Sunday, February 1, 2015

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.

The first stages of the procedure involve collecting materials and tools to be used in making the quilt. It also involves deciding on the method to be used. There are two basic methods the traditional approach which is more tasking, and the modern way where machines and simpler tools are used to make work easier and save time.

The tools to be used should be gathered at this stage. These include cutting tools, which could either be rotary cutters or well sharpened scissors. A flat cutting surface should be made available as well as a ruler, which should be at least 5 inches in width and 12 to 30 inches in length. Good quality fabric for the front, back and batting should also be sought, as well as a pattern guide and iron box.

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.

Quilt making has several advantages such as acting as a therapeutic treatment, being a non- destructive hobby, and it may be turned into a money making venture by selling the quilts. These may also be given as gifts to various people.




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