If you are looking to start a quilting hobby you're in luck! Quilting can be done by anyone and a basic quilt is very simple to learn. Once you have a grasp on the fundamentals, you can easily learn styles and techniques to advance your skills. But before you get ahead of yourself, let's start with quilting 101. The first thing you need is an understanding of quilting terms. Appliqué refers to cut pieces of fabric that are stitched onto the top layer of fabric. The batting is the filling of the quilt which can be cotton or even an old quilt or blanket. The bottom layer of the quilt is called the backing. There are quite a few types of stitches used in quilting. The rocking stitch is done with a short sturdy needle and the needle is simply pushed down through all the layers of fabric and then pushed back up through the layers as soon as it sticks out of the bottom. After 4 or 5 stitches, the thread is pulled taut and the process begins again. Another type of stitch is the big stitch which is similar to the rocking stitch except for the stitches are larger. It takes practice to master these stitches but they are easy to learn and even a novice can make acceptable stitches. With these simple skills, you can begin working on your very first quilt. Don't get frustrated if your quilt doesn't come out perfectly. Many quilting "mistakes" actually give the quilt some character and give you a basis for comparison to track your progress as you hone your quilting skills.
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