MY FIRST QUILT, ADVICE WHAT NOT TO DO

In 2018, I made my first quilt, exactly 3 years ago. My children were young at the time and I wanted to make something for my daughter's 4th birthday. I had a full time job, a 3 year old and a 1 year old. I was busy, my life was noisy and learning to sew gave me the creative peaceful outlet I needed.

Back in 2018 a busy mom of two, spending all day mommying with these two made me yearn a creative and peaceful outlet.

I was convinced by Nikki from the Sewing Shed that sewing was for me and that my little girl would love a quilt! It is all true she loves her quilt, because I made it, she helped me pick out the fabric and even though that first quilt has been dragged around the house and the garden, my first quilt is still holding together. That quilt has been so loved, it has been used for teddy bear's picnics, made into a magic carpet, a tent, a fort, and comforted many soft toys when we play doctor and nurse. I am so proud of it, and she loves it.

My first quilt was a beginner friendly pattern from Nikki in the Sewing Shed, click here to find the pattern. If you don't even know what exactly a quilt is please read my beginner guild to what is a quilt ,here, and you will find out the difference between quilting and patchwork.

I recommend everyone make a quilt, you can do it you just need someone to show you the basics and to stick with it, the first quilt you make should be with squares, very simple but effective for your first quilt. It may take a long time, I started mine in December 2017 and finished in February 2018, not bad for 3 months work!

Things you will need:

• fabric

• thread

• a cutting mat

• rotary cutter

• a ruler

• the pattern

• sewing machine

• Iron

• Ironing board

• maybe pen and paper.

Words of warning!

1. Do NOT iron on your cutting mat. It is for cutting not ironing, nobody told me!

2. Fill up lots of bobbins before you start.

3. Measure carefully, get to know your ruler, be really really careful, fabric is precious and you need to be precise.

4. There are lots of people that do lots of things and say their way is best, but just do it your way, make the quilt, be proud of the quilt, enjoy the process.

5. Using a fleece from Penneys is not the same as the Minky fabric or fleece fabric some YouTube videos talk about. I made it work and probably why that quilt is so so loved. but if you want to back with a soft backing Minky is what you should buy.

6. Always sew the pretty pattern sides touching, then when you open it up all the sewing is hidden in the back. I knew this but some times when you have been mommying all day you make mistakes.

7. You may think when you lay out the fabric that the quilt will be big, but when you sew all the little bits together there are a lot of seams at the back, work out what you want your finished quilt to be first because it gets smaller because of seam allowance, often I think ok this will be big and then its just a small lap quilt, this is why following a pattern is beneficial.