New to quilting? Well Welcome! If you’re looking to get started quilting and aren’t quite sure where to start first, then why don’t we start with the basics – Tools for quilting that you need before starting your first quilt.

Before we can learn how to make a quilt, you’ll need to acquire some tools for the quilting trade.

Now, people have been making quilts for ages well before all of these existed. 

However, with very little experience, it is likely that you will put TONS of hours into making this quilt just to have a poor quality quilt when you are finished that you are not entirely proud of.

I want you to be proud of each and every quilt you make.

So, to get the best quality quilt, not to mention save yourself a lot of headaches and frustration, it is best to set yourself up for success. 

Here are the 9 minimum tools for quilting I used when I just started out.

Sewing Machine

While there are still some methods of quilting that only use handsewing, using a sewing machine is the most practical and efficient way to make a quilt. 

Do you need a $1000 one? No absolutely not. 

Here’s my confession:

At the time that I’m writing this, I am using an off the shelf, Singer sewing machine that cost me nothing compared to the super fancy ones on the market today.

It has absolutely no bells and whistles.

And is one of three sewing machines always in stock at Joann’s.

So even if all you have your mom’s old hand-me-down machine. You’ll be golden for your first quilt.

All you need is to be able to go backward and forward to get started. 

Want to upgrade later? Go for it! But all those bells and whistles are not necessary just to make a basic quilt.

Don’t have a box store nearby? This is the super basic one I use off Amazon.

Rotary Cutter

Rotary cutters are like pizza cutters only for fabric and are essential tools for quilting in order to get your cuts just right.

While using scissors will still get the job done, having the smooth cuts of a rotary cutter will give you the most accurate size pieces.

Not to mention save you hours of time cutting out quilt pieces later.

Having accurate cuts will make sewing later MUCH easier and save you so much time and frustration.

After trying a few, this one has been my favorite so far.

Cutting Mat

Where there’s a rotary cutter a cutting mat is usually not far behind. 

A cutting mat is designed with ruler grids on them to help you line up fabrics and assist with perfect cuts.

Using the grid line references on the mat will help you get perfectly square cuts in your fabric pieces.

Accuracy is the key to making perfect quilt tops!

Not to mention rotary cutters are sharp and likely to damage any bare surface they are used on. 

You don’t need anything crazy big.12×18Straight Pins 

StraightWalking Foot 

This list is all inclusive for your first quilt. That includes the quilting process. 

For your first quilt ever, walkinghow to get straight quilt lines to get started!

Seam Ripper

Where stitches go in, stitches will likely have to come out too. 

Sewing sometimes doesn’t go as planned and occasionally you’ll have to “unsew” a seam you made.

Or worse, quilting.

This is always a super tedious task since the stitches are so small.

Having a seam ripper in the tool box will make this frustrating task a bit more bearable. This one comes with a thimble too which is super useful when you are binding.

Save yourself a headache, a seam ripper is definitely a bare minimum necessity when you start quilting.

Iron/Ironing Board

When you have a lot of play in your fabric and it doesn’t sit nice and flat, it is much more prone to pleating and seams not lining up well.

Pressing your fabrics before cutting, and during the piecing process, will keep your fabrics stiff and give you a significantly crisper, more accurate block and quilt. 

Fortunately an iron is usually a staple in most households.

Wonder Clips

Wonder clips are often used in the quilting world during the binding process. 

I usually find binding very therapeutic, but after a while, without wonder clips, it starts to hurt your hands to keep the binding in place.

Using wonder clips will help keep your binding in place for you while you stitch, and help you avoid carpal tunnel at the same time!

Win-win!

They come in various counts, I find that this wonder clip set is just enough without being excessive.

Quilting Rulers 

While I’m sure there are incredibly savvy people out there that are able to cut quilt pieces without rulers, I am not one of them.

Quilting rulers help you make sure everything you are cutting is the exact dimensions you need to make your blocks.

Quilting rulers are made clear so you can see the lines of the cutting mat through the ruler and be super sure that you are getting the most accurate cuts of fabric.

While there are a million different kinds out there, after so many years of quilting, I only own two quilting rulers currently.

A 6.5″ square, and a 6×24″ long rectangle and they get me through every quilt I’ve done so far.

I’m sure the more I do, the more I’ll acquire, but for now, these two alone have gotten me through all of my beginner quilts.

So if you are new to the hobby

These are a few tools for quilting that will make your life easier that you may not have seen yet! 

While there are always ways to DIY your way out of getting a tool for the job, sometimes the time and effort it saves you is well worth the $5 it might cost. 

So if you have been wondering why you aren’t getting the results you were expecting, it might be a simple quilting tool you are missing! 

And give you better results at the same time. 

If you found this post helpful and want more tips and tricks, be sure to sign up to get all the latest posts sent straight to your email inbox!

So I hope you found this list helpful, if you think I missed any good beginner tools for quilting on this list be sure to add it to the comments below and I’ll add it in!