If you want to get started quilting, let me help you with my top tips on how to choose your first quilt project.

When you learn to quilt there are lots of things to learn. Please don’t make it harder on yourself by choosing a first project that is too advanced and/or complicated. I’m not saying you can’t make the quilt, but why stress yourself more when you don’t have too.

Get Started Quilting – Top Tips on How to Choose your First Quilt Project

Start at the Beginning

The best thing you can do is start with a beginner pattern. I know it will likely be a basic pattern like Atkinson Designs, Yellow Brick Road, however, you can make any quilt shine with your fabric choices. A coordinating colour palette of bright colours will turn any quilt from mundane to stunning. However, if you would rather use a quieter colour palette, that is fine too.

Avoid Curved Piecing

Curved Piecing is a wonderful technique, but it is not where you should be starting. Curved Piecing requires a lot of patience to reach beautiful curved piece blocks. Lots can and often does go wrong in Curved Piecing. Please wait until you have completed a few quilts until you give it a try, and watch lots of tutorials before you start.

Avoid Applique

There are a number of ways you can do Applique. Like Curved Piecing, please wait until you have a few quilts under your belt before trying Applique. Applique can often be a struggle and I don’t want you to fight with your quilts. Make quilting a positive experience before attempting Applique please.

Avoid Foundation Paper Piecing

I speak from experience on this subject, it wasn’t until this year (year 21 of quilting for me), that I became decent at Foundation Paper Piecing. It only happened because I took part in a quilt challenge, so I forced myself to do a technique that I didn’t like in order to get better at it. Foundation Paper Piecing can literally make your head hurt as you sew from the back side of the piece through the paper foundation. Wait a while before trying this technique. I will say that once you get used to it, Foundation Paper Piecing is a great technique.

Choose Something you Love

Although you may think you have limited options, please choose a pattern that you love. Remember, you can always make a boring pattern into a stunning quilt with great fabric choices. If you don’t love what you are making, you will get bored and may never finish. Ask me how I know this. My first quilt top never got made into a quilt and was thrown out not long after I finished it. Choose something you love to avoid this. 

It Won’t Be Perfect

Your first quilt top will not be perfect, I can promise you that. There are key skills that you need to learn to avoid making wonky blocks, and that’s ok. 

In fact, aiming for something other than perfection is the best way to quilt. Perfection is overrated and sets quilters up for failure. The Quilt Police, whether in person or in our heads, are very real. Try to see past them and see the beauty in your quilt.

My Final Thoughts

I hope you found this helpful. These tips will help you have the best first quilt experience possible. I want everyone to have a great first quilt experience and want to learn more and keep quilting.

For more helpful quilting tips and tricks, make sure you follow me on YouTube,and Pinterest.