Instructions
- Step 1: Visit quilting craft store web sites Visit quilting craft store web sites for descriptions of quilting tools along with tips for beginners.
- Step 2: Buy a rotary cutter and cutting mat Buy a rotary cutter and self-healing cutting mat.
- TIP: Buy a rotary cutter with a retractable blade as a safety feature. Buy a rotary cutter with a retractable blade as a safety feature.
- Step 3: Buy a measuring tool for rotary cutting Buy a measuring tool for rotary cutting. A clear plastic ruler provides a simple guideline, especially for beginners with shaky hands.
- Step 4: Buy a variety scissors Buy scissors that are different sizes. Use an inexpensive pair for cutting template materials, snips for trimming threads, applique scissors for close, precise cutting, and 6-inch straight trimmers for most fabric weights.
- TIP: Scissors should feel comfortable in your hand. Spring action scissors are for users with weak hands.
- Step 5: Buy packs of needles and pins of various sizes Buy packs of sewing needles and pins of various sizes to sample which best suits your quilting activities. Straight pins easily pierce layers of fabric, pins with glass heads won’t melt when you’re using a steam iron.
- Step 6: Buy templates and marking tools Buy templates and marking tools, including transparent plastic template materials or pre-cut templates. A no. 2 lead pencil and a .5 millimeter mechanical pencil are common marking tools.
- Step 7: Use a household steam iron with a pressing surface Use a common household steam iron with a pressing surface.
- FACT: Quilting can be traced back to ancient Egypt and China where three layers of fabric were stitched together to keep the middle layer from slipping and clumping.
You Will Need
- A computer with internet access
- A rotary cutter
- A cutting mat
- 6 x 12 and 6 x 24 rulers
- Scissors
- Applique scissors
- Thread trimming snips
- 6-inch straight trimmers
- Sewing needles
- Straight pins
- Plastic templates
- A no. 2 pencil
- A .5 millimeter mechanical pencil
- A steam iron
