Tutorial: How to make a quilt - Part 1

The thought of making a quilt can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to start. From fabric selection to choosing a pattern to quilting can make you quit even before you began. If you take it one step at a time though, it is doable and a very rewarding process. The purpose with this tutorial (Part 1) and next month’s (Part 2), is to explain how to make a quilt on a home sewing machine.
 
First I am going to mention a few general terms and tips. Below that will follow step-by-step instructions for an easy, beginner-friendly doll quilt. This month we’ll make the top, next month we’ll finish it by quilting and binding it.
 

• A quilt consists of three layers: top, batting and backing, which is often called the quilt sandwich.
• The top is the front of the quilt, the batting the inside or filling and the backing the fabric on the back of the quilt.
• The fabric border around the edges of the quilt is called the binding.

 
1. Choosing a pattern

• There are a wide variety of quilt patterns available, either online, in magazines or at fabric stores.
• For someone new to quilting it is better to start with a small project for instance a doll quilt, a table runner or a baby quilt.

• Pick a simple pattern that uses strips, rectangles or squares or a combination of these shapes. Triangles and other shapes can get tricky, so wait with that until you feel more confident in your quilting abilities.

 
2. Picking fabrics

• Most quilters use 100% cotton fabric for the top and backing, although you can use other types of fabric too. Cotton fabrics are easy to work with.
• If you have a hard time selecting and matching fabrics or have trouble coming up with a color scheme, it might be easier to pick fabrics from a collection where you will know that all colors match. Fabric designers come up with collections or fabric lines all the time which you’ll be able to buy online or at your local quilt store.
• Pre-cut fabrics have become very popular among quilters the last few years. If you’re not in the mood for cutting out fabric, you can buy pre-cut fabric in all shapes and sizes like squares, strips, rectangles, hexagons, etc. They do have some interesting names like charm packs, jelly rolls, layer cakes, fat quarters, etc.
• It is a good idea to have different scale designs on your fabric.
• Keep in mind the direction of a design. Sometimes it has a one-way direction and you may end up needing more fabric than what is needed per the instructions of the pattern.
• Keep in mind who the quilt is intended for and thus the design on the fabric - doll, baby, boy, girl.
• Some quilters pre-wash their fabric (to prevent shrinkage and/or color bleeding) while others do not. Generally, if you buy good quality cotton, you won’t have trouble with shrinkage or in most cases bleeding. Color bleeding may still happen especially with a vibrant color like red.
• Pre-wash: unfold the fabric, place in warm water and let it soak for about 10 minutes. Remove from the water and tumble dry or air dry (I prefer the latter).

 
3. Fabric cutting

• Cut the fabric on the lengthwise grain of the fabric or alternatively the crosswise grain. Do not cut on the bias, since this will cause the fabric to stretch and result in uneven size pattern pieces.
• Keep in mind the direction of a design or a specific design on the fabric.
• Be very precise in measuring and cutting.
• It is most helpful to use a rotary cutter, self-healing mat and wide plastic ruler when cutting.

 
4. Fabric layout

• You can do this on a tabletop, bed or design wall.
• Avoid having blocks of the same fabric too close in proximity to each other.
• Take a picture of the layout as reference at this point - it will come in handy in Step 5.

 
5. Piecing

• Always use a 0.25 inch seam allowance when piecing (stitching).
• Use a neutral color thread.
• Be very precise when sewing. This will result in perfectly lined-up seams later on.

 
6. Pressing

• When pressing (ironing) the pieced fabrics, you can either press the seams open or press it to the sides keeping it closed. Some quilters prefer one way and some the other. It is up to you. I prefer to press it open.
• Don’t iron the seams too much. You really just want to press them.

 
7. Deciding on a quilting design

• Before layering the quilt, you need to decide on a quilting design or motif. This will be your guide when stitching (quilting) through all three layers. It can be a real simple or complicated design. Again like with picking the quilt pattern, choose something simple for your first project.
• It is easier to draw the design onto the pieced top before layering the quilt. I like to use a water soluble fabric pen or a Clover Hera marker.
  
• Different types of quilting include:

1. Stitch in the ditch, where you sew in the seam line.
2. Outline, on one or both sides of the seam line.
3. Stippling, meandering all over.
4. Quilting a specific design for instance a feather motif.

Instructions for Doll Quilt:

Finished size approximately 16 inches x 23.5 inches (40.5cm x 60cm).

My doll quilt shown here in the picture, consists of 48 rectangles. Two rectangles, one light and one dark(er), form a square.

You’ll need the following:

• Fabric scraps:
  24 light colored 2.5 x 4.5 inch rectangles.
  24 dark(er) colored 2.5 x 4.5 inch rectangles.
  
• Batting: 22 inches x 29 inches
• Backing fabric:  (100% cotton) 22 inches x 29 inches
• Binding fabric: 2 strips x 2 ¼ inches wide x 42 inches long
• Thread matching the top and backing (if different in color)
  

1. Cut the fabrics according to the instructions.

2. Lay out the rectangles in the way it is shown on the picture. Each group of two rectangles will form a square when pieced together, finished size 4.5 inches x 4.5 inches.

3. Once you’re satisfied with the layout, take a picture for future reference. Now you can start piecing (sewing). Start at the top left corner and pin the one long edge of the two rectangles together. Make sure the edges and corners line up perfectly. Use a ¼ inch seam allowance.
Backstitch at the beginning and end. Continue doing this with all the rectangles forming squares.
 
4. Once you’ve finished all the squares, you need to press the seams with an iron. See Step 6 (above) for instructions on how to press.

5. After pressing, lay all squares out on a flat surface. Use the picture you took earlier as reference to get the same layout as before.

6. Again, start at the top left corner, working from left to right, pin the squares together. Sew.
Finish all six rows. Press.

7. Pin rows together, lining up seams and sew. Press. You’ve finished the quilt top!

8. Decide on a quilting design and draw it onto the pieced top.

Come back next month for Part 2 on how to make a quilt. We will learn how to layer the quilt, quilt it and how to add the binding.