Want to find out more about the basics of patchwork and quilting?
Are you looking to make a Memory Quilt from your baby clothes, children’s clothes or adult clothing?
I was really excited to discover this fabulous FREE online class from Craftsy.com that covers all the basic techniques and terminology in an easy to follow format.
If you are new to patchwork and quilting then diving straight in to making a quilt from clothing can sometimes seem a bit daunting. You want to get it right first time – there’s not much room for mistakes when you are cutting into clothing that’s precious to you after all! If you’ve never made a quilt before this is a great place to start.
This Craftsy class is a fabulous foundation for any quilting project, including your memory quilts!
Why I like ‘Piece, Patch, Quilt’
Like many quilters, I’m entirely self-taught. I learned to use a sewing machine by a combination of lessons at school, and years of watching my Mum and sometimes having a go myself. When I started quilting it was by using a kit I really liked, and following the pattern instructions. There’s a lot of specific terminology in quilt making, and more than one technique to master. I started buying books and finally moved on to a lot of internet browsing and YouTube viewing! This was all great for helping me nail particular techniques, finding alternative approaches to things and for seeing lots of different quilt makers in action but….
….it took a long time to build up my knowledge and skills.
What I really wanted when I was starting out was a good basic all in one place overview of patchwork and quilting.
What I really wanted was Piece, Patch, Quilt from Craftsy
Here’s why I think you’ll like it too
All Craftsy classes are delivered in HD video lessons with anytime, anywhere access. You can watch your chosen classes wherever and whenever you want, for as long as you want. I mostly watch mine from my ipad. The classes are all divided up into chunks so it’s easy to skip about to the bits you need, or want to revisit. There are also lots of great interactive features and you can even add notes to the videos. Most of the classes have a fee, but there are also lots of good free resources.
Learn How To Piece, Patch, Quilt with Craftsy is simply the most comprehensive set of introductory information on patchwork and quilting that I’ve come across. The class gives a good, broad, basic overview of all the basic techniques and stages of quilt-making. It’s like learning how to make a basic white loaf before you start trying fancy flours and more complicated baking techniques!
The class is aimed at total beginners. If you have some experience in quilting, or you are more experienced with a sewing machine, then you may find some sections drag a little but it’s easy to skip forwards, or watch on 2x speed (makes the instructor sound like a Smurf!). To be fair it is a bit slow going in places, but I felt that was more than made up for by the range and depth of content covered in a really accessible way. (and *looks over shoulder* I did learn a couple of new things myself!)
What’s covered
- Choosing a design
- Selecting fabrics (including a great section on how to select fabrics for your quilt), and how to use them to best effect in your your design
- Essential supplies and tools
- Cutting safely and accurately using a rotary cutter
- Joining patchwork blocks, pressing seams, joining rows
- Adding sashing and borders to quilt
- How to select your backing fabric and wadding, and how to layer everything together ready for quilting
- An overview of tying, hand quilting and machine quilting
- Binding the edges of your quilt, and adding a label.
The instructor works through four different quilt patterns (which you get as part of the class) to demonstrate specific techniques. She often describes a variety of techniques and why you might use them, even if that’s not the one she’s chosen for that demonstration.
Basically by the end of it you should have a really good overview of the world of patchwork quilting, understand the core skills you’ll need and be good to go!
I really hope that you’ll enjoy this class and find it useful. I’m recommending it to you for no other reason than it’s a great starting point if you’re new to patchwork and quilting and would like a straightforward, all in one place resource to get you started. I couldn’t produce as good an introduction myself so I’m not going to try – just head on over to Craftsy and soon you’ll be able to Piece, Patch, Quilt like a pro!
Making Your Own Memory Quilt?
Our Make Your Own Memory Quilt Tutorial is now available for you to purchase. It’s a complete guide to making your own quilt from those precious baby or children’s clothes. A comprehensive tutorial, patterns and support are included. You’ll learn loads more about how to deal with tricky fabrics, and create a beautiful keepsake quilt with love in every stitch! See loads more information here or give us a shout if you have any questions.
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Until next time
Chris
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