We are now ready to combine the three layers of our quilt - the quilt front, the wadding and the backing fabric. This involves the very exciting step of 'quilting' our project. There are many methods for quilting but for we will be concentrating on machine quilting for our quilt as it is quicker, easier and more durable.
Before I continue, I would just like to rewind a little and have a chat about wadding. You will have noticed when purchasing your wadding, there is an overwhelming number of options available. So I thought I would give you a quick break down of the differences. First off, the thickness of the wadding. This is described as low (thin), intermediate and high (thick). Obviously, the thinner the wadding, the thinner your quilt will be. However, there are positives to this, such as a thinner quilt is easier to work with if you are hand quilting.
Then there is the fibre that the wadding is made from to consider. There are a couple of options;
Then there is the fibre that the wadding is made from to consider. There are a couple of options;
- Polyester - a less expensive option, which is quite easy to work with. However, after awhile the fibres can migrate through the fabric and 'stick out', meaning that your quilt will thin out.
- 100 % Cotton - better for machine quilting but can shrink slightly when first washed.
- Wool - a more expensive option but the end result is a heavy, warm quilt, so it does suit colder climates. Good for machine quilting.
- Wool/Cotton Blend - a cheaper option than 100 % wool and also lighter. Doesn't shrink when washed. Works well for machine quilting. This is the type that I use the most.
- Bamboo - To be honest, I haven't used this option yet. Let me know your thoughts if you have!
**Tip - Don't throw out your scrap bits of wadding. You can sew them together and use them in another project!
Okay, now back to our quilt.
1. Cut a panel from both your wadding and backing fabric. Ensure that the wadding is approximately 1" bigger than your quilt front and that the backing fabric is 1" bigger than your wadding (the end result is that your backing fabric is the biggest piece of fabric). This extra width accounts for any shift in fabric as you quilt.
**Tip: standard quilting fabric is 40" (112cm) wide but you can purchase extra wide fabric from both Spotlight/Lincraft and speciality quilting stores. Another option, is to also piece together your backing fabric. This can be simple as adding an extra strip of different fabric or you can piece multiple fabrics together, it's up to you!
2. Iron your front and back panels, ensuring that they are wrinkle free and then sandwich your quilt. Firstly, lay your backing fabric on the floor, right side down. Lay the wadding on top of this (try to centre it) and then place your quilt front on top (right side up, again try to centre the panel on the wadding).
3. Baste your panels. This is an important and time consuming step but it ensures a quality finish. Basically, basting is a way to temporarily hold your three layers together as you quilt. There are two options that work best for machine quilting; spray baste and/or safety pins. I use safety pins in all of my quilting projects. The pins are curved, which make it easier to pierce through all three layers without disrupting your fabric. Start at the quilt top and work your way down. Try to pierce the quilt front in the seams of the fabric and ensure that there are pins placed every few inches. Once complete, ensure that there are no creases or puckers in the backing of the fabric. This is important as once you start quilting, you won't be able to adjust the back and you don't want any tucks or folds.
4. Machine Quilt your quilt. There are many options for this, but for our quilt we are going to 'stitch in the ditch'. This essentially means that we are going to sew in the seams themselves. This works great and is very simple. When machine quilting, start from the centre of your quilt and work your way out. There is no need to reverse stitch at the beginning or end of your stitch if you are starting or finishing in the wadding. To easily manoeuvre your quilt in and out of the machine, simply roll up the edges and unroll as you need. Remove the pins as you sew.
Don't forget to attach you walking foot before you start to quilt. This helps to move the three layers of fabric evenly through the machine. It's probably not necessary if you are using a thin, polyester wadding but I would definitely attach it for wadding made from wool and wool/cotton blends.
Quilting lines or patterns in other directions on your quilt or free motion quilting are other ways of machine quilting, which can create increased visual interest. But this can require the purchase of additional equipment such as chalk pencils, stippling foot for your machine or additional rulers. It is also a little more difficult and requires practice to ensure a quality finish. We will look at quilts with different machine quilting techniques in later posts.
5. Tidy the edges of you quilt. Using the ruler and rotary cutter, trim the edges of the quilt to both align with the quilt front and to be straight (this might mean trimming you quilt front slightly).
We are almost there! Next week, we will attach the binding and you will have finished your first quilt. As always, feel free to leave any comments, questions or suggestions!
Phoebe
xo
This post is a part 5 of a 6-part series, see below for other posts in this series.
Great instructions Phoebe. Certainly need a nice warm quilt at the moment.
ReplyDeleteYou can never have too many quilts!
DeleteOur dog and cat love to snuggle with us at the moment, and of course they need their own quilt too!