Tips For Beginners Who Want To Start With Quilt Making

stitching quilt

When you are a beginner in quilt making, you may find it a bit difficult to start out with complicated patterns. There are some easy tips with which you can practice and familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of quilting.

Patterns with large pieces
As you start working on a quilt, especially when you are a beginner, you have to go for large designs or large pieces of fabrics which require fewer efforts in sewing. Going for large patterns will ensure fewer errors too. You can practice easily with these large patterns and become an expert.

Use more squares and rectangles
Squares and rectangles are the easiest patterns to sew. You will find it hard if you choose other patterns. Triangles are also hard to work on if you are a beginner. So it is better to practice with easier blocks. You can try out various sized squares and rectangles. There are practice kits available too which will help to get more practice.

Tips For Beginners - Quilt Making

Pre cut fabrics
Get hold of some pre cut fabrics and try out designing the quilt. These packs will have designs and instructions as to how you can sew them onto the quilt. Follow the instructions given on the pack carefully. Read through these instructions and get a good idea of how to proceed.

Attend beginner classes
It is always a good idea to attend a class before you start working on a quilt. You will be able to understand the basics when you learn from with the help of an experienced person. This will give you practical knowledge too. Once you start with assistance, you will be able to clear doubts as and when they occur. There are many online courses also which offer guidance. This is handy for those of you who do not have the extra time to rush to a class.

Do not get discouraged if your first attempt doesn’t turn out to be as you imagined it. Like every other art form, this also requires patience and practice.

Read also – The Clever Way To Piece A Quilt Backing

Read More

Expert Advice On Straight Line Quilting

Straight Line Quilting

Straight line quilting requires patience and precision. Unlike free motion quilting, straight line quilting is more complicated .You need to be very careful when dealing with straight line quilting. When starting out with this also, you have to try out simple lines first. Do not attempt very complex designs which will confuse you more.

Echoing the lines
Pivoting the lines is a good way to create a simple yet elegant design. You can for example start with a small diamond and then echo the lines of the diamond to create a pattern. The shape should be radiated towards the outer side and can be ended at the borders.

Mark the quilt top correctly
You need to learn how to mark your quilt top correctly. If the quilt top is not marked properly, the straight lines will not turn out correctly. This may be one of the most important part which people often neglect. They go ahead and start the pattern without fixing the quilt and then later realize that the straight lines have gone zig zag.

Try out the dense lines
Experiment as much as you can with dense lines too. Matchstick quilting will help you to do this. It is really tedious and a great pressure to get all those lines done. However the end product is worth all the effort.

Spray basting
Evenly spaced lines in the same direction will also give you a great look. Spray basting your quilt will help to remove layers and give you an even platform to work on. You need to remove the layers and uneven surfaces first as you will be working on straight lines.

One important thing you need to pay attention to is not to hurry at all. Take your time and be patient as you work on a straight line quilt. Give it a bit of time and you will master the tricks.

Read More

The Trick To Make A Light Weight Quilt

The Trick To Make A Light Weight Quilt

Quilts are quite cozy and you all love curling up in them. However during summer as much as all like the comfortable quilt, the heaviness and climate may not allow you to enjoy being covered up so much. You may wish the quilt was lighter so that you could still enjoy being wrapped up. The good news is it is actually easy to make a light weight quilt.

The fabric matters
Quilts have to be made of fabric which suits the season you need it for. You should not choose material which becomes very warm. Denims and chambray are good choices for the winter. However cotton is the best for summer. The fabric is light weight, especially if you go for Cotton lawn, Cotton double gauze and cotton voile. These are the best choices for breathability. Cotton lawn may be the last option as it may not feel very soft against the skin. One of the favorites is cotton voile. This is extremely soft and smooth. All the above are becoming popular as they are good choices for making lightweight quilts.

Choose the best batting to suit the season

Here again the fabric you use as the batting matters a lot. You may feel like using polyester as it is lighter, however this will give you a warmer quilt which will not be very comfortable in summer. Similarly wool is not a good choice for summer; however is the most suited for winter. Cotton is the is generally preferred during warmer seasons. Bamboo batting is another great material for lightweight batting.
You should definitely try cotton voile with a bamboo batting. It is a pure delight. The luxurious, light and drapey feel you get is exactly what you need for the perfect summer.

Just take care of the above two points when choosing a quilt and find yourself a great light weight one to curl up this summer.

Read More