To view ALL of the posts in the Block of the Month series, JUST CLICK HERE for the Archive. That link contains all of the projects posted to date.
Today I’m very excited to introduce to you a new blog series that I’ve been putting together this year. To be honest I kept going back and forth trying to decide if this “block of the month” series was something that I really wanted to do. Many of you that know me, know that consistency is NOT my thing… and committing to something for a whole year… well that’s just a bit terrifying!!
But after talking to many readers both here, in person, on Facebook and Instagram I’ve decided that there are a lot of you out there that want to learn how to quilt but aren’t sure where to start and are not sure if you want to take on such a big project all at once.
So if you’ve NEVER quilted before, or if you’re an experienced quilter just looking for a few a fun quick projects I invite you to join me in this new series.
Each month I’ll share the directions for a new quilt block. For those of you that are new, most quilts are composed of blocks, which are usually square. A quilter constructs several blocks individually then connects all of the blocks into a finished quilt. If you’ve ever looked a quilt with a bunch of shapes and wondered how in the world they did that… well that’s probably how. One step at a time.
What’s that saying about how do you eat an Elephant?? One bite at a time… (not that I’d ever eat an Elephant).
The blocks will start this September and run for 1 year. Each block will have photo instructions and the blocks will progress in difficulty as the year goes by. The block for September is very simple and will teach you some basic quilting skills. I’ll also pop in here with posts on other helpful techniques as needed during the year.
Before we start we’ll talk about fabric selection, best quilting practices and tools. If you want to join me but have never quilted before there are a few things you’re going to need. You can go nuts buying quilting supplies, so we are going to start with the bare minimum and you can add from there as you like.
All of the items are pictured in this post, I’ll list them out here. You can pick all of them up at your local quilt shop, online or on Amazon (I’ve included those affiliate links for you)
- Quilting Mat and Ruler. Get a large mat and a 6″ x 24″ ruler. If you can also buy a smaller ruler too (sometimes the big one is too large)
- Rotary Cutter. Like I told the Doctor at the ER when I sliced off my finger “it’s a pizza cutter for fabric”. It’s another must, but is sharp (obviously) if you’re worried about cutting yourself get a cut glove too.
- Good snips. A small pair of scissors to use when clipping strings.
- Pins. I prefer to use the flower head quilting pins. They are thinner than regular pins and help the fabric lay flat as it’s pinned.
- Binding Clips. I bought these a few years ago and they are now a constant “must” have for me. They come in very handy for more than just quilting.
- Sewing machine. I sew on a BERNINA 770QE and I love it. Any machine you have will work, you don’t need a quilting sewing machine. You do need to figure out how to get a 1/4″ seam on your existing machine. Many machines do this with specialty feet. Check your instruction manual for information.
7. Also helpful, a seam gauge to check your seams are 1/4″
To view ALL of the posts in the Block of the Month series, JUST CLICK HERE for the Archive. That link contains all of the projects posted to date.
Okay, that’s it for now!! Our next block of the month post will be next week! Stay tuned!
In the meantime, check out my Quilt Block Pinterest board for some inspiration.
Follow Melissa | Polka Dot Chair’s board Quilt Blocks on Pinterest.
