How to Make your First Quilt

I am often asked how I began quilting, and I tell the inquirer it all began with a book (you can read about it in this blog post). If you are interested in learning how to quilt or know someone who would love to learn it, today I would recommend Pat Sloan‘s Teach Me To Make My First Quilt published by Martingale and here is why.

Pat Sloan takes the guesswork out of the basics about quilting beginning with important information about the sewing machine all the way to how to make (and finish!) your first quilt, including how to change the blade on the rotary cutter, how to sew a perfect 1/4″ seam, the meaning of common terms used in the craft, how to read a quilt pattern, etc. As you can see Pat did not leave anything out!

All photographs by Brent Kane for Martingale. Used with permission.

I love that Pat walks us through fabric care, how to cut perfect straight strips of fabric, the order in which to sew patches to make a block and, to me the most fun of all, how to machine applique’ fabrics using fusible web. By reading the book one can confidently begin a project as all the questions which may arise on the solitude of your sewing area or studio are already answered in an easy-to-find format.

The nine patterns in the book provide a way to practice putting together the blocks you learned with the new sewing skills you acquired.

Throughout Teach Me To Make My First Quilt Pat Sloan includes tips and additional resources. I also like the simple quilting she used on the projects – anyone can quilt projects by using the walking foot and following her instructions, adding to the experience: learn the very basics, build the blocks, put them together, and then quilt the project yourself.

This book would make a terrific gift, too. Wrap it with a few fat quarters and sewing supplies and give it as a birthday or Christmas gift to someone whom you know would love to learn to make quilts. It will be a hit!

Enjoy your sewing day,