Make A Quilt For Your Family
It’s not difficult to make a quilt if you know how to go about it. Before you start you will need a pattern to work to, the necessary tools and the fabric.
You will also need to know how to do it, though quilting is not difficult if you are able to sew. Once you have learned the basics of quilting, you will be able to tackle increasingly more complex patterns and larger pieces.
The way your quilt is made, and the materials it is made from, depends a lot on what its purpose is. If it is just ornamental then you can use any fabrics you have lying around, or you could purchase a quilt pack with everything ready for you to sew together. There are also many different kind of keepsake quilts.
An example of this is when you make a quilt from all your daughter’s old clothes that you have kept for the purpose. This sort of quilt is sometimes presented by mother to daughter at her wedding.
Embroidery Can Be Used For A Beautiful Pattern
Let’s assume that have chosen your fabric and that you have cut it into the sizes required. You can create any design you want with your fabric, though it is common to sew small pieces together into larger blocks, which themselves are then sewn together to make the complete quilt top.
Some of the blocks can include embroidery to make a more complex pattern, and you can also use appliqué as well as sewing fabric strips together. Some quilts are made by embroidering a plain piece of fabric with colored threads to form complex patterns, and some beautiful quilts are made in this way.
If you are using blocks, you are best to lay them out before sewing them since you will have a better idea of what the finished quilt will look like. That is far better than completing the quilt, then unpicking the sewing because you don’t like the finished design.
It is easier if the blocks are squares and rectangles, since you can sew in straight lines, especially useful if you are machine sewing.
Once your quilt top is finished you can put the quilt together. The term ‘quilt’ is actually the finished sewn padding, though most people associate it with the quilt top. Hand quilting is easier carried out on a quilt frame that stretches the quilt out and keeps it free from creases and undue movement.
You stretch the backing out on the frame, then apply the batting which is the padding that gives the quilt its thickness and warmth.
You now place the top over the batting and fasten it tightly to the frames. The backing and quilt top should be pulled tightly over the frame, then apply a few tacks to ensure that the batting does not move.
Now sew the whole quilt together. You can either do this along the seams, or if the quilt is made from a single piece of material, in an embroidered pattern.
You can use a domestic sewing machine for most of your quilting work if the throat is large enough to accommodate the quilt, and there are also dedicated quilting machines that are attached to the frame. This is the basis of most commercial quilting systems.
Making a quilt is very rewarding since it is not only a work of art but it is also practical. Many grandmothers get great satisfaction from making baby quilts since, not only is the work satisfying because the end product is a beautiful work of art, but it is also good to see your grandchild wrapped up and kept warm by your labor of love.
If you have some spare time on your hands this fall, and are wondering what you can do to keep yourself out of mischief, why not design your own quilt top, spend some time seeking out the fabrics needed and make a quilt for a member of your family. It will be gladly received and greatly appreciated.
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 method to make a quilt in a weekend.