Wow so much info , My scedule for tomorow has Changed tomorow morning I am off to the library , and just as soon as I finish this post I will be searching for sewing classes in my neighborhood. Thanks to everyone I am so excited can't wait to get started. Oh and I don't have a sewing machine, I could't really afford one right now.
Once you bone up on your new hobby ,why don't you see if your Local Sewing Machine Store and tell them what you plan on doing: Learn how to quilt. they may have sewing machine loaners.....they may give you an intro lesson or two---IF you like it then they know you will 'purchase from them'. Make sure you talk with the owner about it tho. Makes a huge diff in the answer.
Butterfly
Not a big deal, Lynda. It's smart, anyway, to wait to make such an investment until you KNOW you're going to love sewing/quilting.
My first four quilts were all hand-pieced (and hand-quilted - but then, I can't machine quilt to save my own life!) and the recipients loved'em nonetheless. I didn't make an investment in a sewing machine until I KNEW I LOVED quilting. :)
With all the people around here who seem to acquire machines for free, seems like there should be one out there for you! No need for bells and whistles, all you need for piecing is a good straight stitch. Check garage sales, get the word out to everyone you know, and a machine might just follow you home! Mostly all they need is a good clean and a new needle. And when you can afford a new one, you'll have a much better idea of what you want. Roberta in D
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hand stores I would see them , just wasn't sure it they worked. guess there is only one way to find out.
Hi, do you have any idea in mind what you want to make? Either a traditional pattern you'd like to try or a particular purpose for your quilt?
It's surprising how different making a quilt by hand is to making it by machine, you may like one and dislike the other, or prefer one for some stages of the process and the other for other stages of the process.
Myself, I've not come across any beginner classes in hand piecing and quilting, only machine ones, however, all the machine classes, allow you to borrow a machine, usually reserved in advance, requiring a deposit etc. The problem with this, is it's often not possible to finish the project in the class time, which leaves you stuck as to how to finish the project.
It's true that machines can often be got hold of very cheaply at thrift stores or garage sales, the problem is, if you are not at all familiar with sewing machines, that you may struggle to get it set up correctly and it may not behave as the instructions (if you even have them!) suggest it should. If you can't get it set up right, you may get a very unsatisfactory result.
Cheers Anne
As suggested above, telling everyone you know that you're interested in quilting/want a sewing machine may net you all you desire. Take everything offered -- sort out the dreck later! If you're really lucky someone will be a quilter and offer to hold your hand/get you started.
For me, I bought a book. Yes, that's it -- Timeless Treasures by Nancy Johnson-Srebro, and though she doesn't know me (never met!) her book taught me the how's and why's. I was fortunate that my first buy was a good choice for me. And no, I haven't taken a class (the idea sounds like fun, but the logistics simply won't work. Still, a lot can be accomplished with just a needle and thread:
So, ask around -- not necessarily for a sewing machine, but for a quilter. And once you get your free used sewing machine, it's probably going to be older. First things first: take it to a repair shop for a thorough cleaning and tune-up. The older the shop, the better -- you want a place that's been in business for decades.
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