Get Started Quilting: The Complete Beginner Guide

by Jessica Alexandrakis

An all-in-one guide to contemporary quilting techniques for beginners!

Quilting can often seem complicated and overwhelming, but it truly is a craft that anyone can do--taken one step at a time, this fantastic hobby is really quite easy. Get Started Quilting takes readers on a steady path to learning the essential quilting techniques, tricks, and tested methods of quilt making, focusing on one skill at a time.

This all in-one volume covers fabric selection, cutting, pressing, sewing (by hand or machine), piecing and joining blocks, basting, hand and machine quilting, and binding and making labels. Quilt blocks range from traditional to contemporary, including basic patchwork and applique as well as improvisational piecing. Working through the book, the reader can pick up and develop all the basic quilting skills they need. Using a range of delightful fabrics, patterns, and colorways, they'll discover how they can put quilt blocks together in a variety of layout designs to create wonderful modern projects.

Genres: Quilting, Nonfiction, Crafts, Sewing

160 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2015

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best quilting books I have used. I am working my way through the book making quilt blocks. It has been a lot of fun, still a few to go.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an introduction to quilting with a unique perspective, perhaps because the author learnt to quilt while living in Japan.
The author has based the book on a collection of her favorite quilting techniques, using her favorite quilt blocks, some traditional, some trendy, and some her original designs. Each is set up to teach you one or more of the skills that you need. Once you learn the basic skills, you can try bending and breaking them. This is very similar to my quilting learning experience.

[Lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very well written and suuuper beginner friendly book. I have sewn probably 8 times in the past, and quilting has always been super intimidating. I picked this up about week ago from the library and have never looked back, I definitely have to buy a copy of my own!
Jessica details everything you need to get started, and makes the beginning super clean and gets you going right away. The book progresses to harder and harder material so you definitely grow a lot in skill level.

Will update when I finish my first project!

[Whitney Pittsenbarger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very inspiring photos. It looks overwhelming but the instructions are complete.

[Tyna · Rating 3 out of 5]

If this book finds its way into a Friends of the Library book sale, it is worth buying there.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good learn-to-quilt book. This one covered more complex skills than the first beginning quilt book I read, including applique and paper piecing.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curved piecing - 80
Hawaiian appliqué- 96
Patterned appliqué - 100
EPP - 36-37, 102

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sheer number of techniques presented here can seem overwhelming! I would recommend picking one to start with, and maybe one to work towards. The photos are helpful, but video tutorials may work better for some people, or for certain steps of cutting and piecing together a design. In general, this is a good comprehensive guide for someone who knows they want to make a quilt, but not how!

[Beth Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a great book for beginners. It has a lot of different techniques In an easy to understand language. It does not have a lot quilt ideas.

[Marcie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of good information here