Saturday, January 31, 2015

A Guide On How To Make A Quilt

By Ines Flores


Quilts have for a long time been associated with Europe and more precisely Scotland, alongside the bagpipes and other such cultures. However, many different cultures have had their own variants of quilts. Though considered old in some circles, the quilt is quickly coming back as a household item and fashion statement. As such, may be looking for ways on how to make a quilt.

When making a quilt, the initial stages are mainly about collection of materials and tools as well as proper preparation. The method one uses in the making of the quilt is what will ultimately determine the procedures followed. There are two main methods the traditional and more manual way, and a newer way that is machine intensive at all stages.

The first thing you should do is prepare your tools. These include comfortable and adequately sharp scissors or rotary cutters, a flat, comfortable cutting surface, sufficient and good quality fabric, a sewing machine, needles and thread, a ruler preferably 5 inches wide and 12-30 inches long, depending on the size of your quilt. Other prerequisites include a good batting material, an iron and a basic quilt pattern guide.

When all required materials are in place, the work on the quilt begins by cutting up the material for the front part. Most designs will make use of shapes usually squares and rectangles. Others such as circles and triangles may be used by the creative daring types. Squares are however easier to sew and create a symmetrical and appealing design with appropriate choice of color.

Once you have all your shapes, it is now time to lay them out on your pattern guide. If the its is quite large, you may decide to work row by row, or column by column. Here, you will sew the pieces making up each row or column together before moving onto the next one. This completes the front of your quilt.

With the front part complete, focus now shifts to the middle part or filling, known as the batting, as well as the back part. These are relatively easy to make since they only require you to cut their respective materials appropriately. They generally require a wider and longer cut to accommodate scrunching of the material after sewing.

Once the cutting is done, the three parts are arranged in their respective order and pinned together. This is done to prevent moving around during final sewing. Unwanted spaces inside and wrinkles should be removed at this point. Sewing is done from the middle outward, with diagonal seams sewn in as support. A binding material is sewn in to give a finished look to the quilt.

The process of quilt making is easy once you are conversant with the procedure. It also brings several advantages such as making use of scrap and extra fabric laying around, and the therapeutic nature of the process. The process can also be a hobbyists paradise. The product itself may be sold for monetary gain, or given as a gift to a friend or loved one.




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