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Quilting is a bit like running for me. I love the result but sometimes the process takes some perseverance.
I started quilting almost ten years ago and haven’t stopped. Since I began this hobby shortly before getting married, my husband’s family gifted me almost all the quilting supplies I needed to get started for our first Christmas together. My sisters bought me my first sewing machine called a Singer Promise.
Needless to say, this was not an all star sewing machine. BUT, it got the job done, and I loved it. I quilted many quilts on that little rickety thing…including my first queen size quilt. Sometimes it sounded like a train coming through the house, but alas, the needle continued going up and down as requested.
My husband soon learned this hobby was going to stick around for a while. He started talking about buying me a new sewing machine. I hesitated for a long time; I follow a lot of quilting blogs, and these awesome and creative ladies have machines that cost thousands of dollars. I wasn’t ready to drop that kind of money on a sewing machine.
Well, he secretly started doing some research. Knowing me well, he found a Singer Quantum 9960 that was a good upgrade from the one I started on, but was still less than $400. I don’t regret the purchase one bit. This has been a great middle of the line sewing machine for me. I use it almost every week, but since I don’t make a career out of sewing, this one is perfect for me.
This is the second queen size quilt I have sewn. I’ve wanted to sew a low volume quilt for quite some time, but made myself finish some other projects first. For me, low volume means low color. Pastels. Soft. Nothing bold. Lots of white.
A few things you should know about me when I quilt:
1. I don’t like using patterns. I’d rather look at a quilt I like and figure out something similar.
2. My corners don’t line up perfectly when I quilt…and that doesn’t bother me.
3. I like quilts because of the fabrics and the quilt pattern. While I appreciate ornate quilting, I have never sent a quilt away to be quilted on a long arm.
4. I want quilting to be something I enjoy. If I had to be perfectionistic about it, I would quit.
I’ve sewn two other quilts VERY similar to this pattern. Here is one and here is another.
Before I begin the tutorial, are you looking for fabrics? These are a few of my favorite places to browse:
Handmade is Heartmade – large variety of fabrics with many prints.
Fresh Modern Fabrics – large variety of fabrics with many prints.
Polka Dot Secrets – lots of florals and real pictures of the fabrics.
Morgan Kelly Quilts – a great place for fabric bundles. Since she doesn’t carry a high selection of fabric, it’s a good shop to browse if you’re overwhelmed easily.
Sew Organic – excellent experience with customer service & all organic fabrics.
Kiwi Fabric – wide variety of many fabrics. Fast shipping.
Fabric.com – great when buying multiple yards for backing.
Here is a short tutorial on a beginner friendly low volume quilt:
Like I said above, this is the PERFECT quilt to try if you are a beginner. It is made up of two blocks:
The block on the left is a square 6 1/2 inch block. The block on the right is made of four 3 1/2 inch squares.
To make the block on the left:
1. Cut 6 1/2 inch strips of fabric.
2. Cut the strips down into 6 1/2 blocks.
To make the block on the right:
1. Cut 3 1/2 inch strips of fabric.
2. Cut the strips down into 3 1/2 inch blocks.
3. Sew the blocks into pairs. (for example, one white and one patterned gray block.)
4. Sew the pairs together to make a square 6 1/2 inch block.
You may notice in the above pictures that I arranged the fabric squares to create a diagonal line going upwards to the right. Play with your blocks and use the fabric patterns and colors to arrange them how you like best.
Even though I am not a huge fan of borders around a quilt, I ended up putting a row of white blocks around the perimeter. I was out of all my patterned fabric, and I needed the quilt a tad bigger. I learned with the first queen sized quilt I sewed to try it out on the bed before you get to the point of no return. 🙂 The back of this quilt is solid Kona white fabric.
Are you a beginner looking for a few tips for quilting? This post, 4 Tips I Wish I had Known When I Started Quilting, is a great place to start.
For so long, this was my favorite quilt. It still, to this day, over five years later, is used as our bed spread for our master bedroom. I learned a few thingsfrom making this quilt:
1. I didn’t try to copy anyone else. I didn’t look at too many pictures for inspiration. I created what I wanted to create..and I liked how it turned out.
2. I had a pile of fabric at home that I was afraid to cut into for fear of never finding any fabric again that I liked so much. Note to self: There will ALWAYS be new and adorable fabric coming out on the market.
3. I used multiple shades of white. Sometimes I feel I trap myself when I use all white or all off white. By using both, I think this quilt has a fresh and modern feel with a touch of vintage. Just the way I like it!
