Quilting: Inspiration and Aspiration

The quilting idea has been kicking around in my brain for awhile. I never thought I’d be that interested in quilting, but about a year ago I saw a group of crafters joining in a quilt along. Elizabeth at Oh, Fransson! hosted her Mod Sampler Quilt Along, and several of the bloggers I read had joined in.

What intrigued me about Elizabeth’s quilt along was the extreme detail. There were posts about choosing fabrics, color selection, the basics of cutting the fabric, everything you’d need to know to quilt your very first quilt. As the quilt along progressed, and more people posted their progress and photos of their finished quilts (some of my faves are here), I was intrigued.

But still, I resisted. The apartment we lived in at the time was small and cramped, and I didn’t have the space for such a big project. I would never be able to pick out the right fabrics. I wasn’t brave enough to try something like that.

Excuses, excuses, right?

Then this year, a lot of the lovely women in my Flickr stream are participating in virtual quilting bees. They’re posting photos of these amazing blocks that are being sent around the country, and I’ve become enamored of the amazing colors and patterns.

Which is why I have these three items on my bookshelf. Or, actually, off of my bookshelf, so I can keep perusing them:

On the left is Quilting 101 , a basic learn to quilt book that explains every step in great detail. The book on the right, Start Quilting with Alex Anderson was an impulse buy based on some good reviews. Both of them are fine books, but the fabrics used in them are very traditional – many tapestry florals in earth tones, if that makes sense.

The book in the center is not a beginner quilt book by any means, but WOW is it gorgeous.  It’s The Gentle Art of Quiltmaking by Jane Brocket. This book is stunning. She writes about several of her finished quilts, her inspiration for each of them, and the fabrics she uses – wow. Very bright, very vivid, absolutely gorgeous. This book, for me, is for inspiration and aspiration. I don’t have the confidence right now to even attempt to use the colors and techniques in this book, but maybe someday I will.

The culmination of all of this? I want to make a quilt – just a small one, for practice, to see what I think about it. The last time I did any patchwork was a pillow in home ec in 7th grade, so this is absolutely out of my realm of experience.

But here’s what’s working in my favor: I moved my craft area to a more well-lit, roomy corner of the house. I have all of the supplies I need to make a mini doll-sized quilt. And I have a week off from work next week.

I think it’s the perfect time to teach myself to quilt.

Experienced quilters (if you’ve managed to read this far!) – any tips for a newbie? Anything I should be aware of? I’d love to hear your tips or advice!