By Belle Brunner of Seams Sew Me
If you have been walking past the sewing machines at a quilt shop, imagining the quilts you might make and then wondering where on earth to begin, I want to encourage you to come on into the Quiltiverse!
You do not have to know everything before you start. I certainly didn’t. I learned to quilt at 45, with a lot of help from YouTube, patience, and what we call “teaching moments” at our house. I didn’t have a pattern and totally winged it! The photo above shows my first quilt.
The first decision is finding a machine that feels comfortable to use and within your budget. Blaine has many quality machines to choose from and I have several that he sells. The next is getting a small set of tools that make cutting, sewing and pressing easier. After that, you’ll be well on your way to make lovely things!
What to look for when you try a sewing machine
For piecing quilt blocks, a consistent quarter inch seam matters more than a long menu of decorative stitches. A quarter inch foot or guide can help. If you hope to quilt larger projects on your own machine, consider the room to the right of the needle, often called throat space. Ask which feet come in the box, which bobbins and needles it uses, and where you can get a lesson or service when you need it.
These four machines offer different ways to begin. Your best choice depends on the space you have, what else you want to sew, and your budget.
Four machines to explore
Janome 4120QDC-G
This is the machine I first started with and actually still use for my travel teaching machine. It is a compact choice for someone who wants to piece quilts and also try other kinds of sewing. It has 120 built in stitches, seven one-step buttonholes, alphabet options for adding names or messages to projects (helpful for quilt labels), a needle threader, adjustable speed, needle up and down, and an included extension table. Those conveniences are nice when you are learning to keep your seams steady. If you plan to take your machine to a class or guild sew day, its smaller footprint is appealing.
Baby Lock Jazz II
If you picture yourself quilting a bigger project at home, take a look at the Jazz II. Its 12-inch workspace gives you room for maneuvering large quilts and bulkier fabrics, and its 28 built in stitches cover everyday sewing as well as quilting. It has a built-in needle threader, programmable needle up and down, and a hands-free presser foot lift.
Baby Lock Allegro
The Allegro also offers 12 inches to the right of the needle, but adds a broader selection of stitches and push button conveniences. It has 200 built in stitches, a needle threader, needle up and down, and an automatic thread cutter. If you want room for larger quilts and you are excited to experiment with decorative sewing, this one gives you both.
Juki TL-2000Qi
The TL-2000Qi is for the person who loves the idea of a machine focused on a beautiful straight stitch. It comes with an auxiliary table and an even feed foot, and has a needle threader, needle up and down, sews up to 1500 stitches per minute and foot-controlled thread trimming. It also has a bright LED work light that is oh so handy when you are sewing in the evening. You can lower the feed dogs for free motion quilting. It sews straight stitches only, so be sure that fits your plans if this will be your one and only machine. I actually have this machine in silver and it’s a work horse! I can sew through leather and up to 12 layers of fabrics. It’s also great for sewing bulky tote bags.
The beginner notions I would put in your basket
You do not need to buy the entire notions wall. Start with these and add the specialty gadgets when a project calls for them:
Cutting tools. A rotary cutter (my favorite is by Havels), a self-healing cutting mat (my favorite is SewTites but it is pricey so my next favorite is Creative Grids) and a clear acrylic ruler. A 6 by 24 inch ruler is a useful first size. I prefer Creative Grids since it has special ‘grippy’ on the back of the ruler to prevent it from slipping. If you don’t get the Havel’s rotary cutter that has a special automatic blade guard, learn to close the rotary cutter guard every time you set it down to avoid cutting yourself accidentally.
Sewing basics. Good quality thread (my favorite is Aurifil 50wt for piecing), machine needles (Schmetz or Organ are my favorite) suited to your fabric and thread, the correct bobbins for your machine, pins and Clover clips, small scissors and a seam ripper. Yes, the seam ripper belongs in every quilter’s kit, including mine. If you want to have a good option for labeling your cut pieces of fabric as you follow along a quilt pattern, you’ll love my Jumbo Alphabet Clips.
A reliable quarter inch guide. Check whether your machine includes a quarter inch foot. Practice on a few scraps and measure the sewn piece so you know what your seam allowance really is. This ensures that your seams match up correctly.
Pressing tools. An iron, starch, and a safe pressing surface. I highly suggest a wool pressing mat on your pressing station. Pressing as you go makes blocks easier to assemble and helps them lie flat.
Your first project. Choose quilting cotton and a simple beginner pattern with a video tutorial. A small quilt, table runner or pillow gives you the satisfaction of a finish while you learn the steps. I have a beginner quilt sampler quilt pattern that includes video tutorials for each simple classic block.
Explore the Beginner Quilt Sampler pattern
Be brave enough to make the first block
My first quilts did not begin with knowing every quilting word or owning every tool. I learned by trying, watching videos on YouTube, pausing it, and trying again. Search YouTube for the exact skill you need that day: “how to wind a bobbin,” “quarter inch seam for beginners,” or “how to bind a quilt.” You can visit my Thread Life with Belle YouTube channel, too. A video you can stop and replay is a pretty patient teacher.
Then find some real people. Visit a local quilt guild, even if you do not know a soul when you walk in. Go to a quilt show and look closely at the quilts. Ask a question in a quilt shop. Quilters love talking about quilting, and somewhere in that crowd is a person who remembers making their first wobbly block. You belong there while you are learning and even years later when you are a pro. I’m still learning new things all the time!
If your points do not all line up on the first try, welcome to quilting, y’all. Make the next block. With each one, your hands learn a little more. Before long, you will have a quilt with your own story stitched into it, and I cannot wait for you to make your first quilt!
Make Lovely Things,
Belle of Seams Sew Me
