Quilting is art. Like painting. As an artist myself, I can attest to the similarities between the two. Although I myself don't quilt, my wife is an avid quilter and together we (and a board of directors) own a wonderful quilting non-profit company mentioned below. By reading on you will learn what machine quilting is and what role machine quilting designs have in the quilting world.
Quilting is similar to painting in the way that brushes are replaced by needle and thread. Paper is replaced by fabrics. Quilts were traditionally made by hand, but with the invention of sewing quilting machines, many prefer this route. Machines make quilting work easier, faster and not to mention much neater. You have the option of using an ordinary sewing machine which has quilting capabilities or you can use a machine that is specifically designed for quilting.
Small patches of different fabrics are used to make quilts, though you can use the same fabric as well. It's really interesting and can be likened to working on a jig saw puzzle. Only difference is, in a quilt you need to stitch up the entire thing. Quilting as a craft has been around for many, many years. Some quilts are passed down from to generation, and there are many happy memories associated with quilts and quilting.
If you're a beginner and your interested in quilting, you can start off by using two or more different fabrics. Basically, you should start collecting left over fabrics or materials that are left over from previous stitching. Once you've collected these, you can then start by sewing all of these together. You should be able to use the sewing machine quite adeptly. It's advisable that you practice using the sewing machine, as much as you can, as handling the machine while quilting is no easy task. You could also create designs of the quilt. Start with simple, basic designs, and then once you have enough experience, you can move to more complex designs. The Internet has a number of sites where you'll be able to get some free quilting designs. If these seem too complicated, you can just get some ideas and create your own unique designs.
Quilt designs need creativity, so make sure you get your creative juices flowing. You can create many different designs on a quilt, it could be floral, geometrical patterns, landscapes, plaids etc. There are so many choices, you can choose whatever design you think you could work with. If you're new to quilting or quilting designs, you can try out mini or miniature quilts with easy designs. There's no hard and fast rule that it has to be a large quilt. Once you gain experience, you can move on to larger quilts. It's basically up to you, and what your comfort level is.
Once you decide on a design, the next step is to draw it on a fabric and cut it out. Place these cut out designs on the quilt the way you want it. Mark these designs using pins on the quilt, or you could also run a needle (without a thread) around the designs. This creates an impression of dotted marks, which will then make the quilting process much easier.
You can choose from an extensive range of colors to make your quilt. Generally a single color is not used for a quilt. Multiple colors are used, which make the quilt attractive and unique. Choosing colors may seem simple, but its important that you choose the color after giving it some consideration. Think of the colors of your bedroom and what would blend in. You can also think of cool and soothing color tones. For a guest room, a brighter color will work great, as guests have an opportunity to view your handy work.
People generally design a quilt on a certain theme. Quilting a theme can be challenging. The designs have to fit into the main theme that you have chosen. For example, if your making a quilt for a baby, you can use common things that are attractive to babies such as toys, animals, alphabets etc. Also since it's a baby, choose the color wisely. Don't choose dark colors, but go for soft baby colors such as light pink, light blue, light yellow etc.
Get some ideas of what machined quilts can look like by visiting the many websites that show some great machine quilting designs like the one mentioned below.
Gary Gregory is the CFO of an well respected non- profit quilting website thats vision is to provide warmth and comfort to homeless and impoverished children, those stricken with disease, and others in need... one quilt at a time.
Please visit his website: http://www.spiritquilts.net.
Learn how Machine Quilting Designs were of utmost importance when making quilts for thousands in need worldwide.
No comments:
Post a Comment