How to Start Quilting: A Complete Beginner's Guide

So, you’ve caught the quilting bug? Welcome my new quilty friend! Whether you’re dreaming of stitching a future heirloom, craving a new creative outlet, or simply looking to justify your ever-growing mountain of fabric taking over your craft space (no judgment – I totally get you), you’re in the right place.

This guide on how to start quilting will walk you through everything from gathering your first supplies to finishing your very first quilt—without any unnecessary stress or “what-the-heck?” moments. Let’s get to it!

Why Quilting is the Best Thing Ever

Let’s be honest – quilting is therapy, art class, and a warm hug all rolled into one. Here’s why I think you’ll fall in love with it as much as I have:

Creative Freedom: Quilting lets you play with colors, patterns, and textures like an artist with fabric.
Relaxing and Therapeutic: There’s something incredibly satisfying and soothing about the hum of a sewing machine, pressing seams, and watching your quilt come together piece by piece – it's basically meditation but with thread.
A Proud Moment: Nothing beats the feeling of holding up your finished quilt and declaring, "I made this!" It's even better if you share that moment with your family, your friends, and that neighbor who walks by your house every afternoon.
A Supportive Community: Quilters are some of the kindest, funniest, most welcoming people around. You’ll never quilt alone! As a bonus, they will validate the metric ton of fabric you are hoarding in your closet.

The Must-Have Quilting Supplies (Spoiler: Not Everything in the Store)

Before you dive in, you’ll need a few essentials. Not sure where to begin? This beginner's guide to essential quilting tools breaks it down with exactly what you need.

1. Fabric: Your New Best Friend

Fabric is the heart and soul of quilting. As a beginner, stick with 100% cotton because it’s easy to work with and plays nicely with your sewing machine.

Precuts (Fat quarters, layer cakes, jelly rolls, and charm packs) are great for beginners because they come in coordinated bundles and save cutting time.
Yardage is perfect for larger pieces like quilt backs, borders, and binding.
Scraps: Don’t throw away those small fabric leftovers—they’re perfect for practice, scrappy quilts, or small projects like mug rugs or table toppers!

2. Rotary Cutter, Mat, and Ruler

Scissors are fine, but these three make cutting fabric enjoyable.

Rotary Cutter: It’s like a pizza cutter, but for fabric and way more precise. I recommend choosing one with a comfortable grip and safety lock.
Self-Healing Cutting Mat: Keeps your table safe from your enthusiastic cutting and your lines straight. A 24” x 36” mat gives plenty of space, but even an 18” x 24” will work.
Acrylic Quilting Ruler: Ensures straight, precise cuts and doubles as a paddle for pesky partners that interrupt your sewing time – just saying. Try a 6.5” x 24” to start.

3. Sewing Machine

A simple sewing machine with a quarter-inch presser foot will do just fine. No need for anything fancy—just a machine that can sew a straight stitch. Bonus points if it has a walking foot or quilting foot attachment.

quilt top being bound. — Photo by Jeff Wade on Unsplash

4. Needles, Thread, and Pins

Quilting Needles: Because trying to use a dull needle is like trying to cut steak with a spoon. A quilting needle in 90/14 is the most used.
Cotton or Polyester Thread: Cotton is a solid, beginner-friendly choice. Select neutral shades such as white, light grey, or beige. Choose high-quality threads in 50wt or 60wt for smooth sewing and fewer breakages.
Pins or Clips: Keeping fabric together with sheer willpower won’t cut it. These hold everything in place so your pieces don’t shift mid-stitch.

5. Iron and Ironing Board

Here’s the secret sauce of quilting: pressing. Not ironing like you do a shirt – pressing like you mean it. It keeps seams crips and blocks flat. A steam iron is helpful but not essential.

Quilting tip: Press seams — Photo by cottonbro studio

Quilting Terms That Make You Sound Like a Pro (Even If You’re Still Googling Half of Them)

Here are some common terms you’ll come across:

Patchwork: Sewing small fabric pieces together to create a quilt top.
Seam Allowance: The space between the fabric’s edge and the stitching line (usually 1/4 inch or a scant 1/4 inch in quilting).
Piecing: The act of sewing fabric pieces together to form a quilt.
Quilt Sandwich: The three layers of a quilt—quilt top, batting, and backing.
Basting: Temporarily securing quilt layers before quilting them together.
Binding: The final fabric strip that finishes your quilt’s edge and gives it that clean, wrapped look.
Chain Piecing: Sewing multiple pieces one after the other without cutting the thread to save time and thread.
Fussy Cutting: Deliberately cutting fabric to highlight a specific pattern or design.

How to Start Quilting Your First Quilt, Step-by-Step

Now comes the fun part – making your first quilt! Don’t stress. Take it step by step, and you’ll be done before you know it.

Step 1: Pick a Beginner-Friendly Pattern

Go easy on yourself. Pick a pattern made for beginners – no curved seams or tiny triangles just yet.

Great start patterns include:

Nine-Patch Quilt: A classic and simple block made of squares.
Strip Quilt: Uses fabric strips for quick and easy assembly.
Disappearing Four-Patch or Nine-Patch: A fun way to experiment with simple cuts and rearranging fabric.
Rail Fence Quilt: A great introduction to working with strips.

Step 2: Cut Your Fabric

Cut your fabric pieces according to your pattern using your rotary cutter and ruler. Don’t rush—accurate cutting makes for accurate piecing!

Cutting fabric for quilting — Cutting fabric with a rotary cutter and acrylic ruler

Step 3: Arrange and Sew Your Blocks Together

Lay out your fabric pieces like a puzzle.
Sew them together using a quarter-inch seam allowance (this is the golden rule of quilting!).
Press your seams open or to the side with an iron to keep things looking crisp.

Step 4: Assemble the Quilt Top

Join your blocks into rows, then sew the rows together. Suddenly, it looks like a quilt top—cue the excitement!

Step 5: Make the Quilt Sandwich

Layer the three parts of the quilt in this order:

Backing Fabric – Right side down.
Batting – The fluffy middle.
Quilt Top – Right side up.

Secure everything with safety pins or basting spray to keep layers from shifting.

quilt making process showing anatomy of a quilt — Layers of a quilt

Step 6: Quilt the Layers Together

For beginners, straight-line quilting is a great place to start. Just stitch along the seams or diagonals.
Use a walking foot on your sewing machine to help move the quilt evenly.
If hand-quilting, use a quilting hoop or flat surface and work in small sections.

Step 7: Bind the Quilt

This is the grand finale!

Quilting binding with binding fabric held by clips — Quilting binding in progress with binding fabric help by clips.

Cut fabric strips for binding. These are commonly 2 1/2 inches wide.
Sew the binding onto the front, fold it over to the back, and stitch it in place.
Admire your masterpiece!

Congratulations! You made a quilt! Feel free to parade around the house wrapped in it like royalty.

Helpful Quilting Tips from One Beginner to Another

Start Small: Try a mini quilt, baby quilt, or table runner. You don’t need to make a king-size bed quilt right out of the gate.
Practice on Scraps: Test your seams and stitches on scraps or cutting leftovers first.
Mistakes Happen: Embrace them—wonky stitches and slightly off seams add character! Sometimes, the perfection is in the imperfection.
Find Your People: Quilters love to share advice, encouragement, and funny memes about fabric hoarding. Online quilting groups, local guilds, and YouTube tutorials are amazing for advice, encouragement, and sharing hilarious fabric hoarding memes.
Stay Organized: Keep fabric pieces labeled and stored neatly to avoid mix-ups.

Enjoying your quilting community — A group of friends collaborate on a quilting project, sharing stories and laughter as they stitch together colorful fabric pieces.

Your Quilting Adventure Begins!

Quilting is more than just sewing pretty fabric together – it's storytelling, stress relief, and a whole lot of fun. Every quilt you make will teach you something new and leave you with something beautiful.

So grab your fabric and fire up that sewing machine!