Quilting Tips

By Eva Lewandowski

I enjoy quilting, so much so that I’ve written about some of my work for this blog in the past. I’ve been quilting for about 5 years now, and I’m pleased to say that I have definitely improved. The first quilt I made was a far cry from the ones I produce now; I’ve figured out some techniques and tricks to quilting, especially quilting with reclaimed or repurposed fabric (stuff that used to be shirts, skirts, pillowcases, etc.). I’m no expert, and I know I have a lot left to figure out if I want to continue improving, but I think it’s time to share some of the things I’ve learned over the years. Here are my top five quilting tips:

-Don’t be intimidated. My sister bought me a copy of Quilting for Dummies when I first started thinking about quilting, and there were whole sections in there that went right over my head. Rather than being concerned about my inability to follow even the most basic of quilting books, I ploughed ahead! There are plenty of fancy materials, tools, and methods that can be used in quilting, but at its most basic, making a quilt is pretty simple. You make a top layer and a bottom layer, put some batting or stuffing in between, and do something to connect them- either sewing or tying. Everything else is extra.

-Check your work after every single step. I make plenty of mistakes when I’m quilting, and it’s much better to find them immediately after I’ve made them than when I’ve already placed them three of four rows deep into the quilt.

-If you need your seams to line up exactly, like when making four corners meet, first carefully line up the seams. Arrange the seam allowance on the two pieces of fabric so that they are pointing in different directions (for instance, the bottom fabric’s seam allowance to the left and the top’s to the right); they will fit together snugly like puzzle pieces. Then place vertical straight pins on each side of the seam to keep them in place.

-If you’re going to be quilting with many different types of fabric, cut your less stretchy fabrics, like flannel or linen, a little bigger to account for the stretch of fabrics like spandex of silk. Don’t be afraid to mix fabrics; it takes a little time to adjust to combining many different types of material, but you can definitely do it!

-If you’re upcycling your quilt from reclaimed fabrics, don’t be afraid to show it! Including pockets, cuffs, and seams from the fabric’s previous life adds depth and uniqueness to your quilt.

As I wrote earlier, I still have a lot to learn about quilting, but I’m proud of the progress I’ve made. If you’d like to start quilting but find it too intimidating, I encourage you to give it a try. Remember, you’re your own harshest critic.

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