I have only been quilting for about three months now, after receiving a sewing machine as an early birthday gift from my mom. We had purchased a Singer Talent from the local Joanne Fabric store, but after piecing a full quilt and fooling around with some scrap fabric, I found that quilting, even more so than crochet, has an infinite realm of possibility and creativity, and that I was going to need a more capable machine. Since I had only had the machine about two months by that point, I returned it, and have been using a spare of my mother's ever since (a Brother).
I don't have a strong background in sewing whatsoever. I tried patching a pair of jeans once - I sewed several lines of stitching over one another, by hand, and ended up with something not very pretty underneath, and with an uncomfortable seam. I've done very small works of cross stitch, but quickly lose patience with separating threads and re-threading needles, and the back never seems to look as good as it should. That's it. That's all I've done concerning a needle and thread until three months ago, when I got a sewing machine on a whim. One of my goals this year for quilting is to be able to stitch by hand, with at least some consistency and quality.
One of the things that surprised me at first about quilting, is the pure range of everything. There is low, medium, and high quality fabrics, and that just covers 100% cotton. There are many brands of machines and many types for different strengths in each. There are different mats, rotary cutters, and rulers. There are how-to-books, pattern books, and books with nothing but pictures of completed 'inspiration' quilts, not to mention threads. Beyond those obvious supplies, you also need an ironing board and iron (which I did not previously own if you can believe it). All in all, this is not a cheap hobby. This is probably the most budget consuming hobby I have ever undergone, but man is it fun.
Essentially I am beginning this blog to keep track of my quilting journey...the ups and downs, my completed projects, my goals, sharing my experiences, and inspiration (from other bloggers, of course!).
Happy Quilting Everyone!
Emma
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