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Last minute: got any quilting advice to share? (Patreon)

Published:
2026-03-03 00:18:27
Imported:
2026-03

Content

Quick turnaround: I am working on this quilt bonus episode to go up, like, tonight and JUST realized I should have asked Y'ALL for your quilting tips.

Any quilting Ologites want to leave comments below with quilting advice, either for newbies or seasoned quilters? Also open to advice on the best places to buy a quilt for the newly obsessed. Leave advice below!

Last minute but worth a try,

Alison Dadward

Comments

Nancy C

Natural battings are you friend! Look for 100% cotton. Polyfil/polyester is cheaper - but it won't hold it's form with machine washings.

Brittany Chamberlain

I have been sewing for years and I started quilting last year. I finally bought starch and it has been a game changer at keeping the fabric nice and stiff when I cut and piece things together.

Cody Prell

Do NOT let mice or rats near your batting supply! I had a large mouse nest in my 20 yard roll of bulk batting and it made for a very difficult removal process (everyone was removed safely and relocated!!!)

DeeDeeNoodle

My friend Katie makes quilts, upcycles old ones. And makes cool tshirt quilts for old band tees you can't bring yourself to get rid of : Panicinpolkadots on Etsy :)

Beks0289

Don’t be scared! I was SO scared of it not being perfect! My first quilt is still my favorite, I put so much love and attention into every bit that I don’t care if pieces aren’t necessarily turned right or the stitches that you can see I LOVE it!

Mary Toscano

Sometimes when I'm working on a quilt pattern, I get really overwhelmed by all the color options. I find the quilts I'm most drawn to have areas of high contrast and areas of low contrast, but that can be hard to see when you are working with lots of colors. So I take photos of my quilts in progress and change the photo to black and white so I can just look at the values of each block and how they relate to each other.

Ray Holloman

Precuts can be your best friend and allow you so many options where you don’t have to buy all yardage. Also you will be the only one to notice any imperfections in the quilt so just start and have fun.

Yuri

It may look like it isn't hard on the body, but it is. Go slow, stretch, use assistive devices (rotary cutter is SO much easier on the hands than scissors), take breaks, small sessions are better than long ones. Especially stretch the neck, back, shoulders and hands/wrists. Yoga for carpel tunnel can be especially helpful.

Elm

No advice per se but wanted to say that homemade is always the best. I’m so lucky to have personally known my great-grandmother who not only ran a farm and made many quilts for her 7 kids, she made one for every grandkid and great-grandkid (there’s more than 40 of us!) and we each treasure our own personalized heirlooms. Thank you! 💗

Yuri

And use a good chair! With a butt pillow!

Alexandra R Thompson

There are many craft-thrift stores that specialize in donated craft supplies that are a fantastic place to find lots of different fabrics, thread, and sometimes tools. Regular thrift stores can be great sources of fabric as well (check the pillowcase rack!) I rarely buy new quilting fabric, and prefer the artistic challenge of working with limited quantities.

RestingLaurelFace

I am not a quilter, but I've quilted before (hello ADHD and my penchant for creating), so my tips are probably super wrong and would make real quilters cringe. That said, the easiest time I had making a quilt was when I decided to say fuck it and make the top with my serger. It make all of my seams uniform and tidy, and then I finished it on a regular machine. It turned out great. Also, if making a whole quilt seems daunting, but maybe you want to try your hand at a block, one or two blocks sewn with light batting and PUL as the backing can be made into really great book bags to keep your current read cozy and safe while you take it everywhere :)

Yuri

And if you start to get a headache, it might be time for better glasses - it's fine work that takes focus and concentration! Also, good lighting - your brain will thank you

Hester Mallonee Jenkins

If you haven't yet, look into the quilts from Gee's Bend! They're African American quilt makers with very unique styles!

Rowena Z

Keep lengths of thread short-ish (an arm's length or so) when quilting by hand. Not only does it keep your arm from tiring out, you also don't have to rip back as far if your stitches haven't gone all the way through all the layers by mistake! (As a kid, my mom would frequently check our quilting stitches because it's better to have big stitches than stitches that aren't going all the way through!) Use a thimble for the hand underneath the quilt frame so you dont draw blood with the rocking stitch :)

Lauren DeVine

Start small!! It can be fun to pick a pattern for a lap quilt or one you could use on a bed, but practicing on a smaller scale can help you practice with seam allowances and pressing. I made several baby quilts when I first started which helped me gain confidence. Also, fabric shopping is the BEST. Look for remnants at craft stores that are odd sizes- perfect for quilting!

elcapitann

Give friends and family a plain muslin square to decorate and then piece them together for a quilt to snuggle under that is a physical reminder of everyone who loves you. (Did this for our wedding instead of a guest book and the quilt is my absolute favorite to be surrounded by.)

jangonator

Take a black and white picture of your fabric choices to get a better idea of their values - this can help you balance out the intensities as you plan out your quilt!

Jamie Wirth

I'm not a quilter and this may be covered already in the episode, but seems like there are a lot of people and organizations looking for donations of scrap fabric and quilting materials. My mom was big into quilting and unfortunately she passed away in September and while my dad and I haven't had the heart to go through most of her stuff yet, we will definitely be looking for ways to donate a lot of her materials. A great thing about quilting is that it can make use of scraps of fabric that people may have just laying around their house from other projects. There's a great documentary on Netflix called "The Quilters" about a quilting program at a men's penitentiary in Missouri and they make quilts for underprivileged children in the area and they run solely off of donations. Organizations like that are a great way to upcycle fabric that people may normally just throw out.

Nancy C

Also! As a quilters/sewers, it can be VERY difficult to get rid of any kind of fabric material. I'm notorious for hoarding jeans and old shirts. It's even harder to let go now with the loss of Joann's and crazy thrift store prices. But if your scrap pile keeps getting bigger and you are feeling overwhelmed, it's time to donate. I love to post scrap bags for free on marketplace to support local crafters. Or you can also drop off fabric scraps at community/senior centers. They often have a ton of great programs, including making quilts for hospitals, shelters, hospice care, animals, etc. I had a lot of surgeries as a kid, and I'll never forget the moment I received a small quilt in the hospital. I still have it today, and it's amazing how something as simple as a quilt can be so powerful.

Kristin Bouvier

My advice is to start! Do it badly and do it on the cheap. Your first quilt will be all about learning and will probably look like crap but who cares? You’re getting started, and that’s the hard part.

Michelle D

Just try it! I know so many people who make their own clothes who are afraid of quilting because it looks too hard or vice versa. If you can use a sewing machine or needle, you can quilt.

Michelle D

Also, if someone gives you a quilt, USE IT! They weren't made to leave at the back of a cupboard. Use it to lay one and watch clouds or stars, build a pillow fort with it, whatever!

Sweet_Anni_D

Look up Gee's Bend Quilters to learn about their amazing tradition of quilting. I met some.of them at a retreat in Maine where they were teaching a class. Some of their quilts are in the MFA Boston.

The Other Maya

I thought this was last minute advice for "quitting". I'll post that anyway, I logged in all exited. 1) addictive things a) cigarettes - ween yourself off by waiting as long as possible to pick up the pack and never finish the cigarette. Only take as many drags as it takes for the panic to go away then put it out. The time between cigarettes will vary but if you continue to wait the time will decrease. It took me a year but I did it. Clean 10+ years. b) the Internet - cold turkey baby. Don't put the app on your new phone. 2) jobs a) one you don't like and the social network is one you can burn - read them down when you put your notice in - read them all the way down. Or just walk out and leave a note about legal timeline for your last check b) one you like - 2 weeks to 6 weeks notice, work with your team to find coverage to hand off your work to, be very nice about it, share personal contact info

Smiley Kylie (she/her)

No tips, but just want to say thank you for all you do! Always so inclusive 😘

L. Wink

1) Invest in a good seam ripper. 2) get some graph paper and sketch/ draw out your design. The graph paper helps you figure out measurements for pieces. 3) Remember to add a bit of extra fabric (1/4” or ~0.5cm) to all your pieces for seam allowance. 4) practice making smaller pieces, like placemats, especially if you want to play/experiment. 5) Join a local Guild.

Christine Traini

Been quilting for 8 years and an important part of my practice is finding ways to be low impact/ consumption responsible. It takes a lot of natural resources/ questionable labor practices to manufacture fabric - you can source all your fabric second hand from thrift stores, yard sales, free on internet marketplaces. This includes batting - thin cotton blankets work great! Same for sourcing a sewing machine - there are tons available second hand. Next level, you can even dye neutral natural fibers at home using simple food scraps like avocado pits and onion skins - plenty of resources online for natural dyeing. What makes a quilt beautiful is that YOU made it in your own way!

Alicia Noble

If you use a sewing machine, be familiar with what the different feet and features do! I was on my 7th quilt before I realized not only that I had a 1/4inch foot but that my machine had the option of covering the feed dogs so I can free-motion quilt. Up until then, I was rotating the entire quilt through the tiny little yoke every time i wanted to change direction. I had been quilting on hard mode without even knowing.

Nicole S

It’s actually worth it to buy decent quality fabric. Cheap stuff frays and stretches. Not that you can’t work with it but if you’re just learning, poor quality fabric can add an enormous amount of frustration.

Mariah Ramsey

Don’t obsess too hard over getting everything square and perfect. Imperfections in your craft show that you are human and you took a bit out of your finite time on this earth to make something nice for someone you care about.

SilksMonkey

You absolutely need an iron to get good results. Oh and change the needle on your machine way more often than you think you need to. It really can cause lots of issues, sewing with a dull needle.

Hannah Johnson

Not advice necessarily, but check out the Loose Ends Project. Volunteers complete unfinished quilts and other textile projects for loved ones of people who have passed away or for people who can no longer work on their own projects due to disability. (I haven't had the chance to listen to the Quilts episode yet, so apologies if this was already mentioned!)

Moo

My city has a quilting museum! sj-mqt dot org, San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles

Katy

Glue basting in lieu of pins or clips is a thing, and no, it's not cheating!

Eleanor Mulshine

Try improv quilting if you’re intimidated by the precise nature of quilting using patterns! And if you’re not intimidated, still try improv because it can be a good way to push you outside of your comfort zone. No measurement or planning needed, just sew some fabric together, cut it apart, and sew it back together. Use second hand fabrics (Sewing Through Fog has a list of second hand fabric stores across the country).

Gretchen Schroeder

Patchwork quilts is a colonial American invention, but quilting (stitching though multiple layers of fabric to make it stronger and/or for decorative reasons arises independently in multiple cultures.

Yuri

I love this! Works great with yarn too

Yuri

This is so clever! What did they decorate it with?

Yuri

That is so true. When i criticize flaws i can see in my knits, my spouse assures me i am the only one who can see it! And he's always been right!

Nina Giacobbe

I like to use a softer fleece for my backing but it ends up quite slippy for machine quilting. Starch is your friend! You can buy quilter's starch OR mix cheap vodka with water. Ta-da!

Yuri

Sashiko means little stabs, and it's like quilting clothes for greater strength, warmth and repair, or recycling. I love the look.

Barbara M

Save the scrap pieces for stuffing into cubees (cube seats for children) or pillows for animals in shelters

Yuri

Oh and buy nothing groups are a great resource! I can't remember, i think maybe you said that in episode one? It's amazing how many people have stacks of fabric they would be happy to see go to a good home

Vera Axelrod

Go to a quilt show! They are all over the place. One of my favorites is the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show in Oregon. It’s a great way to get inspired, meet people, and (sometimes) buy quilts or quilt supplies.

Angela

Old-er person here - and I've found that investing in a good craft lamp with a magnifier to position over my work has been not only necessary, but a game-changer. I was unmotivated to finish quilting projects because seeing was hard. I was limited to the times of day that I could work. But now that I can see so much better, I'm more motivated to work on them. --- oh, and be prepared. Big quilts will take up your entire living room while you're working on them. Unless you have a craft room. If not, you're like me with all your furniture pushed out of the way to make space to layout your quilt as you work on it.

elcapitann

Bought a couple of packages of craft store fabric pens!

Jeanette Hobbs

Just start! Make your first one a lap quilt size so you're not overwhelmed. There's a series of pattern books called 3 Yard Quilts that have easy to follow instructions. And if you get overwhelmed picking fabric, the folks at the quilting store are always happy to help!

Saira (‘Sarah’) Manns

Before joining rows of squares, double check they’re the right way up… my Granma taught me how to quilt when I was 8 or 9 and I still have my first lap quilt, complete with upside down rows! 😅

BolognaShoes

Try it but only stick to it if you like it. I love quilts and sewing and fiber arts in general. I’ve made two and … hate it. You can tell when a quilt is made from obligation to finish. There are other crafts for me and so many people who love quilting that I can support.

booksherpa

Can’t help with the how, but as for acquiring, reach out to your local quilting shop and/or quilting guild, and they can probably point you in the right direction. If you want to try quilting, find your closest creative reuse store to get supplies on the cheap, so if it’s not for you, you haven’t spent much. And definitely go to a quilt show - they are amazing! The one closest to me raffles off small decorative quilts as a fundraiser.

Jennifer Huseman

No tips and haven’t listened yet to the quilt episode but my mom did and can’t stop talking about it. I’ll be listening soon. She loved the flour sack quilt discussion and I wanted to share that when my grandfather was a kid living in Canada… their family home/farm burned in the dead of winter. The community gathered all their flour sacks and made quilts for my grandfather’s family and my mom still has those quilts today. The fire would have been in the 1920’s. Update: mom says people could also donate $1 to buy a square on the quilt and they signed the square and then embroidered the name on the square.

Samantha Steelman

If you are the Quilter of the family, label your quilts! My grandmother has both gifted and made for herself dozens (honestly possibly hundreds) of different quilts. It gets difficult to remember what was made for who, when, and why. For years she has sewn a label on the bottom right corner of the back of the quilt with the basic format of: Made by Name Gifted to Name For Occasion Year Title of quilting pattern It's so wonderful to have the stories written on the item, because a well kept quilt WILL last generations.

Stephanie Coombes

I think learning to love imperfection. I never had a great machine for the actual quilting and made some blankets that I would tie together. It’s really fun making the back crazy with random old sheets etc. My friends mom used to get her and her four siblings a new set of flannel PJs each Christmas and then would make a quilt from the old ones - which they all treasure. Learning how to chain stitch is a good idea and saves lots of time. Using one of the crappy plastic tablecloths hung on a wall can help you lay out the design without taking up a ton of space and you don’t have to keep putting it away . I laughed at one of the quilters who said they hated the binding! Literally the worst!

Nancy Ax

There are no quilt police. Be Fearless! Don’t overthink!

Zandra Lea

Buying advice: go to a quilt show! Some of the quilts on display will be for sale, there’s often a charity auction of smaller pieces, and there’s almost always a raffle quilt. If you don’t like any of the ones there, talk to the volunteers & organizers: they’ll point you towards local quilters who sell or make on commission. (The big CA show is called Road to California, but there are smaller shows all over.) And follow quilters on Instagram, and the QuiltSky feed on Bluesky: designers will announce periodic sample sales, and other quilters will post their work for sale too.

Mari Moreshead

Go simple to start - don't pick any patterned fabrics that have grids or other directional sort of patterns because you will have to be super extra precise with cutting AND sewing the blocks. Remember that no one will ever look at your quilt as closely as you do. If a small "mistake" can't be noticed at an arm's length, it's totally fine. Also, that's how the people can tell the quilt wasn't made by a robot! Lastly, always close your rotary cutter, even between cuts. That thing is SHARP.

Hope

Iron everything and use spray adhesive when sandwiching! Prep work is the hardest part of quilt in my opinion, so if you do your due diligence ironing, cutting pieces carefully, and adding fusible backings as needed, the actual quilting process goes way easier

Bit of bitter butter

From my quilting friend to me (an as-yet non quilter); I didn't have a sewing machine yet and was kind of dismayed at the idea of hand quilting but she said it could be easier in some ways since you don't need to manipulate/fight the machine with huge amounts of fabric!

Justin Darr

Finished is better than perfect! A rag quilt is a good place to start. A lot of mistakes can be hidden in the seam allowance. Quilting in the ditch (AKA stitch in the ditch, sewing right over top of the seam between two pieces) is probably the easiest quilting to start with in my opinion. Pick a pattern and fabrics you like and have fun!

Traveling Betch

If you can’t see the mistake while galloping on a horse then it doesn’t need fixing! Imperfections are what makes quilts so special

Ted Vician

My wife made a really nice quilt using photos of our son that I printed on iron-on transfer paper and we ironed onto plain white fabric sections.

Ted Vician

Ooh! I go to SJ for work once in a while. Will try to remember this.

Ted Vician

This is universal advice, not just for quilting.

Jenny McNish

Start simple! The rag quilt is forgiving BUT takes wayyyyyyyy more cutting than any other so it takes a lot longer to get that boost of "I did it!" Try something small like a banner or coasters to not get overwhelmed with cutting, all those pieces, and sewing

dierdra

A tip for making geometric repetitive shapes. Use extra heavy duty cardstock cut to the exact size and shape you want for your quilt square (triangles, for example). Use this piece to have consistent sizing when cutting out your fabric pieces. Also, pre-wash and dry all fabric before cutting.

Frances

From my Aunt Fran, who showed me the quilting ropes: “The best quilt is a DONE quilt.” Great advice, but not always easy to follow. Hence the pile of unfinished quilts…! Not surprisingly, this handy motto works in almost all aspects of life - and has become a staple in our family: “The best ___ is a DONE ___!” Thanks for all the great episodes Alie! I’m so glad you took the leap so many episodes ago, and published that first one!

Katt Simons

Omg I’m behind on my episodes and I’m SO EXCITED to see quilting episodes! Thank you!!!!!!!!!

Snootzia

New buddy here! Do people actually need eight hours of sleep as they age? I wake up after 5 or 6 and that seems to be just fine! I’m 55. Also, Allie I am a recent listener, but I decided to join based purely on your sock recommendation to avoid water dripping down my arms!

Zandra Lea

I noticed that none of us mentioned how much ironing/pressing is involved in piecing 😆

Kate Clark

Advice from a lvl 1 beginner: let the fabric speak to you! Not advice: the timing of this episode was hilarious! It came out while I was installing a quilt/fabric heavy exhibition 🤣