Make A Quilt For The Winter

It's easy to make a quilt if you know how to do it, and have the right tools. Not that many specialized tools are needed for a quilt; in fact all you need are a pair of scissors and a needle and thread and a great idea. Instead of the great idea, you could use a pattern, one of many that are on offer free on the internet.

If You Can Sew You Can Make Quilts

You can use practically any fabric, though it should be dense enough to be hard wearing and not fray at the stitching. If you can sew, then you can make quilts, and once you have mastered the basics you will be able to design and make your own quilts for your family.

Many people quite like the idea of quilting but get worried when the see the size of some large bedding quilts. If that worries you then just think on it for a moment. Quilts are quite commonly made from blocks, which themselves are made from smaller pieces of fabric. What you are doing then is sewing some small pieces of cloth together to make a block. You then sew the blocks together to make the quilt.

Instead of doing that, why not sew the blocks together to make bigger blocks and sew these together to make a bigger quilt! Alternatively, sew some small quilts together to make one big quilt. That's how to think of it, rather than looking at a big quilt and thinking it too much for you. This is good approach to take if your quilt is ornamental, though a keepsake quilt needs a different approach.

Keepsake Quilts Are Made From Old Clothes

A keepsake quilt is made by using fabric from old clothes that you have carefully stored away to represent salient periods in somebody's life. A child's first jacket, a piece of a first school uniform, a father's wedding suit and so on. Many mothers use these keepsake fabrics to form into a quilt and present to a daughter at her wedding. Such a gift demonstrates love since the planning would have started early in the child's life.

The mechanics of quilt making are simple. The difficult part is deciding on a pattern and collecting the fabric, and sometimes even the thread that may occasionally have to be a very specific color or type. Once you have everything together you can being making your blocks, unless you use a starter kit with the blocks ready made.

Once they have been made, you should set all your blocks out into the design you want, and make sure, not only that you have enough blocks for the whole design, but also that you like it. It's a bit late once you have finished the sewing! When you are happy with the look of it, then start to sew the blocks together leaving about 1/4" seam. Once that is finished you have to put the quilt together. You should use a quilt frame, over which you can tightly stretch the backing. It should be stretched tight to avoid any creases and keep it looking good when it is finished.

Place the batting on top, and secure it with a few tacked stitches. The bat is the padding material that provides the thickness and warmth to the quilt. You can get different thicknesses of batting according to your needs. Now place the quilt top over the batting, and again stretch it across the frame and secure it. Now you can start stitching. It is generally better to start in the middle and work out, but some frames roll up and allow you to work down the quilt from top to bottom.

Try to Make A Quilt For Your Children This Winter

The quilting will be easier to complete if your top is made from square and rectangular blocks, since you can sew in straight lines down the seams. This is particularly advantageous if you are using a sewing machine. This is the part of the process called 'quilting' from which the item itself gets its name.

It is a very rewarding craft since your work has both a decorative and practical use. If you have children or grandchildren and you think it might be a cold winter this year, why not gather up all your fabric scraps and make a quilt to keep them warm. Who knows, you might get the bug and you will have found a new purpose to your life.

About The Author: Jessie Pedersen is an avid and experienced quilter of over 10 years. She has made over 250 quilts of all sizes, patterns and types. She has come out with an ebook, Make A Quilt In A Weekend. For more quilting advice, visit her site today!