Sewing is an art that not many take on as often as they did in the past. For decades, sewing was a way for women to make themselves relevant in the home as they would sew clothing, linens, and other textiles for their family members. Some even sold items that they had sewn in local markets to make some extra money for their family. Sewing has allowed women to exert some independence in a world where men dominate. Because the world continues to change socially and technologically the need for sewing by hand has decreased. In addition, women are respected more and more everyday as an equal member of society, thus less are learning how to sew. There are some women, however, that still value the ability to sew and take it on as a hobby. If you are one of those women and are interested in learning how to quilt, here are some tips to get you started on your learning adventure.

Take a class.

Whether you take a beginners class at your local craft or fabric shop or you choose to take one online, doing so will help you a great deal. Taking a class will show you the proper technique to cutting out squares, measuring fabrics, sewing in a straight line, pressing seams, and much more.

Purchase a sewing machine.

When selecting a sewing machine, look for one that is highly rated on www.quiltersreview.com and is well suited for beginners. You do not need a machine that costs a great deal of money and offers a plethora of features when you first start out sewing. A simple, well constructed machine that offers you the ability to sew with a variety of stitches and provides the capability of switching out sewing feet, is perfect for someone just learning the tricks of the trade.

Choose your quilt pattern wisely.

When you first start out quilting, the best thing to do is to choose a pattern that is quite large so that you can learn how to put the seams together. Not to mention, sewing larger pieces will make the project progress much quicker than if you were to use smaller quilting squares. Large squares make it easy to practice and allow you little room to make a mistake. Once you have built up your confidence, you can move on to smaller squares.

Use pre-cut fabric.

There are pre-cut fabrics that you can purchase at stores or online called “jelly-rolls.” These fabrics are pre-cut and have been put together in a pack that allows you to simply sew them together and make a quilt. By purchasing the fabric already pre-cut, you are saving yourself a great deal of work.

Don’t give up.

As with anything that you are learning, you will make mistakes. Know that making a mistake is okay and it will not ruin your project. There are ways that you can fix a mistake, such as using a seam ripper or by incorporating the mistake someway into the design. Sometimes mistakes turn into divine opportunities.