Easy Quilting Patterns

Quilting is frequently misunderstood by those not involved in the craft, and some of the most beautiful quilts can be made using easy quilting methods such as simple hand stitching or even automatic template driven machine sewing.

The reason for this is that quilting does not refer to the complex designs of traditional and modern quilts, but to the tying or sewing together of the parts that make up what is commonly referred to as a quilt.

A quilted item is one that is formed by stitching together two layers of fabric, usually with a layer of soft insulating material between them. A quilt can consist of two plain sheets of fabric with a layer of shredded cotton between them, and stitched to hold the three parts of the layer secure. That, in fact, was the way that the quilts of the Civil War era were structured.

Quilting Does not Require a Pattern

There is no requirement for a pattern in quilting, though the term is generally used with reference to patterned quilt tops that are then stitched to the other two layers referred to above. The quilting itself is determined by the design being quilted, and whether or not there is any specific pattern required in the quilting stitching which, in normal block-based quilted patterns, is normally along straight lines.

Easy quilting patterns are those that involve blocks of fabric in square and rectangular shapes that only need sewn together and then quilted by sewing in straight lines. The quilting is made quicker if this is done by a sewing machine, but not necessarily easier, since there is not much difficulty in sewing straight lines. However, quilting can be made even easier through the use of quilting kits.

Quilting kits consist of everything needed to make a quilt, frequently also including the threads. At the very least you get the blocks that have to be stitched together to make the quilt top. Once that has been done, you then have to put the top, the batting and the quilt back together, preferably stretched out on a quilting frame, and then stitch them together.

It is this stitching that forms the ‘quilting’. Sometimes the stitching is carried out in the form of complex patterns, especially when it is done on a plain quilt top, where the pattern is intended to be embroidered as part of the quilting.

Not All Quilting is for Bedding

Quilting need not be intended for bedding or even for warmth, although that was the original idea for this method of using fabrics. The space between the layers of fabric provided insulation, and in early quilting the batting layer comprised sheep’s wool or some other natural form of insulation to enable people to keep warm during the winter months. Quilting was used for clothing rather than blankets, and still is in many areas.

An easy quilt to make would be two sheets of fabric and an insulating layer between, fixed together with some simple stitching. The patterns came to be developed because the middle layer had be secured with stitching over the most of its area in order to prevent it from gathering at one side or end of the quilt during use.

A Modern Duvet is an Example of Quilting

This is still done today with modern duvets that are technically simple quilts with thick batting. In modern designs, most quilting is easy. It is the forming of the quilt top that is the difficult and time-consuming part.

A beginner seeking an easy quilting project should be able to purchase a beginner’s quilting kit to help them to make a start on the practical side of quilting. Although there are many quilt top patterns that are difficult to stitch, the quilting itself does not generally present a problem.

About the author: Jessie Pedersen is an avid quilter, having made quilts for over 10 years. She has come out with a simple and easy quilting method to make a quilt in a weekend.