeThreesome wrote:

Welcome!

I still count myself a relative "newbie" - I think I'm coming up on my
4th year since my "quilting for dummies" introduction class (but I'm
over-busy and don't work on quilts NEARLY as much as I want).

I don't know if crazy quilts would be "easiest", but maybe they're
different if you hand-piece. I've pondered some but can see getting
myself into weird situations where I have an off-kilter triangle to try
to fit in to a block and I"m really not good at turning a corner while
stitching.

For really easy, and quick gratification, try ANYTHING just involving
squares. I just whipped up a couple tops for baby quilts that
alternated 4-patch and 1-patch pieces, but if you do that with fun
batiks and fiddle with the colour placement you can get neat effects
for nothing but straight-line sewing.

For a ton of ideas and some reasonably good instructions for block
designs, I think someone already suggested Quilterscache.

If you're the sort who likes books - well, there are many here who have
many more than I, but my first teach recommended the "Quilts from the
Quiltmaker's Gift" books - there are two - and I LOVE them. They are
full of 39 traditional patterns ranging from drop-dead easy to
moderately complex but still repeating geometries. The books include
lots of good technique advice, along with a primer on the "math of
quilting" and they're full of fun stories of all kinds of real-world
quilters. I've also bought the children's book "The Quiltmaker's Gift"
over and over again for friends' kids.

I am also someone who loves going to a good workshop. Not every
teacher is brilliant, and I've been lucky to find a few who are, but
every one of them has some personal wisdom that you just won't get by
trial and error (or maybe you would, but after ALOT of trial and
error). A one-day class in my area will run about $50-$70, and is
enough to teach you the basics of EITHER cutting/piecing OR quilting, I
find.

Good luck with your new affliction... er, ummm, "hobby", yah that's
it...

Johanna (the one in Waterloo, Canada).

Eeek! I already collect cookbooks and am being run out of
house and home by them. I think I need to get organized....
How many of you have good spaces to quilt in? I don't have an
extra room, alas, and am planning on commandeering part of the
livingroom.

I'm going to have to save all of these great suggestions
(alluding to yours and those from others). Thanks!
--
Jean B.
  #20  
Old August 16th 06, 07:46 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
Jean B.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 66
Default "Drat", says newbie...

Sandy Ellison wrote:

Howdy!

oooowaaahahahahahahaha!
Hooked another one!

Easiest by hand: cut some fabric squares, all the same size.
Sew 2 of them together: you have a pair.
Sew 2 more of them together: another pair.
Sew the pairs together: you have a 4-patch.
See how easy that was?
Repeat. g
Let the fabric make it fun & interesting for a 4-patch.
When you get them all put together, then you move on to another
pattern, a 9-patch, playing w/ triangles, curves--really,
curves are not difficult.
Crazy quilting, tho', could be a bigger challenge for a
first quilt. Or not. ;-)

Good luck! And Welcome, Jean B!!

Ragmop/Sandy-- my favorite 4-patch: http://tinyurl.com/jf58k
Latest 4-patch mix: http://tinyurl.com/j7shs


Uh, some of the gorgeous things I've seen online involve
curves, and I can't figure out how on earth one would do that,
given the hem issue.

Yeah, even *I* could sew squares together (and I assume this
means hemmed squares). Question in general: do folks here
tend to be for or against prewashing the fabric? Do y'all
test religiously for bleeding?

One reason why I am thinking I want to do this by hand is that
that's what folks did before the advent of sewing machines. I
was thinking of buying a treadle machine, but I have refrained
from doing so thus far. When I think of more-modern sewine
machines, I think they run away with you.... Silly, huh? But
I may not have sewn anything since I was in home ec, and that
would have been more than 40 years ago. Ack!

--
Jean B.
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
newbie question - quilting costs Kay Ahr Quilting 16 February 14th 06 12:58 PM
newbie with a tatting question FtForger Yarn 6 July 1st 04 06:18 PM
sort of a newbie with a question Jean Early Yarn 27 May 19th 04 11:42 PM
Newbie question for a machine knit lace pattern... Diamanda_of_Lancre Yarn 4 April 9th 04 10:29 AM
newbie hugs Musicmaker Quilting 3 March 13th 04 08:15 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 01:27 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 CraftBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.