Beginner's Class - How to Piece a Quilt - The Lessons Begin

Piney's Needle is officially open in Pinewood, Tennessee.  I'm doing what Mother said...."Don't be afraid to dream!"   I'm dreaming and I'm going to "reach for the stars" and make my dreams a reality.

I will be holding quilting classes at my house.  I'm praying this is the first step toward that dream.

My first class will be on March 19th, 9-1 (with a light lunch provided) and we will be doing the 9-Patch block.  For this first class, I am going to limit it to 6 ladies and there will be no class charge (you will be my guinea pigs!).  This will be a 4-class series, meeting every other weekend (March 19, April 2, April 16, April 30).  For those who can't come during those times, I'm also throwing around the idea of doing a week night class, 6-9....no dates set yet.  This will be a learning experience for me and the ladies.

I will be teaching the traditional and contemporary quilt piecing methods.  I truly believe that we must embrace the art of our grandmothers before we can comprehend their gift and appreciate the skill they had.  The 9-Patch is a easy pattern to do that with and it can be used in so many different ways.

Here are two examples that my mother made for my children.  Adam's 9-Patch is set at an angle and added to other patterns.  Sally's 9-Patch is set straight with solid pieces between each block.  This will be the design that we will be starting with.   (FYI....Sally's quilt is one of the last hand quilted pieces that my mother was able to do, then she went to machine quilting.  Adam's was made this past year, hand pieced, machine quilted.)

Supplies to get started:

We will be doing a quilt.  As my grandmother says, she doesn't like to do wall hangings because with just a few more blocks or strips....you've got a quilt....so why not make a quilt?

1.  Since I have already picked out the pattern....the first step is done for you....choosing your pattern.

2.  Next, consider how you are going to use this quilt.  Is it for you or someone else?  Getting that settled first, helps you with the next step.....your color scheme.

3.  I'm going to let you choose your color scheme.  You will need 4 to 6 different medium to dark colors for the blocks, using a white or light colored piece for the other block pieces and the connecting (blank) blocks.  They can be prints or solids....let's not do any plaids or strips right now.  

For the light colored pieces....you can have a design on them, but try to keep it pretty simple, even maybe choosing solid white or beige because we will be practicing your quilting techniques in these blocks.

4.  How much material?  You will be making a quilt that will measure approximately 68 x 88 inches (the size of a standard twin size quilt).  Since this is a learning experience for me too....it may be a little larger!   For this first time....get 2 yards of medium/dark and 2 yards of white/beige material.

Warning!!!!   Quilting is not a cheap hobby!  Material can run anywhere from $2-$4 a yard up to $15 or more a yard....shop around.  On the average, about $8 a yard is what you will be spending for 100% cotton!   So that means right off the bat, you will be spending at least $36 for your basic material....this does not include your borders, binding, backing, or batting.  But those things don't have to be purchased now.

In the Dickson area, Grannie B's Quilt Shop has a large variety of material and supplies. In the Cool Springs/Franklin area, there are several places...JoAnn, Hobby Lobby, The Quilting Squares Quilt Shop, Stitcher's Garden and maybe more...but these will get you started.

5.  Once you have your material....the only other things you will need will be:  good scissors (not paper cutting scissors!), pins, sewing needles, thread (white is fine), a #2 pencil, and a clear ruler.  A thimble is optional...but recommended!

Hopefully this hasn't overwhelmed you...but gotten you excited to start something new.  Here's some pictures of my block I did last night and my supplies.  I have a small cutting board with a padded board on the opposite side....I love it!

So....I'm looking for 6 local ladies to come to my log house on the scenic Piney River in Pinewood, Tenneesse (50 miles west of Nashville, 5 miles off I-40 on HWY 48).  I'm also looking for some ladies who would be interested in taking this class on-line....again  this will be a learning process for all of us....me especially!

Let me know as soon as possible if you are interested.