What’s Holding YOU Back From Quilting?
Good Morning, Quilters!
What’s holding you back from quilting?
It’s a new year and a new decade. It’s time to shed our old fears and jump in to quilting!
And I’m here to help!!!
Today, on Open Line Friday I want to know what is holding you back from tackling that pile of quilt tops?
Are you afraid of ruining your quilt with your quilting?
Is there a part of the process that you don’t like?
Do you get hung up on choosing the batting, thread or motifs?
Do you lack the proper equipment?
Does your head (or neck or wrists) hurt just thinking about machine quilting?
Help Me, Help YOU
Please take a few minutes to really think about your quilting roadblocks.
What is holding you back from quilting?
What is the main obstacle and what are the minor obstacles?
It might be that you don’t even know -the problem is just too big to solve…If so–tell me that!
This is the year we figure it out.
I’m happy to hold your hand along the way!
Coming Soon!
Next week we are going to resume Doodle Lessons! They were a huge hit a few years ago and I’ve had several requests for doodle ideas.
Be sure to check out American Quilter Magazine-LKQ tutorials and so much more in every issue! Watch how my outfits change in every issue-they always make me laugh!
2020 Resolutions
Let’s make 2020 the best quilting year ever!
I’m here to help—and to learn from YOU!
Happy Stitching,
Lori
PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy Quilts and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to Lori Kennedy Quilts. For all other purposes, please contact me at Lori@LoriKennedyQuilts. com. Thank you!
My biggest block is figuring out what to use for a quilt design on my quilts.
Me too
Me too!
Me too! I’ve lost count how many WIFs I have stashed away 🙁
Me also!
Check out Angela Walter’s “Help! How Do I Quilt It? challenge” on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fEyM5uo9xc&list=PLEhp5XdH4BaF5sotvMqCX-nx2eUrb0gEh&index=1
Me, too! I audition patterns on top of it and am never happy with how it looks. I still have little confidence even though I’ve been doing my own quilting for years. Rulers help but I want to do more freehand style without them. I do think Doodling will help me. I just need to get in the habit of practicing Gagarin, too.
In our 80s, we were given Comfies for Christmas.. huge hoodies with arms. We hated the effort putting them on, so I cut them apart and remodeled them into long fleece lined Comfy quilts, machine quilted all over. Now we love them! Ps: It was quite a job!
Same, girl, same!
I have a quilt that I have been working on the quilting for over six months now – Now it is sitting there as I am trying to decide what to quilt in the 4-5 in wide outer border. So that is what is holding me back – what to do in that border that I am capable of doing and will fill up that space.
Hi Elaine. You did not mention if your quilt is geometric or floral. But, in a 4″-5″ border you could just make large X’s all along the top & sides. Very quick and the X’s can run into the binding area with no worries. Just mark (I use Chaco liner pen) the quarter inch space for the binding and then measure the center and make another mark from there so all your X’s meet in the center. Hope this helps. Louise
I have trouble figuring out what designs to use. Some of the techniques require such onerous prep work, i won’t even start.
I was just in my quilt room with 4 quilt tops laying out, ready to be quilted. I couldn’t even stand to look at them and I left the room totally overwhelmed. I can’t decide on motifs and when I practice quilting, I think my stitches are horrible. I don’t want to mess up my beautiful quilt tops. I own a sit down quilting machine so I could start quilting my own tops. Now I am thinking about sending them to a professional quilter, but I have so much invested in my quilting machine.
I’d love to be in your place (would love a longarm sit down machine). I suggest you make some practice “sandwiches” and work on them, trying different patterns, until you feel comfortable. No need to practice on your beautiful tops. Once you’re feeling in control, I think you’ll want to work on your tops, and that’s soon enough.
Quilting charity quilts has helped me feel better about tackling my own tops. I belong to a group that quilts for foster kids.I know that the kids are only going to pay attention to the colors and prints on the top of the quilt — they won’t be paying any attention to my quilting. So I get lots of relaxing practice and feel free to try things that I might not want to attempt on my own quilts lest I “ruin” them.
I think the key here is you feel relaxed while you are stitching!
Excellent advice! I make quilts for two senior living homes and, confirming that i won’t see too well one day, the recipients are more in tune to color than the quilting.
Two ideas that may help you are – one – practice quilting panels first so that you gain confidence and Two – make some quilt sandwiches and practice designs you are thinking of using and work on small areas of your quilt just concerning yourself about what is in front of you. The main 5hing is to start. I’ve been quiting for a while now and the same thing happens to me. I tend to overthink things a bit too much. Just practice and have faith in yourself. I think you will be fine.
Hi or get some muslin so good fabric isn’t used and practice making even smaller projects with just one motif. If it co Es out good, turn it into a hot mat! Louise
I have watched many videos from different FMQ teachers. Here are a few things I learned, there is no perfect in FMQ ( we are not robots ) , close enough is good enough and a finished quilt is better than a perfect quilt top. After quilt is washed the imperfections disappear. I do not make show quilts, my quilts are to be used and loved.
I don’t know how to sandwich the layers easily. I don’t like pinning as it’s hard in my back.
Spray adhesive is what I’ve used on smaller projects but I’ve not tried it on anything larger than a crib size.
I find pinning is hard on my hands too, but even worse, I have to stop machine quilting to take them out! So I’ve been using Elmer’s school glue to baste my quilts (also not the easiest on my hands truthfully). I’m not a fan of sprays (the smell, the mess). I’ve done throw size and left them sitting for years and the glue still holds but washes out completely.
I use the pool noodle/pipe insulation method (search on YouTube) and safety pins that I close/open with a KwikKlip tool. If I want more pins, especially in places that may get under the needle, I also use straight quilting pins and put ear plugs or insulation strips (from the hardware store) on the ends so that don’t poke me.
I use the spray to get make the sandwich, then I iron out the wrinkles starting with the back. As I iron the front, I put in safety pins using the handy dandy kwick klip. It’s extra work to iron the sandwich but I don’t get any puckers or tucks when I free motion.
I would say 2 main things hold me back: 1) I hate basting. I pin baste on my floor and it’s not comfortable.
2) I have a hard time deciding what to quilt where. I am not good at just going freestyle (but I’m working on it), so often mark a design from a stencil onto golden threads paper. Last quilt I tried doing more FMQ, and it was freeing, so plan to do more. Do you use a grid or some markings as a guide to keep things consistent?
I learned how to safety pin baste on a table from Harriet Hargrave’s book, Heirloom Machine Quilting. Much easier on the back!
Hey, I have that book. Maybe I should read it! (LOL)
Barb I agree with you. Making the quilt sandwich has always been a road block for me. My FMQ is getting better but the scale is a problem for me. I started using stencils in a large scale to help me get the hang of larger motifs. It seems to be working. I started to learn and practice on small quilt sandwiches to save fabric and batting and I got locked into dense quilting.
I have found out I cannot do my sandwiches on the floor anymore, I do them on my design wall.
Took some rearranging, but I was able to clear a big area of wall to put up an 8 x 8 design wall
Yeah, basting not my favourite thing to do. My hubby has helped me make it a little more bearable. I have an old dining table with a couple of 100cm by 100cm boards [salvaged and rough looking but wrapped in vinyl and stapled underneath]. The height is waist high and perfect for basting and pinning, even cutting.
Perfect.
I recently re-quilted a nautical quilt my friend bought out of a catalogue made in China. The quilting was so far apart it was easy to remove!!! I used your book for inspiration and used many of your motifs. This was a first for me and had I known I could do this on my domestic machine I would not have purchased a long arm. My hopes are to master this on the long arm. I’m very proud of this quilt and wish you could see what I did. I’ve sewn all my life but like I said, this was a first. Please give me a way to send pictures!
I think it’s taking the time to practice. Some day…….
Simply not enough time. I have a longarm so hopefully work will slow down enough that I would want to quilt in the evening. I probably also spend too much time on electronic devices
There isn’t much that holds me back from my quilting. Designs for quilting are in my head as I stitch every piece together and sometimes, by the time I’m finished with the top, I have totally changed the quilting design. What does stop me is the interruptions from the family! I wish I could set up a schedule when it’s okay for interruptions😂but we all know that isn’t going to happen. What I do try to do is write down what I was doing and where I want to start again tho which does help me.
Hi Cheri. I keep a spiral notebook and write down date started, thread weight & color used, stitches per inch, and draw (roughly) any design thoughts I may have. If I get interrupted and have to leave the project, I refer back to the notebook! Helps me Louise
I struggle with trying to decide what motifs to use. Many of my quilts are utility quilts for beds or snuggling on the couch. I don’t want the quilting to be really dense. I’m guessing I should try enlarging some of your motifs to use as an all-over design? I have your books, so….
I have had a bedquilt waiting to be quilted since last fall. Mostly, it was delayed because I needed to get other projects out of the way. It was also delayed because I was not ready to get set up for the sandwiching. But now it is sandwiched and the quilting started. I have big plans, but the standards go down as imperfections creep in. It takes a lot of bad looking quilting before I will rip. Just about only tension issues will get out the seam ripper. I find listing the tasks and checking them off very encouraging and motivating.
For me, getting the quilt top, batting and back sandwiched is the most difficult part. Wall hangings and baby quilts are hard but manageable. Have done twin size but it’s so frustrating. Larger than that … well, there’s a stack of tops with their backs.
Practicing free-motion has helped my confidence and Lori’s instructions for doodling have helped my imagination and courage for doing the actual quilting.
I agree! Sandwiching the backing, batting and top without puckers or unseen pleats drives me crazy! I have been basting on the floor of our sun room, but I am just getting too old to crawl around there on the tile floor on my hands and knees. Someone suggested I take a lesson at one of our quilt stores on using their longarm and baste my quilts there. I might try that.
Totally agree about crawling around on a floor! Hadn’t heard the idea of just basting with a long arm. Something to think about.
Google the pool noodle or pipe insulation methods. It is not expensive to give it a try. I works for me.
I’ve thought about the pool noodle version but never when I’m ready to sandwich a quilt!
I could get some pipe insulation any time. Might have to be a bit more intentional!!
I don’t know how to select the thread colors for my tops. The tops with multicolored fabrics in each block are the hardest. Stitch in the ditch is fine but I want to try motif designs. My second problem is that I can’t seem to get my quilts to move easily on my domestic machine. I have several tops laying around but I am afraid of ruining the look if I pick the wrong design or thread color.
Fear of messing up and ruining everything I’ve already accomplished!
I understand!
Choosing the FMQing is my hangup. I know what I would like to do, but then I think that the design I have in mind will take 30 or 40 hours to do so I try to figure out a simplified design, which still usually takes 20 hours. When at all possible and I know it will look good and adaptable to the quilt top, my easiest “go to” is the Orange Peel. However, my current labels are FMQ handwritten messages in the corner or along the edge of the border.
Husband in ICU for 8 days.
Oh dear! I’m so sorry—family first!
Hi Teresia: Sending wishes for good health and prayers. Louise
Thank you.
Hi Lori: Viral bronchitis is holding me back right now! That’s why I have more time to spend reading and answering today😜 At least My brain is still in the quilt zone! L
I certainly understand! I’m only half recovered from a nasty bout of it myself!
Bet of luck for returned good health.
Just got over that it sucks! And ended up getting pleurisy because of all the coughing…which is why I’m not quilting…it hurts to move, breathe or cough 🙁
Hope your bronchitis gets it butt kicked by your meds! And a speedy recovery!
Like many of the others who have commented, deciding what to quilt where is my big hangup. I really want the quilting to compliment the piecing and find it extremely hard to get started for fear of wrecking my painstakingly pieced tops.
I like to finish before starting a new piecing art. To finish I stitch in the ditch with a walking foot. My sewing room is small and is a kitchen table with minimal floor space. can’t lay out to sandwich any project much bigger than crib / lap quilt. Age has blessed my dexterity To be not like it used to be, so I look to colors of piecing more than quilt designs. Find your joy in all you do, the slight imperfections are your art.
I too,struggle with a motif for quilting. I do try to practice with small sandwiches & have gotten better. I have a sit down long arm. Even though my quilting will never win a prize,I accept what I am capable of doing @ this particular time in my quilting journey. I welcome any tips you can give,Lori. Alot of my struggle is quilting a larger quilt,even on my sit down machine.
Ditto, to so many of the same issues. I have a machine that I can vary the speed, but find it hard to manoeuvre all the fabric. I keep thinking about QAYG, blocks, that would blend the quilting.
I practiced many of the doodles, and stitched them on small sandwiches… but to move to a large heavy, quilt… that is my challenge.
Manipulating the large quilt on my sewing machine is the main reason I don’t like the quilting part of quilting!
I have the fear….total fear that I will ruin all the work that I did to make that quilt top, I cannot decide how to quilt my quilts …… I have a long arm, and when I practice, I am pleased with my practice pieces, but frozen in fear when I put that queen or king sized quilt on the machine, unable to decide what designs to use in quilting. I have become friends with my pal, “ripper” when I realize that i am not happy with a design….!
I want to learn the right type of threads to use for my quilting plus, I want to do your doodling so I can also learn the better way of learning the movements to quilt my own tops better. I do fmq now, but not with the beautiful patterns mostly just the meandering, which is fine, but ready for a change from that!! thanks for all you do to share with us your talents!
Like many others, my hangup is selecting a motif. Once I get started things move along. I don’t like doing “sampler” quilts for this reason. I have make a decision for each block! I love feathers and like my results, but they don’t fit on every quilt.
I’m working on using rulers, but it’s still what to put where that slows my progress.
What’s holding me back is the incredible mess in my sewing area. It’s so bad that I have to move stuff at every stage of quilt construction. And there’s no place to put stuff except on other work surfaces. So it’s like a merry-go-round. I’m continually moving stuff from the cutting table, to the sewing table, to the ironing board, to the longarm table and back again. I really need a major reorganization, but there’s no time as I am currently working on some deadline projects — which are majorly slowed down by this depressing mess.
It’s taken me a long time to acknowledge that the quilting is my least favorite part of the quilt making process. I’ve sent some large ones out to be quilted and breathed a huge sigh of relief. They were beautiful. But I can’t come to grips with paying to have a crib size quilted. The comments above help a great deal. Babies and friends are not going to examine or critique motifs or stitches. They are just happy to have a quilt to cuddle with. I’m glad you’re back to encourage and motivate and connect your readers for helpful ideas.
Lori, Your blog AND your books have really helped me get over the hump and start machine quilting my small quilts on my Bernina 770QE. Thank you so so much for making machine quilting accessible!
Deciding on motifs, have both your books. Need to practice more. My machine not in a proper table.
The number of quilt tops l need to quilt . Lol When l have trouble deciding what to quilt l will start another top.
I recently realized that when I feel like I’ve lost my quilting mojo, it’s because there is something that I should be doing that I’m not doing. Because quilting is my pleasure, my subconscious tells me I “can’t” quilt. Once I figure out what it is that I’m avoiding, and force myself to do it, my joy in quilting returns!
There is a lot of wisdom here, Colleen!
I too am overwhelmed by choosing a quilting pattern to finish and also worried I will make a mistake and ruin the pieces top. Then too the thread color choice confuses me. I did attempt to quilt one and then forgot that I had some piecing on the back side and when I was done it did not look so nice on the back pieces.
Check out some of Angela Walter’s video on Youtube. She just finished a challenge on motifs you can quilt depending on the block/piecing shape.
Like I told my kids, homework started is homework finished! I have found that I overthink things and procrastinate, BUT just start…..light a candle, turn on your favorite music and just start with where you are…don’t focus on the messy room etc. just start and that is what motivates me and by all means, turn off the electronics…it’s controlling our lives! Cheers to all of you and getting started 🙂 You can do it!!!
I don’t have room to pin baste everything together, but what’s really holding me back is my lack of confidence in my ability- don’t want to ruin the quilt top, so I do nothing!
I called the local animal shelter and asked it they could use cage liners, and if so, what size. They said they would love to have any size, so I made practice sandwiches, quilted them, serged the edges, and gave them to the local animal shelter. They were delighted to have new cage liners. I have also stitched together my scraps, including fleece and flannel, quilted and serged the edges, and they were happy to have them.
I love to make the tops and do some machine quilting up to crib size. However, struggling with a larger quilt on my domestic machine is frustrating. I have put table beside my machine to help with the weight drag. it feels like the quilt is fighting me during the process and does not let me focus on the area under the needle.
So totally understand this.
I’ve finally gotten over my stitches. I am at the stage I am at this time, so my stitches can only get better. Quilting small sections and then joining them is getting easier also. My hold up is when I cannot see any motif when I look at my piece. I like the allover motifs so I get a good practice, but it doesn’t always work with the light and dark fabrics. So I am constantly trying to let my mind wonder around shapes when I go to sleep at night and hope that I’ll remember something when I wake up.
Size! I have no problem machine quilting small wall hanging, table runners, placemats. It’s the full size quilts that really hold me back. To much bulk to put through my machine, it makes my shoulders and back hurt.
New to FMQ so it’s hard to feel confident. However I’m very active in Project Linus, so I’m practicing on charity quilts for kids.
Recently I made a “ comfort” quilt for a friend and had a difficult time deciding how to get it through my machine. Found some great advice from Modern QuiltGuild online. (!Google how to quilt a large quilt.). Suggested dividing the quilt in quarters and maneuvering it when you quilt each quarter.
I’m excited about the quilting and doing ok with the design, but my stitches are very inconsistent. I know practice will help.
Pat
I find myself fustrated by not being able to figure out if the scale of a motif is doable on my machine…this is after hours choosing it. I doodle them and practise on little quit sandwiches. Then when I try them on a real quilt, i find my hands don’t have enough room to manoeuvre a bulky quilt in the harp space available , or that I can’t see the area I am working on well enough to align designs, corners etc. Despite all the hours I have spent practising, I still struggle to keep my stitch length even somewhat uniform. I can sort of manage up to double size quilts. Any bigger, I have been taking out to be done. Like others have said, the basting is also an issue( older home, smallish rooms, too much stuff in them, bad knees) Need I say more. The lady who does my longarming does offer to do just basting, if I want but I haven’t tried that service …yet, lol. Would love to know if people have had any luck with the fusible battings and how the quilts felt and wore when they were done.
Google pool noodle or pipe insulation basting method. I use it on some portable, folding tables with safety pins and a Kwik Klip tool.. It works great for me and is not expensive to try.
I used fusible batting once for the table runner – I think it is more for bags or some stuff that needs to keep their form – it turned out to stiff and I didn’t like it and I still have leftover of that batting unused..
Thank you for sharing. I wasn’t too happy about the idea anyway and your comments made me decide not to try this. Have you made your own Mary Ellen Best Press” ? There are several receipes on internet including one that uses vodka and water.
A couple of things hold me back. I can’t figure out what to quilt and when I do decide on something and try a sample I’m just not happy with my skill level. I’m not even happy with the way my doodles look! So I usually end up with straight line quilting with a walking foot just to get the project done. Also, I don’t like things quilted too densely and seems to be favored by most FMQers.
There is a certain beauty with straight lines crossing each other creating a grid on the quilt. When I first learned to quilt I was told, Start in the middle, quilt a line down the center. Quilt another line 2” from that. Continue in that way till you’ve done one half. Then turn the quilt 180 degrees and do the other half. Once that’s complete, turn it sideways and repeat the process.
When you think of commercially quilted fabric, it’s all a grid of straight lines. There is no rule that you must create motifs or even meander. When it’s done, no one is going to say, Oh look, no motifs. Yet every straight lined, gridded quilt looks FINISHED!
Thanks Terry!
so for me what I would like to see if Lori would post either some pictures of full quilts she has done or a sample of lots of different styles of blocks. Seeing it on the actual quilt or blocks would help me.
Basting.
I am thrilled that Doodle Lessons are resuming. As much as I hate to admit it, a small amount of practice on a regular basis does make a big difference in my quilting. Your designs are fun and look great on quilts so cannot wait!
I love to piece quilt tops, don’t mind the basting and design process. What stops me is trying to quilt a bed size quilt on my domestic machine that only has a 7 inch throat. I do a lot of stitching in the ditch but can’t seem to do FMQ or ruler work on such a large quilt.
Like most of you, my roadblocks are preparing the quilt sandwich and deciding on quilting motifs. Everyone has their own preference for preparing the sandwich; I prefer to baste with safety pins. When designing the quilting plan, I take a picture of the top and print it with the colors faded so I can doodle with a red pen, or you could use a sheet protector and dry erase markers. After watching a couple Angela Walters videos, I learned to identify what areas I wanted to highlight, then use the quilting design to make it stand out, quilting more heavily in the background. I use small practice sandwiches to try new motifs. I bought idea books by Lori Kennedy, Angela Walters and Amanda Murphy. Then I surf the web for even more ideas. The best way to practice is to make a simple baby quilt and just go for it (try this one: https://swimbikequilt.com/journal/2019/04/solitude-star-quilt-along-piecing-tips-i-wish-i-had-known.html). Sandy at sewhigh.blogspot.com
Time is the biggest obstacle for me. Before I start to work on the actual quilt, I always need to sit down with a practice piece for a bit. So just working for 15 minutes here and there isn’t possible. I need a long block of time to get any quilting done. And like others, choosing a motif that I have confidence I can do is an obstacle.
I don’t want to cry on your shoulder – but you ladies do not know how spoiled you are for the choices that you have! I am Serbian quilter. Here very few ladies do this. Shops do not carry things that we need – no variety of nice fabrics (only single color or very large pattern bedding cotton), no proper batting, no special rulers, no fine or variety of threads, no extension tables for machine, no professional long arm quilters who could do job for you, no sprays and no special safety pins for basting, no water soluble marking or friction pens, no ‘Mary Ellen’s best press’, no applique glue stick or bottled fabric glue.. Many things can be bought via internet – but we need to pay transport fee and if they originate from outside Eu we get charged custom duties which generally doubles the cost of what we are buying. So, we baste with soft thread, we use painters tape for some marking, and practice on sandwiches made with old clothes and flannel in the middle (and save imported batting for real quilts)..We love making quilts and if we don’t finish them ourselves no one else will do it. While the recipients of our quilts don’t know if those could have been done better – we still strive to improve..So – imagine you are in Serbia and just do it!
Wow, how I admire your courage and perseverance. We take so much for granted. I imagine your quilts are amazing because you are so determined and you are so creative with your resources. Never will I complain again, I can buy pins so pin basting is not so bad at all. I can renew the blades on my rotary cutter, and good scissors can always be sharpened, I will try so hard to remember all of this and more when I next feel discouraged. What an inspiration you are.
I have no idea what’s holding me back right now. I have several quilts in different stages of progress, but I haven’t sat down to work on anything since before Christmas (when I finished a Christmas quilt). I just can’t get motivated. Granted, I have a lot to do; 4 dogs, 3 cats, a bird to care for, ‘playing’ in my greenhouse, working out, tending my collection of classic cars, but quilting has always been such a passion – so I don’t know why I’m not at it every day. I need a jumpstart!
Until recently I would say…I so dislike pin basting, but it seems for me to be the most successful, especially if I stitch in the ditch within the the seams straight after, this means I can take the pins out and not stress about running them over. Now I have a new machine and the stress seams to have dissipated, I am not sure why, but it has something to do with the easier flow of the quilt through the machine, I am no longer pulling at it and getting it to feed through easily. Now all I need is confidence to try the motifs and designs. You have tried so times to help us Lori, I am learning doodling and practice is the key. So…. I am persevering with making charity quilts, doodling first and jumping straight in with my new found designs some are better than others, but I am no longer so critical, I am not making a competition quilt, I am making a quilt that will be used to comfort another. That is now my motivation, work for others and the pain becomes a pleasure, and who knows maybe I will get better with practice
I have several quilt tops ready to be quilted. I have a difficult time choosing a quilting pattern coupled with me being a perfectionist equals no quilting. I won’t ruin the quilt top if I don’t quilt it. I have a top that just needs the borders quilted and I want to use a wave ruler but don’t know how to mark the borders and figure out how to start and end with the ruler so each border begins and ends in the same place on the ruler.
I think Elinore. Burns at Quilt in a Day has a very mathematically precise instruction on this topic. Check out her website. And don’t get paranoid about the math … she is very thorough, and one can pause the video, back it up, do some practice until it clicks.
I just took a short improv quilting workshop, where we just grabbed scraps and pieced them together, slashed and re-pieced, and even took a rotary cutter to slash them into curves, all without measuring or worrying too much about color. It was absolutely the most freeing experience to complete a huge block for a pillow in just a few hours, and everyone’s blocks turned out so good! It made me realize how much time I waste fretting over finding the perfect fabrics, perfect cutting/measuring/ piecing, and even worrying over the quilt design. That’s no fun! We also worked using a time management technique called the Palindrome, where you set a timer and work for 25 minutes, then walk away from your project for 5-10, then repeat. You return to tour work with renewed spirit and new ideas to solve any problems. This has totally the-energized my quilting.
currently, what’s holding be back from quilting is a broken shoulder! hopefully, once it’s healed and i’m through with pt, i can get back to it–i can hardly wait to be able to play with my new handiquilter!
Best of luck healing that shoulder. Take it easy when you do get back to it. Set a timer. Give yourself 15 minutes to work, then rest 15. Don’t overdo in the beginning. Happy healing.
What’s holding me back is lack of knowledge. I took one quilting class 30 years ago and made a sampler quilt (about twin size, I think) which I quilted by hand. Then life happened, and I got more interested in other, less time-consuming and more portable crafts like knitting and needlework. Now that I’m retired, I’d like to take up quilting again, but I’ve never quilted by machine. I’ve watched one “learn to quilt” series on Bluprint/Craftsy, but I need more education about all aspects of machine quilting, and then lots of practice. Any advice to a beginner would be greatly appreciated.
Josie, any classes offered at your local quilt shop? Or go to a state quilt conference….have taken a few machine quilting classes at the MN conference, including one by Lori, which was great! Angela Walters has good tutorials online too.
Barb D, thank you for the suggestions. I recently visited my “local” quilt shop for the first time. (Local is in quotes because it’s about an hour drive from where I live.) They do offer classes. I will have to look into whether there is a state conference, and will definitely be checking out tutorials online as well.