Quilting has been such an important part of my life. It’s a great hobby, but it also provides so many benefits! If you’re new to quilting, I want help you by sharing the tools that I recommend for a beginner quilter.
Quilting is one way that can help you stay productive because it gives you something physical to do with your hands while your mind focuses on the task at hand! It is my favorite form of multitasking. 🤩
The time you spend quilting will bring a sense of community and self-fulfillment.
Quilts are often made by hand with love. They are one way that people can connect on an emotional level, which is something we don’t always have the opportunity to do in our day-to-day lives.
The Reason I Quilt:
When I’m cutting fabric or piecing together my newest project, I feel like I’ve been given permission to be unapologetically myself. It feels great!
My favorite thing about quilting is how much joy it brings me and others too. I know I’ll never be bored and there is always something new to learn!
Quilting can feel overwhelming at first because of the amount of information out there and the tools available at the craft store.
These are the 9 tools that I recommend every quilter start with!
- – Quilting pins – These are generally a little longer than regular sewing pins and handy when working with multiple layers of thick fabric.
- – A cutting mat and rotary cutter
- – A quilt pattern, such as this one (it’s FREE on my site and designed for beginners)
- – Fabric scissors for precise cuts – good sharp scissors are preferred.
- – A walking foot sewing machine (if you’re quilting on your home machine) You can get by without one if you only sew straight lines. Machines like Janome’s J5030 are designed specifically for quilters who want something lightweight that will be easy to take from place to place!
- – Seam ripper – I always recommend using these… don’t get into the habit of hating your seam ripper. It’s ok! You’re going to make mistakes! That’s part of the learning process! Seam rippers are perfect to help you along the way.
- – Quilt basting spray – This one is my favorite brand and is super helpful hen you’re just starting out.
- – Cutting Ruler or quilt square to help keep your quilts squared up while you’re trying it on the batting (usually comes with pattern)
- – Aaaand Fabric! – It’s quilting! You’ll need fabric, right?… and thread too! – there are many different types of thread that will work. I recommend the Gutermann brand of thread. It is a good quality thread for a decent price.
A quilter can get started with these basic tools, but as your skills progress and the quilts you want to make require more advanced techniques, you may decide that it would be worth investing in a few other quilt-specific items.
Why does purchasing the right tools make a huge difference?
– A quilt is an expensive investment!
– Starting out with the right tools will help you avoid costly mistakes and disappointment as your quilting skills develop.
A few other quilt-specific items to invest in are a comfortable rotary cutter, mat, rulers, or quilt square templates to help keep your quilts squared up while you’re cutting, plenty of different-sized safety pins for marking where appliqués go before sewing them down.
As you find more patterns that you want to work on and take a few more trips around the fabric shops… you’ll find more tools that you wish to acquire as your budget will allow.
*This post is by no means exhaustive, for those who are interested in learning more about quilting! If you have any further questions, you’re welcome to leave a comment down below or contact me!
**I hope this helps all of my beginners out there trying to figure out how to start quilting or what supplies they need. Let me know if you have any feedback!***