Come join Stacey Sansom Designs on June 1, 2018 in the brand new Beginner’s Quilt Along Community!
What is a Quilt Along?
Crafters, especially quilters, love to get together and work in groups. Usually held in small groups, a Quilt Along is a great way to learn new skills, complete projects, and make new friends. Due to the vastness of the internet, these groups tend to be fairly expansive. This adds to the fun.
A Quilt Along is where people get together and quilt right along with their group leader. Everyone in the group is working on the same project at the same time.
Our Quilt Along will be comprised of the entire internet group that joins the G+ Community.
Who should join?
This G+ Community is specifically for BRAND NEW AND BEGINNING QUILTERS!
If you have NEVER done more than dream about quilting, this community is for you. If you have dabbled in quilting and want to improve your skills, this community is for you. I want to help and focus on the TRUE BEGINNER QUILTERS.
Intermediate and advanced quilters need not join.
What will we do?
Each month we will work on a single quilt pattern. While this is not a race, the focus is to START AND FINISH an entire quilt top faster than you ever imagined – in one month!
What do you mean by finish?
My vision is that each member will be able to finish the quilt entirely. The quilt will be ready to enjoy or deliver to someone else to enjoy.
However, if we find that we cannot all finish the quilt in a month due to the current member’s skill-set, I will amend the goal so we work on piecing the quilt top one month and then layering and quilting the quilt the next month. Wash, rinse, repeat.
What do I need to participate?
You will need the materials to complete each quilt. Do not panic. Quilting can be expensive but we will focus on “quilting on a budget.” I will try to keep the costs down as much as possible. Feel free to ask questions as we go.
Materials I will provide:
- Quilt pattern (free and purchased patterns are possible)
- Gallery to display your completed quilts each month
- Positive encouragement
- Constructive criticism (I want you to learn and feel comfortable doing it)
Materials YOU will provide:
- Fabric for each quilt – includes the piecing, borders, backing, and binding.
- Batting for each quilt
- Sewing machine with appropriate thread
- Rotary cutter, cutting mat, and appropriate quilting rulers (may vary for each quilt)
- Pictures of your finished product
- Questions as we learn
- Positive encouragement to other members
If you join the Quilt Along during the middle of the month?
If you are late to join us in the Beginner’s Monthly Quilt Along, just pick up where we are. All of the patterns for previous days of the month will be available to everyone that joins. Just jump in and get started!
How will this work?
First you join!
A preview of the quilt will be released on the first day of the month. This preview may be a pattern drawing, a picture of the pieced quilt top only, or it may be the completed quilt. We will work on the quilt in pieces so that no one gets overwhelmed.
When the preview is released, I will also release the quilt requirements – fabric requirements, notions if any, recommended quilting rulers, etc. This will be released on the first of the month.
At this time, I will also release the COMPLETE cutting instructions for the pieced quilt top. This will not include the cutting directions for the borders, binding, batting, or binding. We will do those last. You will, however, be able to cut all of your quilt pieces at one time.
Finally, I will release the directions for the FIRST SECTION of the quilt that we will work on. This may be one row, one block, or one column. The presentation of the quilt instructions will depend on the quilt pattern. These will be released 2-3x per week.
Once we have the pieces completed, we will put them all together into the finished pieced quilt top.
After we finish the pieced quilt top in its entirety, we will add the borders if appropriate.
Then we are in the final stretch – sandwiching our quilts for quilting and binding them when we are done.
What if I can’t finish?
As I stated above, if I find that many of our members are unable to keep up with the rigorous schedule, I will adjust it as needed. Do not panic. Just keep working!
Why are you doing this Quilt Along?
First I am doing this to encourage and help the absolute beginner quilters. I have been in several quilt alongs and quilt challenges and while they do serve a purpose for some quilters, they do not necessarily meet the needs of the absolute beginners. I want this to be fun and encouraging.
Ultimately, it is to help beginner quilters gain skills at a very rapid pace and have fun doing it.
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