Friday Quilt Class ~ Choosing Fabric & Understanding a Pattern

Where to Begin?

We are starting a new weekly post

at American Homestead.  Fridays

will be a Quilting How To Day.

From the basics of learning to quilt,

to specific techniques and tools

to help you along the way.

Your first question if you are a

beginner may be where do I shop

for fabric and patterns?  Your local

fabric and craft chain store will have

some patterns and fabric appropriate

for quilting but if you want a large

selection you should visit a quilt shop.

Before I seriously started quilting I

felt funny about going to a quilt shop

because I didn't know what I was doing.

Don't feel that way!  That is what a

local quilt shop is there for.  They will

help you with answers to all your questions

and give you information on local guilds

or classes if that is what you are looking for.

When choosing a pattern you will

be looking at the front cover of a

pattern.  It will have the name of the

company, the name of the quilt and

generally a picture of the finished quilt.

Remember to be looking at the design

of the quilt, don't dismiss a pattern

because the colors don't appeal to you.

This is YOUR quilt and you can make

it in whatever color you want.

Once you have your pattern

you will then look for the

fabric you will need.  Usually if

you just turn the pattern over

all that information will be on the

back cover.  Often it will tell you

the finished size of the piece, the

fabric required to make the piece and

on my patterns I include a guide that

tells you what my Fabric A,B,C, etc.

was to help you when you are making

your fabric choices.  This way you know

my Fabric B was the red fabric and you may

want to put green there, I hope that helps.

I use a project sheet when

purchasing fabric.  Some fabrics I

pull from my stash and others I

purchase, often in different quilt

shops.  A project sheet like this

allows you to bring fabric swatches

with you in a convenient way. 

It is also a great way to keep track

of your projects,  I place my sheets

in a binder when I'm finished with

them, it is a good record of projects

and when I made them, adding a photo

of the finished project is also a good idea.

Next Week:  Fabric Preparation

To Wash or Not to Wash