Quilts and Quilting
Quilts and Quilting
This month (May 06) I’d like to present how to make a quilt with a minimum set of equipment and for minimum cost. We can use all the “up to date” equipment such as special cutters and cutting mats, expensive fabric and sewing machines that will do much of the quilt for us, but I think this takes the fun and skill out of this hobby. The original idea behind quilts and quilting was that they provided an inexpensive way to produce something very worthwhile and ultimately valuable. So why don’t we use the traditional approach which will keep costs to a minimum by using just a tape measure or ruler, needle and thread and any fabric we have to hand. In fact I think the loveliest of all quilts is what I call my ‘Sentimental Quilt’ which is made from the old fabrics of children’s outgrown clothes, old summer dresses, curtains from our first home, my husbands old ties, in fact any fabric that I have hoarded over the years. There is no greater satisfaction than lying beneath a quilt that holds so many memories.
Make sure that all the fabrics you are going to use in your quilt have been prewashed in non-biological detergent, rinsed well and ironed before you start cutting them out. Many fabrics, especially 100% cottons will almost always shrink during this process. Imagine what would happen to your finished quilt if this process had not been done at the outset of making your quilt. Your finished ‘washed and shrunken’ quilt would be a disaster.
If your quilt design is being made in ‘multi hexagon’ shapes (or English patchwork, as it as become known ) or if your quilt is going to be a ‘crazy design’ using small amounts of different fabrics, then choosing fabric can be done as the quilt is made. It is more fun to have lots of different pieces of fabric when making this type of quilt.
However, if you want to include set blocks and designs in your quilt it is advantageous to calculate how much fabric you are going to use. Nothing is more frustrating than nearly finishing your quilt only to find you are a few blocks short.
Let’s follow the second method. Lay out your fabric and cut out the number of squares or triangles or strips you will need in each of the different fabrics you have chosen. Keep all the same colour and shaped pieces together. Often it is better to keep each type in a special container – I find small plastic storage boxes are ideal for this purpose.
I sometimes cheat at this stage and only cut enough for a few blocks, so I can assemble them and get a feel for how they will look when put together. Then once I have established that I am satisfied with the design and the colours I have put together for my finished quilt – then back to the basics of cutting out all the fabric pieces. This is quite time consuming but satisfying when you see the pieces stacking up, ready to be made into your quilt.
Best wishes
Anabel
Quilts and Quilting
This month (May 06) I’d like to present how to make a quilt with a minimum set of equipment and for minimum cost. We can use all the “up to date” equipment such as special cutters and cutting mats, expensive fabric and sewing machines that will do much of the quilt for us, but I think this takes the fun and skill out of this hobby. The original idea behind quilts and quilting was that they provided an inexpensive way to produce something very worthwhile and ultimately valuable. So why don’t we use the traditional approach which will keep costs to a minimum by using just a tape measure or ruler, needle and thread and any fabric we have to hand. In fact I think the loveliest of all quilts is what I call my ‘Sentimental Quilt’ which is made from the old fabrics of children’s outgrown clothes, old summer dresses, curtains from our first home, my husbands old ties, in fact any fabric that I have hoarded over the years. There is no greater satisfaction than lying beneath a quilt that holds so many memories.
Make sure that all the fabrics you are going to use in your quilt have been prewashed in non-biological detergent, rinsed well and ironed before you start cutting them out. Many fabrics, especially 100% cottons will almost always shrink during this process. Imagine what would happen to your finished quilt if this process had not been done at the outset of making your quilt. Your finished ‘washed and shrunken’ quilt would be a disaster.
If your quilt design is being made in ‘multi hexagon’ shapes (or English patchwork, as it as become known ) or if your quilt is going to be a ‘crazy design’ using small amounts of different fabrics, then choosing fabric can be done as the quilt is made. It is more fun to have lots of different pieces of fabric when making this type of quilt.
However, if you want to include set blocks and designs in your quilt it is advantageous to calculate how much fabric you are going to use. Nothing is more frustrating than nearly finishing your quilt only to find you are a few blocks short.
Let’s follow the second method. Lay out your fabric and cut out the number of squares or triangles or strips you will need in each of the different fabrics you have chosen. Keep all the same colour and shaped pieces together. Often it is better to keep each type in a special container – I find small plastic storage boxes are ideal for this purpose.
I sometimes cheat at this stage and only cut enough for a few blocks, so I can assemble them and get a feel for how they will look when put together. Then once I have established that I am satisfied with the design and the colours I have put together for my finished quilt – then back to the basics of cutting out all the fabric pieces. This is quite time consuming but satisfying when you see the pieces stacking up, ready to be made into your quilt.
Best wishes
Anabel
Quilts and Quilting
posted by Annabel at 11:00 AM
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