About Today: Learn to Quilt 2/24/11

From Jen Hubley, your About Today Editor My hobbies, by and large, are unproductive, by which I mean that they don't actually create a byproduct you can see and use later, such as a sweater, or a potholder, or a quilt. But now is my time to change all that. (No worries: I'll still stick with the unproductive hobbies as well. That TV won't watch itself.)

How to Make a Quilt, Start to Finish  As I was starting this newsletter, I thought to myself, it's a shame that no one ever just writes an article that teaches you how to make a whole quilt - not just "learn this stitch" or "prepare this block," but the whole thing. And then, of course, I found this article. How to Calculate Quilt Yardage How Big Is Your Mattress? See More About:  easy quilts  baby quilts  wallhangings

Easy Quilt Patterns for Beginners  The trick to starting any new hobby is to start off with a project you can finish. Otherwise, you're basically just making things to put in the basement later. How to Sew a Quarter-Inch Seam Allowance Color Value: More Important Than Color See More About:  easy quilts  rag quilt patterns  quilt patterns

7 Skills for Beginning Quilters  Not even sure what rotary cutting is? Start here. The Super-Easy Partial Seam Technique The Best Tools for Beginning Quilters See More About:  easy quilts  quilt patterns  rotary cutting safety

Readers Show Us Their First Quilts  Including one made out of neckties! 135 Free Quilt Patterns Why Some Quilt Blocks Work Together ... and Others Don't