With school starting soon I thought it was the perfect time to do a little quilting 101. I’m starting this little series off with the essential quilting tools to make your quilting journey a success. Look forward to posts on cutting accuracy, perfect piecing, and finally finishing that quilt up.
Now let’s get started with those essential tools. It can be a bit daunting for a beginning quilter as they walk down the aisles of quilting notions. There are so many fun gadgets and tools to choose from. What’s necessary? How much is this going to cost me?
Basic Sewing Supplies:
First you need a sewing machine. You don’t need all the bells and whistles. Just a sturdy machine that will sew a straight line. If truth be told all of my machines have been acquired second hand and they are all great machines. You will also need thread, pins, needles and sadly a seam ripper.
Cutting:
Next you will want a cutting mat, good scissors, rotary cutter, and a few basic rulers. I recommend a 6″x 24″, a 12″ square, and possibly a 2 1/2″ x 6″ for working on smaller projects by your machine. Using coupons from JoAnns or other craft stores, for these big purchases, will save you a ton of money.
Now the fun part fabric and patterns. I would advise sticking with quilt shop quality fabric. It may seem expensive, but believe me it’s worth the investment. You don’t want your quilt to fade or fall apart after a few washings. I like to visit free tutorials I have many packaged patterns. There are also some pretty great books out there to get you started. In addition to this information my YouTube video goes into greater depth. I hope you will enjoy it.
Have fun shopping! Once you get all the essential quilting tools, have fun creating beautiful quilts.
