There are many retail shops that have quilts for sale and they’re sold in department stores everywhere. These are usually not the kind of quilt that strikes the fancy of the collector, however.

A collector knows that finding quilts for sale can happen anywhere at any time. And sometimes the quilts that are discovered when they are least expected turn out to be the most treasured finds of all.

Taking a scenic route through the countryside instead of tackling an interstate highway may be the route to finding charming hand-made quilts for sale along the way. In many rural areas, it’s not unusual to drive by a farmhouse in the country that has an outstanding assortment of quilts draped over fence rails or hanging from the branches of a tree or two. These would have been missed entirely along the interstate.

Collectors know to frequent yard, estate, and moving sales to find some excellent quilts for sale. These quilts sometimes come with stories attached and they become even more valued when the story behind the quilt is known.

Some of the most enchanting quilts can be found at places that seem the least likely to have quilts for sale. Restaurants that feature home-style cooking, especially those in the country or in rural areas that attract tourists, sometimes have quilts for sale in a gift shop or on display in the main dining room.

Thrift stores, re-sale shops, and flea markets are more good sources for finding attractive quilts for sale. So are sales hosted by the owners of storage units who sell the contents when payments on a storage unit go too long unpaid.

Once word gets out that you remain on the look-out for quilts for sale, don’t be surprised when you hear about quilts coming from the strangest places. Sometimes the stranger the place the quilt was found, the more treasured the find.

Many of them are reproduced and published for consumer use but even the concept of mass marketing doesn’t mean hand-made quilts will ever seem mass produced.

People who enjoy quilting enjoy it for the creative release it brings and even using the most popular quilting pattern to establish a design doesn’t mean any two quilts based on the same pattern will be alike.

The skill and artistry of the individual quilt maker goes into every quilt and most quilters consider a quilting pattern as merely a suggested starting point. The other factors that go into the design of a quilt makes each one unique.

One very popular quilting pattern is Sunbonnet Sue, which features a side view of a little girl wearing a dress and a sunbonnet so enormous her face is hidden from view. The direction the quilter orients Sunbonnet Sue, the size in which the pattern is reproduced, the number of repeated Sues, and the direction, or directions, she faces provide enough possibilities to keep each Sunbonnet Sue quilt different from all the rest.

Using the Sunbonnet Sue quilting pattern as an example, it’s possible to adorn a quilt with a dozen reproductions of Sue. One quilter may have all Sues facing the same direction but another quilter may choose to place her Sues so they face each other. Yet another quilter may place her Sues so they are back to back.

Still using Sunbonnet Sue as a quilting pattern, Sue may wear matching dress and bonnet in every block or she may be adorned in contrasting fabrics. She may wear a sunbonnet of a solid color and a dress of patterned fabric. Or vice versa.

One quilter may choose to enlarge her Sunbonnet Sue quilting pattern in order to place Sue in the very center of the quilt, medallion style, while the next quilter may prefer many smaller Sues placed throughout the quilt design.

Using the same Sunbonnet Sue quilting pattern and velvets, brocade, and lace will produce an entirely different effect than a quilt featuring Sue in fabrics evocative of the Wild West, the beach, or Elvis.

Thinking about Sue alone, it’s quite easy to see how using the same quilting pattern to make many quilts, even when they are all made by the same quilter, produces a one-of-a-kind quilt every time.

The art of quilt making may not actually be dying, as some people say. Quilting kits are a very popular item for fabric stores, arts and crafts shops, and at quilting shows and other similar venues. And there are literally thousands of quilting kits from which to choose, too. If the art were truly dying, quilting kits wouldn’t be such big business.

For beginning quilt makers who relish the idea of starting small and simple, quilting kits are available that include every item, pattern, and piece of fabric needed to complete a quilt small enough to grace a baby’s bassinette.

There are quilting kits that guide us through quilts appropriate for use or display at every holiday throughout the entire year. Christmas? There’s a quilting kit that’ll walk you through every step of the way to completion. Halloween? Hanukah? Harvest season? There’s a quilting kit with these moments in mind, too.
All quilting kits don’t include every single piece needed to complete them. They’re available in a vast range of sizes and designs, with kits available to suit every quilter, regardless of skill level.

It’s possible to get quilting kits developed to produce quilts of the most traditional design as well as more contemporary versions that help create quilts that look more like abstract art than traditional quilt.

Quilting kits are wonderfully useful learning tools. Once a would-be quilter has mastered a quilt from a kit or two, it’s highly likely a quilt of personal design is soon to follow. And once the craft has been mastered, don’t be surprised when friends, family, and coworkers ask for quilting lessons from you.

Throughout the ages, people everywhere have gleaned raw materials from their environment to fashion into tools and supplies for everyday use as well as to create the sacred, ceremonial, and special items that define one culture from the next. Quilts illustrate that point very effectively.

In ancient Egypt, some of the quilting fabrics used were cotton, linen, and fabrics made from soaked and pounded tree barks. In ancient China, silk was a fabric of choice, for quilts, clothes, and many other things. Each culture used natural resources native to the area and these natural resources helped define the individual cultures.

Quilting fabrics have frequently been a reflection of status within one culture, too. Certain quilting fabrics were reserved for the aristocracy and clergy while the common man (or, more likely, woman) used an entirely different selection of fabrics from which to make quilts for their own use.

In another example of quilting fabrics defining a culture, Hawaiian quilts often feature solid-colored pieces of fabric in vividly bold colors that represent the dazzling colors of these tropical islands. Looking at one of them brings the islands and the lush abundance of nature to mind.

On the other hand, a quilt made from tartan plaid represents Scotland so thoroughly that it’s almost possible to hear bag-pipes playing through one’s thoughts. Tartans use color and the design of the plaid to represent association with specific regions or clans and they’ve done so since the time of the ancient Celts.

Today’s modern textile manufacturing processes make it possible to produce reasonable facsimiles of fabrics used all around the world, making it less possible to define a culture by the quilting fabrics used. The abundance of fabrics available today, however, means there are almost endless possibilities when it comes to choosing quilting fabrics, even though the choices made may not define a culture with the same precision it once did.

Quilting blocks are the basic building blocks of a quilt. They work in much the same way the alphabet works when learning to read. Mastering one block, or one letter, at a time makes it much easier to piece those smaller elements together to form one much bigger whole.

Many, many quilts are actually many quilting blocks sewn together in decorative style to make one, larger, finished quilt. Several fabrics may be used to form patterns within one block but there’s no reason why a single patch of fabric can’t be used as the block itself.

When a single patch of fabric is used to make the quilting blocks, these individual blocks are often embellished with embroidery, decorative trim, and even fabric paints and inks. Decorating each block uniquely is a great way to construct an attractive quilt with a minimum of fuss over sewing.

Some very stunning quilts are made by using a series of identical blocks for the entire quilt. Log cabin quilts are often made in this way and the contrast from light to dark within each block produces a very pleasing effect over all.

But back to that KISS. An entire quilt may seem like a challenge too large to confront but when breaking the entire quilting project into smaller elements, such as the quilting blocks themselves, the layers, and the binding fabrics, the entire project seems more like a series of smaller, easily managed steps.

If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at quilting but have been putting it off for fear of encountering an overwhelming mission, don’t kiss off that quilt project, KISS it, one block at a time, instead.

Some quilt shops specialize in only the quilts that are associated with a particular geographic region. Others specialize in quilts of a specific era. Others focus on a specific culture, such as the Amish, Hawaiian, or Native American.

A quick browse through these quilt shops is likely to reveal the many tools, trims, and materials common to the craft of quilt making but there are likely to be some secrets and unusual finds hidden away, too. Sometimes it pays off to take a shopping list along with you when you browse these shops but it’s always a good idea to be prepared to confront temptation, too.

Some quilt shops are affiliated with a nearby museum. These shops are likely to offer reproductions of patterns, tools, and the like that are on display in the museum to which they are associated.

Other quilt shops may be of much more limited scope, featuring only quilts for sale. Depending upon the particular shop, the quilts available for sale may be collectors’ items or hand-made pieces constructed by the shopkeeper. And the quilts for sale may be any combination of the two.

Artisans seem to be always enthusiastic to share their experiences with their craft and the owners of quilt shops are certainly no different. These colorful shops can be the source of supplies, inspiration, and education. They can also be highly entertaining, too.

Many quilt patterns feature traditional themes and motifs, such as Sunbonnet Sue, the double wedding ring, and log cabin quilting. Many of the most common patterns are known by different names, depending on geographic region or time in history.

Quilt patterns are very versatile and can be achieved by several techniques, including blocks, patchwork, and appliqu’. A decorative embellishment may be applied as one focal point, such as a medallion, or it can be repeated on a smaller scale for equally dramatic effect.

Crazy quilts represent a rather free-flowing design instead of the more traditional quilt patterns. When making crazy quilts, the end result is more likely to resemble a landscape painting, portrait, or abstract work of art as opposed to the more symmetrical, uniform design associated with traditional quilts.

Not all quilt patterns are the result of the colors and fabrics incorporated into the work, however. In many cases, the number of fabrics and colors used are minimal, in order to present an elaborate display of stitch work in more prominent fashion.

Trapunto quilting is achieved by inserting fabric, cording, or some other form of stuffing between two parallel rows of stitching to form quilt patterns that are somewhat subtle but prized for their elegance in design and detail.

Shadow quilting is typical of the Hawaiian-style of quilting, where one very prominent appliqu’ is attached to a solid-colored piece of whole cloth using traditional stitching. This line of stitching which secures the appliqu’ to the whole-cloth background is then repeated in closely spaced parallel lines of stitching throughout the solid-colored background, producing a shadowing effect. Shadow quilting and echo quilting are the same quilt patterns although the names of the technique are used interchangeably.

Even with standardized patterns available, there is no limit to the quilt patterns available for use today. If a desired pattern cannot be found, it’s now quite easy to design one’s own patterns using computer-aided design software tools that make designing quilts, and almost anything else, quite a snap.

For anyone looking to expand the scope of their quilting projects beyond the obvious, there is a quilt pattern available that will inspire or influence projects for home decorations in every room of the house, including the wardrobe.

Consider the elegant finishing touch to window treatments that can be achieved when a quilt pattern is used to embellish a valance and matching tie-back straps. Add some matching quilted throw pillows and a living room or den develops a very welcoming, homey feel.

A formal dining room that features placemats in a quilt pattern and unquilted napkins in the same or complementary fabric is a great way to showcase antique dinnerware or cutlery. It’s also a great way to make the food seem more like the home-cooked meal that is rapidly disappearing from dining rooms across the country.

In the wardrobe, bureau, or closet, vests and jackets made from quilted fabrics add a degree of warmth and softness. A clever seamstress who also quilts can incorporate a quilt pattern into the bodice of a dress or top or can make a matching quilted belt to accessorize a favorite outfit.

Other accessories suitable for a quilt pattern are purses and bags of all kinds. Many bags designed for keeping up with a baby feature quilted panels, sides, or embellishments and these same quilted touches can work beautifully when added to bags made for older children and adults, too.

In colder climates, where hats worn during the wintertime look good and keep us warm at the same time, a quilt pattern used to make the crown of a hat or cap adds a degree of warmth, even if the insulating layer of batting is thin.

When using a quilt pattern to adorn garments and decorative elements of home d�cor, many quilters choose to focus on the stitchery aspect of quilting instead of the quilt blocks or patchwork. The simplicity of the stitching is often more compatible in these pieces whereas the blocks or patches can overwhelm.

Quilting bees may epitomize the process of quilt making but there’s no need to make a special event of making a quilt. Unless you just want to. Any time a group of like-minded individuals comes together, fun, laughter, and creative juices flow. And the more hands involved in the process, the sooner the quilt gets finished.

Quilt making, communal style, is an outstanding way to make quilts for a common cause, be it a church bazaar, charity fund raiser, or to celebrate the birth of a grandchild or marriage of a son or daughter. Events such as these are delightful social occasions but the teamwork makes the quilting go much faster, too.

Quilt making with a group is a great way to learn the craft. When a group of craftsmen or women, regardless of the craft, comes together, competition is surely in the air. It is likely to become a source of pride to show a beginner the perfect stitch or how to design an attractive quilt or to pass along the learning experiences once considered mistakes.

And quilt making can be a very relaxing solitary endeavor. Many people find that working on a labor-intensive, manual project, such as making quilts or even birdhouses or crocheted pot holders, is a great way to escape the worries of the work-day world and relieve the stress of an otherwise hectic lifestyle.

Regardless of whether quilt making involves one person or one dozen, it presents an excellent opportunity to mix the creative with the functional. And many people feel that quilting bridges generation gaps and brings the quilt maker in touch with family members and ancestors who passed along the knowledge, and the quilts, from one generation to the next.

Quilt kits are available at arts and crafts stores throughout the country. Some of them come with everything needed to make quilts of all sizes, including instructions and diagrams.

Other quilt kits provide the basic design and instructions but allow the quilt maker to select the fabrics to be used and the type of batting, or insulation material, that goes between the top, decorative, layer of the quilt and the bottom, undecorated, layer.

Quilt kits are produced and sold by many different manufacturers and there is no one rule governing what must be included. Novice quilt makers may appreciate getting all the details, materials, and instructions in one place but more skilled quilt makers may prefer a bit more freedom for individual artistry.

Fabric stores are another great place to shop for quilt kits. Buying a quilt kit at a fabric store makes selecting the fabrics to be used as convenient as possible, if fabrics aren’t included as a part of the kit.

Another great source for purchasing quilt kits is at quilt shows and other events that feature quilts, such as at country fairs and some local arts and crafts shows. In situations such as these, the person selling the kit may be the very same person who designed and developed it. For many people, this personal touch adds a note of charm to the kit.

Of course, it isn’t really necessary to leave home to shop for quilt kits. The internet brings a whole world of quilting supplies, including kits, to the doorstep of every quilt maker anywhere. With so many options from which to choose, it may seem a shame to limit thoughts of quilt making to dreams when they can easily become real quilts, instead.