Whether you’re a complete beginner or want
to refresh your skills, The Beginner’s Guide to
Quilting has got a great mix of projects and tipsIntroduction
6 Beginner’s Guide to Quilting
H
andcrafted is a buzzword
right now, and adorning
your home with handmade
patchwork items or giving unique
gifts made with love is a pleasure.
Hand quilted pieces will be
treasured and last a lifetime. But
if you’re not sure where to begin
with quilting, don’t worry – we’ll
help you get started here.
Kicking off with some essentials, we
run through stocking your toolkit,
buying fabric, using a sewing machine,
and why your iron will become your best
friend! We also show you, in step-by-step
guides, how to master basic techniques,today
START QUILTING
from cutting patchwork shapes and
sewing pieces together, to layering your
quilt and attaching a neat binding. We
move on to the exciting world of creating
blocks too. Once you’ve had a go, you’ll be
hooked! We’ve got heaps of fabulous
projects so you can put all your newfound
skills into practice and be inspired to
create beautiful items for your home.GO FABRIC SHOPPING! Page 10
First off, have fun rummaging in your
local haberdashery or charity shop! Pick
the right fabrics for your quilting (page
10), go to page 23 for measuring advice
and get some tips on working with
unusual materials (page 142).LEARN THE BASICS Page 29
We’ll talk you through all the
essential techniques you’ll
need, from machine sewing
(page 29) to preparing your
fabric (page 30), to using a
rotary cutter (page 34).HAVE FUN WITH HEXAGONS
Page 90
The wonderful world of hexagon
patchwork is yours to discover(page 94). Be warned: it’s highly
addictive! Flip to page 90 to put your
paper-piecing skills into practice with
a pretty honeycomb laptop case.EASY PATCHWORK CUSHION Page 86
Work with patchwork to make a fantastic
cushion to decorate your home. Pop over
to page 84 for our guide to making the
much-loved Flying Geese (triangle)
pattern. It’s a great stash-buster!MAKE YOUR FIRST QUILT Page 56
It’s time to get quilting. We’ll talk you
through the basics of quilt making on
page 56, then make a beautiful first quilt
from pre-cut ‘jelly roll’ strips on page 60.
(Don’t know what a jelly roll is? Take a
look at the glossary on page 18.) Learn
how to make a quilt sandwich (page 62)
and how to bind your quilt (page 63).HOW TO SEW AND USE BLOCKS Page 104
You’ve mastered the basics of cutting and
piecing, now learn how to create your
own patchwork blocks (page 104).We’ve
got 9 beginner block tutorials to get you
started on page 124. Show off your new
skills with a single block pincushion
(page 110) – it’s a great gift idea.(^3) Honeycombe sheet set
Pretty patchwork embellishments can
work anywhere around the home.
Learn how to give basic bedding a
hexagonal makeover. See page 80.
10
page
(^1) Tiny Sewing kit
I love this tiny sewing kit because it’s a
great first make, putting your hexagon
piecing skills into practice. And it’s so
useful too! See page 96
2 Spools quilt
Working with blocks is so much fun, and
this beautiful quilt by fabric company
Cloud 9 shows what you can achieve with
a few simple shapes. See page 127
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