Tools needed to make quilts

Before you cut your fabric, removing wrinkles will make the process much easier. Use your iron's steam setting if it has one. Measure and cut your patchwork. After deciding how big you want your quilt to be, you can work backwards, determining the size of each square - remember to factor in a seam allowance.

If you're using a pattern, the dimensions will be detailed for you. Once you've measured, you can cut each piece out to the determined size.

You must be very accurate with your cuts. Use your clear acrylic ruler and your rotary cutter to cut each piece. Be sure you place the fabric on your cutting mat so you don't roll into the table or work surface underneath. Lay your quilt out. This is my favorite part! Lay your quilt out according to the finished design you want. Move pieces around, swap prints in different places. Let your creativity take over.

This step is best done on the floor, where you can spread out. Once you're satisfied with the design, pick up your patches in rows, being careful to keep them in order. Working left to right, simply pick up and place each piece on top of the last from the previous row. Sew your patchwork into rows. You want to take care to sew a perfectly straight seam so you don't end up with a puckered finish product or with unmatched seams as you work your way down the quilt.

Sew several individual rows together. Iron your rows. After you have all your long rows sewn together, you need to press the seams so they'll lay flat. Flip your quilt upside down, so the unfinished side is up. Iron each seam flat, alternating directions. The first row, iron the underside of the seam flat to the right side, the second row, iron flat to the left side and so on.

Sew the quilt all together. Take row 1 and row 2, turn them both inward so the finished sides are facing one another. Sew, using a straight stitch just like you did when making the rows.

Repeat until all your rows are aligned and sewn together. Iron your whole quilt. This time, you'll iron the front side of your quilt. Use the same technique and process you did with the rows, alternating the direction you iron the underside seams flat.

Make your quilt sandwich and baste your quilt. You're now at the basting step. Basting will temporarily hold your quilt "sandwich" together - a quilt sandwich refers to all the layers of your quilt Line up your quilt perfectly, working out any wrinkles and smoothing from the center out toward all directions. You can either use pins or basting adhesive spray.

Decide how you want to stitch your quilt together before you start. You can be super fancy, or you can stick to a simple, straight lined, rowed pattern. Time to bind! Binding gives a quilt that finished look you want, with a soft border all the way around the patchwork. There are several ways to bind your quilt, and ultimately the method you choose will just come down to personal preference.

There's no right or wrong answer in terms of "which is better" when it comes to hand quilting vs. For quilt making, the way you go about it really just comes down to a matter of choice. Most quilters use a simple running stitch when quilting by hand.

Insert the needle through the front of the fabric, catch a little bit of the back and then reinsert through all the layers. You make a quilt sandwich by placing all the layers together, including: the backing, the batting and the top of your quilt. Keep in mind that the bottom layer should be right side down, and the top should be right side up.

Batting is the cottony, thick material that goes in the center of your quilt. A quilter's knot is a very small knot that can go through one layer of fabric so you can hide the tail in between the fabric. How long your quilting stitch should be really depends on if you're machine sewing or sewing your quilt by hand.

If you're stitching by hand, you want about stitches per inch. Quilting blocks are any units you sew together. To create your quilt, you assemble all your quilt blocks together to form a pattern or design. Quilting is actually a type of sewing. It's the process of stitching together two or more layers of fabric. By subscribing, you agree to the terms and conditions and our privacy policy. How to Make a Quilt by Emma Jeffery.

Cut five strips of contrast fabrics measuring the following: 1 piece 34" x 20" 1 piece 34" x 8" 1 piece 34" x 16" 1 piece 34" x 10" 1 piece 34" x 8" 3. Steps to Making a Quilt by hand Learning how to make a simple quilt by hand is truly a lot easier than you may think.

Layer your quilt in the correct order: Backing - right side down. You want to cut your backing at least 5" wider on all sides than the actual size of your quilt. Batting - the stuffing, or middle of the quilt. Make your batting a few inches wider than your top layer.

Front - right side up. Note: If you use spray, you want to spray each layer before adding the next when you're making your sandwich. If you pin, you'd simply use safety pins starting in the center, and moving out in all directions. These are simple stitches can be machine stitched or hand sewn made through these 3 layers creating a padded raised effect. Running stitches, back stitches and chain stitches are used in hand sewing. What is the Difference Between Quilting and Sewing?

Quilting refers to stitching together 3 layers of fabric like a sandwich to create a decorative quilt blanket while sewing refers to piecing fabric edges to create clothing, pillow cases, soft-toys, curtains, and more.

Quilt batting is used in various sewing and quilting projects, is also known as wadding. It is used as a layer of insulation between fabrics, most often used in quilt making. Batting is the filling of quilts and makes them warm and heavy. A quilt is comprised of three layers—two layers of fabric with batting in between—stitched together, often with a decorative design. A quilting bee is a get-together for people who sew and quilt to work on their individual or group projects with like-minded individuals.

Quilting bees are great social events for learning new skills and techniques, discussing related events, and chatting with peers about anything.

Most quilters I talk to agree that quilting has become very expensive, the fabric is expensive, the sewing machines are expensive, all the tools and gadgets are expensive and then add on the quilting and yes it can be expensive but there are ways to make it less expensive. Some quilts are definitely easier than others to put together, and for those who are just learning quilting fundamentals, the choices can be overwhelming. Below are four very helpful tips for beginner quilters, along with three of our favorite beginner quilting patterns.

Anyone can learn to quilt! The secret is knowing where to start. If you do not have a walking foot and can use a darning foot, you should still be able to do machine quilting. Some quilters like to safety-pin baste the layers together when they machine quilt. Quilt basting spray is an adhesive that is used to keep the layers of fabric together for machine quilting. Remember, there are no quilting police and your quilt will be just as beautiful and interesting as your choices of fabrics and fibers allow.

Lap quilt. This is the name of a small quilt usually much smaller than regular bed quilts meant to be put on the lap or over your leg for extra warmth while you are sitting. Quilting cotton is a medium weight fabric depending on the manufacturer, and it has a lot body.

It is so helpful for someone like me that wants to start quilting. I did eventually figure it out though. Good stuff! Thank you for taking the time to make these blog posts and making them so easy to follow along!

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If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. Rotary Cutter — this tool is like a pizza cutter for fabric. The blades are very sharp and cut fabric quickly and accurately. There are many different sizes.

I use the medium-sized cutter most and recommend this one for any beginners. My favorite is the Olfa Splash. A Self-healing Cutting Mat — allows you to use the rotary cutter for cutting fabric. A printed ruler-grid can also help with measuring fabric pieces. I love these Elan scissors — inexpensive, but stay sharp. Seam Ripper — no shame here! I have at least 4 located strategically throughout the house because I use them so often.

Any seam ripper will work, but my favorite is this Clover seam ripper. Some thread is better than others. Cheaper thread will break easier and could create a lint farm in your machine. Because I use so much thread, I started buying in bulk — hence the big cone in the top of the picture.

My favorite is Aurifil 50 wt. One neutral color works well on most piecing projects — cream, tan or gray. Pins — I like the longer straight pins with plastic heads , or even better, glass heads. Safety pins not pictured also come in handy in the finishing stages later on. September 7, By Amy. About Amy. Previous Post Next Post. Reply Jennifer September 7, at pm Needles?

Reply Dree September 7, at pm I always have a measuring tape handy—I find it a lot easier to check things with it. Reply Trudi September 7, at pm Great idea! Reply pinksuedeshoe September 7, at pm Snacks. Definitely add some snacks.

But nothing that is too melty. Skittles are my favorite. Reply Quiet Quilter September 7, at pm You know, I was going to be a smart aleck and say, sewing machine. Reply anne September 7, at pm You forgot chocolate, music and a nice chair in a great sunny spot…..