How To Choose The Best Quilting Notions for Beginners: A Buyer’s Guide
As a beginner, you need to know how to choose the best quilting notions for beginners and yet not buy all the tools available in the market. However, there are certain tools you need to look for in a supply kit.
You can get the fabric and colored threads as you like from anywhere, but the following are essential tools.
Table of Contents
How to Choose the Best Sewing Supplies and Notions for Quilting
Rotary Cutter Buyers Guide
Rotary cutters are essential in a quilting supply kit. They allow you to create continuous cut and streamline cuts. That can be very helpful when quilting as well as sewing patchwork.
Also, prefer a rotary cutter that comes with a safety catch or a button. That will help you keep your family as well as yourself safe. Also, it helps in protecting the blade.
Cutting Mat
Cutting mat provides a cutting surface over your tabletop for various projects such as sewing and quilting. You will need a cutting mat whenever you are using a utility knife, scissors, or a rotary cutter. They safeguard your work surface from cuts, scratches, and other related damages.
Additionally, cutting mats can prevent your knife or rotary cutter blade from getting dull. They also have a marking grid that will guide you with measurement while cutting fabric. Also, cutting mats provide straight-line alignment to ensure your cuts are precisely straight.
There are usually two types of cutting mats available in the market. They are hard-surface cutting mats and soft-surface cutting mats.
The hard surface cutting matter is rugged, smooth, and stiff. That will allow the knife or blade to skim over its surface without entering the mat surface.
Moreover, remember to pick a self-healing mattress that can heal itself after cutting. Generally, they contain small structures of elastic, which will allow the blade to pass through. That will ensure the cuts will not damage the cutting mat.
Soft surface cutting mats are thinner than hard surface mats. Further, they are more flexible and softer. Usually, they will have 2 to 5 layers with 2 mm to 4 mm thickness. Also, the marks made by cutting will leave behind invisible or slight scratches.
Best Sellers for How To Choose The Best Quilting Notions
Scissors
There are endless types of scissors available in the market. As a beginner, you may not need more than one type of scissor for quilting. So, you can look at all the types of scissors available and pick the one which is the most suitable for your job.
Additionally, various specialty scissors are coming out every other week to help make quilting an easier hobby.
Some of them are rag quilting snips, soft-touch titanium scissors, knife-edge applique scissors, and others. Each type of scissor comes with its own advantage.
For example, rag quilting snips provide spring action handles which will lessen your effort while quilting. In addition, they will pop right back into their place after every cut. Hence it can be beneficial when quilting large pieces of fabric.
Another example, is blunt-tipped safety scissors are great for little clipping tasks. They can never puncture the fabric or cause accidental cuts on your skin. They are one of the safest scissors to use.
Quilting Pins
Pins provide excellent assistance while quilting and sewing. They can hold the seams temporarily before basting the layers together while quilting. Pins are simple in design, yet they are available in various types.
You can pick one based on your needs. Some types of pins are dressmakers’ pins, round-headed pins, silk pins, ballpoint pins, lace pins, fork pins, flowerhead pins, and more. On the other hand, you can use the simplest of pins, such as safety pins, T-pins, pins, and twist pins.
Rulers
Rulers help you to make the necessary accurate cuts with rotary cutters and scissors. Therefore, you need an adequate-sized ruler with clear markings.
There are several types of rulers available in a quilting supply kit. Some of them are long rulers, medium rulers, short rulers, and square rulers.
How to Choose Quilting Notions: Value for Money
Quilting supplies can be quite expensive. Therefore, it is important to invest in the right kind of materials.
You need to ensure the products you are buying last longer and work efficiently. Consequently, you will ensure the products are worth the money spent.
FAQs for How To Choose Quilting Notions
Is quilting an expensive hobby?
Quilting can be described as an expensive hobby since it requires resources and not just materials. It can become costly if you start by purchasing a fancy sewing machine, new expensive fabric, and superior-grade tools. However, you can reduce the cost significantly by considering alternative options.
You can follow some of this advice as a beginner and slash the cost. Firstly, you can borrow some tools from other quilters; maybe they are your relatives or friends. Then, after some time, you can slowly build your setup.
Secondly, consider starting to quilt by hand. The above-mentioned best quilting supplies for beginners can be beneficial for such cases. It will go slower than quilting with a machine. However, you will get to know the fabrics better before going full-on with the devices.
You can use coupons and purchase materials when they are on offer. Also, join mailing lists so you may get notified when there are special store sales. Hunt down for fabric clearance sales which can offer you fabrics on sale anywhere from 30 to 50%.
Above all, as a beginner, start with smaller projects that require less effort and money. Therefore, you will not waste any of your precious resources.
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What are some of the easiest quilts to make for a beginner?
Quilting can be complicated, which can make any beginner feel intimidated. However, there are some patterns you can try to get yourself started with this beautiful and exciting art. So, here are some of the easiest quilting patterns for beginners.
You can start with a block quilt which is a quintessential traditional pattern. It has equal-sized squares, which are really easy to replicate throughout the fabric.
The second pattern is the fast four-patch quilt. It allows you to mix the previous design up a little. Also, you can experiment with the colors, arrangement, and size of the patches.
You can also try the simple strip quilt, the brick pattern, the rail fence quilt, or Tim quilts. Then, after some time of trying these, you can go for the pinwheel quilts, the hourglass quilt, the triangle quilt, and the hyacinth quilt designs.
These quilts are simple; therefore, they can be perfect for those trying to improve at the craft.
How hard is it to make your first quilt?
It may seem immensely challenging to make your first quilt. However, it is not difficult at all. On the other hand, if you pick some complicated design, you may get exhausted and make many mistakes.
So, remember to choose a simple design. You can pick any of the patterns mentioned in the previous answer. All of them are easy, but you can pick up different colors to make them look complicated and colorful.
One of the critical things about quilting is maintaining the seam allowance. You need to ensure the patterns you have chosen remain the same size consistently. You can ensure this by using the rulers from the best quilting supplies for beginners.
The most challenging part is assembling the quilt top. This part also decides how big your quilt will be. Plus, by making wise use of the tools and with a bit of patience, your first quilt will become easier than it seems.
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