5 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Quilting

So you fell in love with quilting, but now you're finding yourself just a little overwhelmed with tips, do's and don'ts, and possibly even a run-in with the "quilt police".

There are lots (and lots!) of blog posts and videos out there to help you find your way around - from how to get started, to how to make things like HSTs, how to bind a quilt, or even entire quilt classes for beginners and more advanced quilters alike.

But, aside from all the techniques, there are some basic things I wish I had known when I started quilting, and they have nothing to do with how to fold the binding, or whether making 4-at-a-time HSTs should be avoided because of the bias edges (hint, I use them, but use starch).

So today, I want to share those with you. Here are 5 things I wish I had known as a beginner quilter.

1 - You need to be bad at quilting to get good at quilting

Your first quilt won't be your master piece. Even your second, third, or tenth quilt will have mistakes in it, and things you could have done better. But your tenth quilt will have much straighter seams, and fewer puckers than your first, and maybe that's the one where you finally get that binding to lay "just so" and meet up perfectly in the corner. And then maybe your 11th quilt will have another mistake in it that you really should have known how to avoid but you were tired because you were trying to finish it up after bedtime.

In other words, your quilts won't be perfect, and in order to get better at lining up points, and sewing straight seams, and quilting without puckers, you need to practice, and you need to make quilts with mistakes first. 

Case in point, my first quilt. I dare you to find a single truly square blue square in that quilt. I honestly don't think there are any. But compare it to the Dancing Hearts quilt I used for all the text images and you can see what practice does. Plus, I still love that first quilt 💙

2 - More complicated patterns don't make better quilts

This is a myth that's been way too sticky. Just because a pattern is complicated to make, doesn't mean the quilt is any better. Yes, some patterns look more stunning and intricate, and some quilts look simpler, but one is not better than the other unless you're entering them in a show where intricacy matters. 

And some patterns are actually written in a way that's more complicated than necessary. They could be simplified a lot, and made more accessible to more quilters that way, and still look just as stunning.

Now, I'm not saying stay away from complicated patterns. They can be great skill builders, and challenge you to try something new, learn a new technique, or just see what you can accomplish. But whether you make a complicated quilt or a simple pattern, the final quilt will still be warm, cozy, and wrap someone in your love. 

3 - Pressing matters

This is something I was told to do, but nobody took the time to explain why or make sure I did it right. I was told to press my seams, and that's what I thought I did. But I didn't know I wasn't supposed to move the iron around on the pieces, because it could actually distort the fabric. So I had lots of weirdly bowed-out seams in my early quilts because I used the iron to fold over the fabric, instead of opening it up with my hands and finger pressing first, before pressing with the iron. 

Some people will also say not to use steam, but I've always used steam and I've never had a problem with it and I love getting those lovely, crisp flat seams. 

4 - The Three-Foot-Rule is a gamer changer

Or in other words, perspective matters. 

When you make a mistake in your quilt, you always have to decide whether to rip it out and redo it, or leave it in. The best way to figure out which to do is to take a step back, literally.

When we're almost nose-to-fabric with our work the whole time, we notice every little mistake, seams that don't line up, or points that were cut off. But nobody else is going to look at your quilt that closely. 

So put your quilt block on the design wall, or on the table, and step away 3 feet (or a little more). Look at it from that distance and see if you can even still spot the mistake. If not, leave it in. Nobody else will be able to spot it either, and if they do, what were they doing looking so closely at your work? :-)

If you can still see it AND it bothers you, fix it. If it doesn't bother you, there's no need to fix it. Just call it creative license, and move on.

5 - You need good tools, but you don't need all the tools

You could spend your life's savings on quilting tools, and still not own every one of them. There are so many notions, gadgets and tools out there, it can be hard to know what you really need.

As a beginner quilter, I recommend you buy the best tools you can afford, and that serve multiple functions. So don't start out with specialty rulers, but get yourself a good, multipurpose ruler and a rotary cutter that sits comfortably in your hand. You can always get more specialized tools later, as you learn more and find out what sort of quilts you like making, and what sort of tasks you maybe have trouble with it. I have a list of the tools I use in my studio here, with notes for what I would recommend you start with.

Because the problem is that many quilting gadgets have a single use. They are rulers for trimming a specific kind of block, and sometimes for a specific size that you may or may not be making again. Or things like a wool pressing mat and a tailor's clapper to help seams get extra flat. Yes those are very "nice to have" tools that may make your pressing better or more enjoyable. But as long as you have a good iron and a spray bottle to create steam, you can make very crisp seams without those. And you will have extra money to spend on fabric and a pattern for your next project.