Sunday, February 9, 2014

Visit An Online Quilting Store And Unleash Your Creativity

By Jerri Perry


In winter, the ultimate comfort is to wrap yourself in a warm quilt and have a mug of hot chocolate. If you're not the type to curl up with a book when it's too cold to do anything outside, you may even want to start making your own quilts. The great thing is that you don't have to venture out to buy the supplies you need. Simply visit an online quilting store and have everything delivered to your doorstep.

The craft of quilting has been around for thousands of years. An early example was a garment on a carving from Ancient Egypt and dates back over five thousand years. In Mongolia, archaeologists discovered a quilt that was used as a floor covering and this one was made about two thousand years ago. During the Crusades, European knights brought quilted items from the Middle East and often wore quilted garments underneath or even over their armor.

Today quilts are most often associated with the colonies. Since fabric was so expensive in these faraway locations, women had to make do with whatever they could find. They also learned never to be wasteful, so they would always save the scraps of leftover fabric. These were then later sewn together to make beautiful, colorful quilts that could even portray a story or contain a hidden message.

The defining characteristic of a quilt is that it consists of stitching through three layers of fabric. At the bottom there is the backing, in the middle you'll find the batting and at the top is the design. The batting can be thick for a warm, padded quilt or it can be thin so that the quilt will be light.

Online suppliers sell a variety of fabrics in many designs and colors that you can use to make your quilt. A popular choice is the designs dating from the 1930s and if you can't afford actual vintage fabric, you can opt for reproductions. If you see a quilt you particularly like, you may even find a kit with everything necessary to replicate it.

Online suppliers of fabrics for quilting often sell other items too. You may order batting, backing and even the tools you'll need to create your quilt, such as scissors. If you need inspiration, buy a book or individual patterns too.

Creating a quilt is very easy. The craft is simple to learn and there are many websites that offer tips and advice. Even tutorials on everything from the basics to more advanced techniques are only a click away.

When you take up quilting, you may be surprised at the many possibilities of this craft. A great idea is to get a group of quilters together to quilt socially, trading tips and ideas. You may even decide to work on a joint project such as a big story quilt or a wall hanging. Another idea is to start a small business where you sell your quilts or make ones to order. It all starts with a visit to an online quilting store.




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