Downloadable quilt patterns have become increasingly popular among quilters in recent years. With the rise of digital technology, it’s now easier than ever to find and download patterns online. In this article, we’ll take a look at where to find … Read more
Following on from my post Easy Quilts For Beginners, I’ve put together some free quilt patterns for beginners.
Once you’ve mastered piecing basic strips or squares then you’ll be looking for something a bit more challenging, These are still easy quilts, just a step up if you’re fairly new to quilting.
When you first start quilting it can be daunting, the amount of information out there. Best thing to do is look for easy quilts for beginners, you’ll find a ton of resources via Google or whatever search engine you use.
I’ve found a few for you, some have tutorials some not, but they’re all good easy quilts projects.
This placemat has to be my top pick, so simple yet very effective. Using the “piecing on the go” method it really wouldn’t take long to make a set of these.
This is a short article giving a brief explanation of patchwork piecing methods with some videos for a visual explanation. As you already know, generally quilts are formed using blocks which can be joined together by hand or machine. There are different methods … Read more
When I first started quilting this was one of the first questions I asked”what is stitch in the ditch?”.
It’s one of those strange bits of terminology that crop up in quilting and although it sounds strange, it does have a simple explanation. When I first heard the term, I had images of quilting groups lined up in a ditch all sewing away!
You’ve mastered the basics of quilting and browsed through all the different quilting patterns available so what’s next? Creating your own patterns with quilt design software programs!
Let’s have a look first at what quilt design software programs can do compared to a graphic design software or paint program for example.
Quilting comes in all different styles and depends on the traditions and history of the country of origin. Simply put, quilting is made up of a “sandwich” of fabrics, the top layer which is the pattern part and can be made up of quilt blocks, the middle which is called the batting (padding) and the back which is usually a complimentary colour to the top pattern.
I’ve put together a list of the commonly used terms in quilting in this quilting terms definitions article so you have a quick reference guide.
Accent quilts – This is a pattern that follows different lines but works with your patchwork pattern.
Achromatic – Black, white and grey color schemes.
Album quilts – These are quilts made for a specific event and made up of different blocks. These are personal to the recipient or maker of the quilt and are sometimes given as gifts to mark a special occasion.
There are thousands of quilting patterns available on the Internet, but it’s not so easy to find free quilt patterns to print.
I decided to have an in-depth look over at freequilting.com, part of a group of websites that offer free patterns for most crafts.
When first landing on the start page you are faced with a “pattern search” in the middle and a “join” form to the right. If you do a search and try to download the pattern you’ll be prompted to join. The navigation is well laid out with the patterns in sections:
Choosing your quilting fabric is perhaps the most important part of creating a new project, whether it’s a small quilting project or a large one.
There are three elements to making a quilt so it’s important to choose the right quilt fabric for each stage.
If you’re a beginning quilter then one of the first terms you’ll hear is “quilt block.” So what is a quilt block? Traditionally, quilts were more often used to make bed covers and were sewn by hand. Because of the difficulty managing to sew a large quilt, smaller blocks were made. These smaller blocks of fabric could be made in a variety of patterns or a repeating pattern which were then sewn together to form the whole quilt.
By breaking up the quilt pattern into manageable pieces, you can lay easily lay it down and then pick it up again, gradually building the blocks until you have enough to make the quilt.