While I have been sewing for almost 50 years (yes…..I said it!), I have only been quilting for 3! There are still so many things that I need to learn about quilting. That is one of the reasons that I wanted to be part of a quilting guild. Learning from other quilters helps you to not make so many of the mistakes that others have already made. Quilters have a whole language all their own. As time goes on, you will learn these terms. One of the most important terms is the word stash! Having a stash of fabrics to the quilter is the same as having a great stash of spices to the chef!

Here’s some pointers on how to get started:Look at a lot of quilts. One of the things that I did in the beginning was to make Pinterest and Google my friend. I searched for quilts that “spoke to me.” While all quilts are beautiful to someone, you will find the ones that take you to your happy place. Once you find your inspiration, you are ready to purchase material.

• Buy fabrics to complete your project. Don’t get in a hurry to just “have a lot of fabrics.” Fabrics—especially good material—costs good money. While fabrics aren’t food staples that can “spoil,” you can have some “fabric regrets” by purchasing fabrics that can go for years not being used. Start with your project and build from there. You will have some of that fabric left over and you will start to see your “taste” in fabric colors, textures, and type grow and develop.

• Once you have developed your style of quilting or your taste in fabrics, start looking for bargains. There are always sales and coupons and bargains out there. Now you can stop waiting for your next project where you might have to purchase your material at full price. Always keep your eye open for sales on solid colors that can go in any quilting project. If a whole line of solids are on sale for 30 – 50% off, it’s better to purchase them now than waiting for one 50% off coupon. You’ll find many who turn up their noses at where to buy fabrics. Do you! No one ever said to me, “I love my quilt, but I wish you would have purchased your fabrics from blah blah blah!” Also, don’t turn up your nose at used clothing from thrift stores. One of my favorite quilts was made from recycled blue jeans!

• Don’t lean towards purchasing picture or novelty fabrics that may go out of style or that you can only use for “just one project.” Those kinds of purchases make you have “buyer’s regret.” No one should ever feel bad about purchasing fabric. Fabrics are our friends!

• Find a way to keep your fabrics organized and dry. Depending on where you have to “stash your stash” you don’t want to look up and have to work with musty, dirty fabrics! You also don’t want to purchase fabrics that you already have at home! Planning out how you will store your fabrics will help to protect your hard earned purchases.

• Find a balance between purchasing too little and/or too much fabric! Some quilters might say that you can’t ever have too much fabric! However, many of us have been to an estate sale where a quilter’s stash is not even appealing enough to take off her loved one’s hands for free! We’ve also been in the sad situation where we purchased too little fabric and the quilt shop is out of it, or (horrors of horrors) the fabric line is discontinued! (Insert scream here!) This balancing act you will just have to learn in time, but you’ll figure it out.

• If a fabric speaks to you, buy it! Quilting is about being creatively happy. Sometimes a fabric simply speaks to our very soul and we just have to have it! Go for it. You’ll use it one day. Or you can say to a loved one, “Here, I fell in love with this once and now I want to give it to you.” (Cue superhero music here!)