Hi! New member and new quilter!

[Vpboardman]

Hello! My name is Vicki and I'm brand new here.
I am getting ready to quilt my very first quilt and I am loving the process! I am having trouble stopping myself from buying fabric!
What is the best way to pick a pattern that will look amazing with your fabric? I've purchased some layer cakes from Missouri Star and want to pick the right patterns!
Thanks!

[toggpine]

Re: Hi! New member and new quilter!

Welcome!
Sadly you won't get much help here when it comes to regulating your fabric buying habits! We are horrible enablers in all things quilting.
Part of the selection process for a pattern is the fabric. If you have a large scale print, or one that has a design that you don't want to break up, then you want pieces that are larger to showcase those.
There are some electronic quilting programs that actually allow you to photograph your fabric and import it into the design program. If, like me you don't have that, you can make a reverse of the template (a sheet of paper with that shape cut from it) and see how the fabric looks cut to that size/shape before you actually whack your fabric up. It's not fool-proof, but it helps.

Good luck on your quilting journey!
Cathy

[stationarymom]

Re: Hi! New member and new quilter!

Hello and welcome to the forum from Massachusetts.I can't help you with your fabric choices because I have the same problem.The best I have done is to try and figure out if I want a limited amt of design or colors in my quilt.

[Monique]

Re: Hi! New member and new quilter!

Good luck on that one.

[Bubby]

Re: Hi! New member and new quilter!

Welcome to the forum from Missouri. Watch some of Jenny's tutorials that feature layer cake squares and see which ones you like. I think the Double Slice pattern is one of the best for layer cakes because it looks like you went to a lot of work but it's simple and also because your fabric pieces aren't cut up too much to chop of the prints. Here is one of mine .......

DubSliceDone.jpg

[Sheep Farmer]

Re: Hi! New member and new quilter!

I would agree using the double slice pattern for a beginner with beautiful fabric to use.
I would also suggest the disappearing nine patch.
welcomewagon.gif

[jjkaiser]

Re: Hi! New member and new quilter!

Welcome from Wisconsin! That is a 64 million dollar question you asked, how to pick the perfect pattern. I usually just pick something I like and start cutting. But that may explain why I have a box full of orphan blocks--that's what you get when you make a single block out of something and decide to make a different pattern instead. One piece of advice though: Always cut out only enough to make one sample block, then make that one square and see if you are happy with it. Otherwise if you cut out pieces for your entire quilt and do not like the sample block, you are stuck with all the pieces you cut, and then you might have to buy more so you can start all over.But then again that is how the scrap stash is born.

[fnq]

Re: Hi! New member and new quilter!

Hi Vicki~ I'm brand new here too. I just found out about it last night. I have known about MSQC for at least a couple of years and they feed my love of fabric.
Sometimes I will buy fabric with a pattern in mind, and often I just fall in love with a line and don't have any idea what I'll use it for. I keep it on my shelf and sometimes I will find a new to me pattern and think, oh I have that layer cake or jelly roll, or yardage for that pattern. I think it would look great.
I really like it when Jenny shows more than one quilt top; same pattern, different fabric, that shows how different the pattern looks, but still beautiful.
If you find a pattern you want to try just go for it~

[Yanna]

Re: Hi! New member and new quilter!

Welcome Vicki to the forum from Southeast Louisiana.

[Bubby]

Re: Hi! New member and new quilter!

Welcome to the forum from Missouri, Girls!