Choosing a Quilt Pattern
Joyce Mitchel
My recommendation to a beginner quilter is that they pick a pattern or a quilt project that will go together the easiest and fastest. I am plenty happy if the first quilt a person ever makes is a big block quilt, which is one that they just cut large squares and sew them together in a random pattern. I feel that the first project that a person undertakes should go together quickly so that they see it finished soon after starting. I have seen so many beginners who never make it past the cutting, and then there are those who get the cutting done but give up before it is pieced. These beginners sometimes never go back to that project or quilting
When I teach a class of beginners the ABC’s of quilting I always have them start with a strip pieced project so that they can mix up the cutting and sewing and therefore they do not get burned out on cutting. They always think that I have lost my mind having them cut all of those strips. When they start sewing they will point out that what they are sewing doesn’t look anything like the quilt that I showed them that we were going to make. It is always fun to see their excitement when they can finally see the blocks forming and then the top.
Everyone loves the way a “Mariner’s Compass”, a “Double Wedding Ring” or a “Stack and Wack” quilt looks, just to name a few of the more accomplished patterns, but unless you have been sewing intricate garments all your life then the seams in these will drive you crazy. There is a lot of time for you to build your skill level up so that when you do take on these projects you will be completely happy with the end result.