Now, if you’re a beginner who’s looking into tackling a quilt, you may at first be overwhelmed by the number of gadgets and amount of knowledge most quilting tutorials involve. I saw pictures of cutting mats and cutters, 3 different rulers, chalk, special pins, yada yada, and I got nervous. All I had was a basic machine, scissors, and a tape measure. Would that work?

After absorbing the basic format of quilt-making, I realized that for hundreds of years, young girls have been making quilts — without a myriad of tools from JoAnns! So yes! You can make a quilt with whatever you have, so long as you have a can-do attitude!

Okay. That said, let me now share with you a few links to get you started on your merry way!

Sew, Mama, Sew! has countless quilting tutorials for the very beginner. Just a few days ago, this most recent tutorial was posted. It’s for a small patchwork doll quilt — just the thing for a beginner project! But even if you want to make a crib-sized quilt, this tutorial shows all of the important steps — cutting, piecing, sandwiching, quilting, and binding.

Do better with a book? There are certainly hundreds of how to quilt books out there. I tend to like a bit more of a modern aesthetic in my quilts, and I’ve enjoyed having Denyse Schmidt’s book on my shelf, for inspiration and direction.

There are so many cool quilt ideas out there. Of course, there are the intricate patterns that quilters have been mastering for centuries. But there’s a whole new flood of ideas, too. I especially enjoyed watching Hilary of Wee Wonderfuls as she decorated her daughter’s nursery with unique doll quilts. Lots of different ideas! She’s only one such blogger. Once you start poking around, you might find, as did I, that quilting is so much more than Flying Geese in calicoes!

The baby quilts I’ve made have been very special to work on, and even more special as I’ve snuggled my babies in my own handiwork. And the best part? Embroidering, “Love, Mama” in the bottom corner!