Don’t be intimidated — getting started in quilting can be easy

By Molly Roberts
Posted 4/27/22

Walking into a quilt shop without a lot of prior knowledge about sewing can be overwhelming. There are rows upon rows of fabrics, displays of tools and an abundance of patterns on offer. But for …

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Don’t be intimidated — getting started in quilting can be easy

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Walking into a quilt shop without a lot of prior knowledge about sewing can be overwhelming. There are rows upon rows of fabrics, displays of tools and an abundance of patterns on offer. But for beginners who are hoping to give sewing and quilting a try, Willow Creek Quilting & Gifts (418 B Ave) and Stitch ‘N Sew Cottage (207 4th Street) in Kalona have many resources and tips on hand.

“What I often tell [beginners] is to find something that is quick and simple and something that will give them success soon,” said Juanita Troyer, owner of Willow Creek. “I have adults come in and they’ll pick up a pattern. I tell them, ‘You can probably do that, but I would start with something small, something easy to give you confidence.’ Because there are a lot of things to learn.”

Sewing a ¼-inch seam is important — sew them too big or inconsistently and your pieces won’t fit together. While sewing clothing and other items might give you a little more leeway, quilting requires the precision.

“If somebody comes in new and wants to start quilting, we try to help them out with some basic patterns, something that’s not too complicated,” said Grace Schumann, owner of Stitch ‘N Sew Cottage. “A lot of people will make a throw quilt, something smaller. Or they’ll start with a table runner. If they try to start with a huge quilt for their first quilt, it might get overwhelming before they get to the end. But if they start with something they can finish and see the results, it helps them keep going.”

Troyer often recommends smaller projects to her beginning customers, which often come in kits, such as kits to make fabric coasters/mug warmers, which are popular in her shop.

She also recommends kits like Charm Squares, which are a stack of 40 five-inch squares that are all color-coordinated and can be used to make wall hangings or other smaller projects.

“Normally, a lot of quilt stores won’t cut less than ¼ yard, and if you had to buy ¼ yard of all of those fabrics, you’d be spending a lot of money,” Troyer said. “But with the Charm Squares, you just buy one pack and can make the whole thing out of that.”

Troyer said she doesn’t push new sewers and quilters to buy a lot of tools at first.

“You’ve got to find out if you like it first,” she said. “You don’t want to spend over $100 buying a rotary cutter, a mat, a ruler and everything else you need until you know that this is something you want to do. I don’t want them to be disappointed that they spent all that money and then they don’t enjoy it.”

Stitch ‘N Sew offers many classes to help established quilters learn new skills or to help beginners get on their feet, which are listed in their monthly newsletter and on their website, www.stitchnsewcottage.com. Schumann said she has one group of people that comes once a week.  They started out in the beginner’s class, but soon were crafting quilts, purses, table runners and much more.

Both Schumann and Troyer said that, when it comes to kids, starting them out by making pillowcases has been a good beginner’s lesson.

“I like to show kids that there is such a neat way to do pillowcases. Before Covid, I used to have high school girls who would run the register for me on Saturdays… I taught them to do the pillowcases and I know several of them made special pillowcases for their parents for Christmas,” Troyer said. “Once they learned how, they realized how much fun it is and how easy it is to do and how it’s just perfect when it’s done.”

Schumann said she’s seen children in her classes make everything from shorts to blankets to aprons.

Passing the hobby of quilting and sewing down to younger generations is something both Troyer and Schumann take a special interest in.

“We need to get them interested, or I won’t be in business very long,” Troyer said. “We’re losing a lot of people who have quilted their whole life, because they’re older and either can’t do it anymore or they’re passing on.”

Troyer said she helps many 4-H members with projects and even has pictures in her office of girls who made it to the state fair and have won awards for their projects. She said the trick to getting younger hobbyists invested is to keep them engaged and encouraged.

“They’re not going to stay interested on their own. As soon as they show interest, you need to get them started on some simple project,” Troyer said. “They need something that they can have success with right away and feel good about themselves. And if it’s a gift they can give Mom on Mother’s Day or something like that, that’s even better.”

Schumann said she doesn’t see sewing and quilting going away any time soon, just shifting a little as makers’ interests and techniques change.

“During Covid, I know a lot of people who said, ‘I haven’t sewed for years, but I pulled my sewing machine out of storage and I’m going to make something!,’” Schumann said.

Both Willow Creek and Stitch ‘N Sew Cottage offer countless kits for quilters. Troyer said almost all of the quilts she has hanging in her store have kits available. But whether you’re looking for a kit or to pick out your own fabric, patronizing a specialty quilt shop is way to go, instead of going to a big box or hobby store.

“First of all, the quality of the fabric is much better. And we certainly are going to take time to help you pick out what you need. It’s not just shopping on your own; we’re going to help you and answer your questions,” Schumann said. “Some people like shopping around and picking out their own fabric, and other people say, ‘I want to make this. Can you pick out the fabrics for it?’ Either way, we’re here to help.”