Any quilters out there?

[TendMagazine]

Any quilters out there - where do you get your inspiration from? Any great fabric stores I'm missing out on?

I like doing patchwork in the old-fashioned way which is using as much 2nd hand cloth as possible. Jumble sales & charity shops can be a good source too (look at the duvet covers). You really need to hunt around for good sources local to you for fabrics you like.

Pinterest.

Pinterest, yep. Been there today (alllll dayyyy). I do have some old duvets and old linen - but I hate cutting into them

I tend to do an image search on google. I also follow a couple of blogs that inspired me to start free motion quilting (Green Fairy Quilts is one of them).

I also managed to buy some back issues of patchwork/quilting magazines from a show and from charity shops for about 50p/£1.

Don't know where you're based but if you're handy for Leicester there's a shop called Fabric Guild that does really cheap fabric. You pay £5 for lifetime membership (it's to get round the regulations for the business park it's on iirc) but you can easily save more than that as quilting fabric starts at £3/yard.

Leicester is near enough - thanks!

I like to use quilting and patchwork on smaller projects so my usual starting point is what do I (or someone i am making for) want or need?

I admit I'm a bit of a quilt and blanket obsessive, need hasn't really got anything to do with it...

Where to get inspiration from? Difficult one as I assume you have seen so many quilts on Pinterest so I am guessing that looking at quilts is not giving you ideas of what to do yourself. If you can't get inspired by traditional quilts then perhaps you want to go more contemporary, modern or art quilt?

I would suggest joining a quilt group in your area or on line - they should have speakers and workshops. Maybe take part in a quilt challenge where you are given a topic and you have to make a quilt based on that. Or enter a competition in one of the quilt shows. Or take a class or workshop as they can challenge you and make you think in new ways.

What do you want to do achieve? Are you making quilts for people because they ask for them or because you just want to make quilts and you are free to do whatever you like?

Fabric shops I like on-line are

Cotton Patch
My Fabric House
PelennaPatchwork
Lady Sew and Sew

How about having a go at dyeing your own fabric perhaps?

Have you looked at the courses on the craftsy website? These can challenge you to try things you haven't thought of before.

I like Green Fairy's blog too, Crafty

Also The Quilt Rat

I found the style of the Moda Bake Shop slightly offputting to begin with, but have ignored got used to it now and occasionally have a flick through there for inspiration.

Pinterest too, natch