Quilt Making Instructions

A quilt consists of three layers, they are; the top, batting and a layer of fabric called backing. All these three layers combine to form a quilt, and the process of combining them together is called quilting. A much preferred type of quilt that is used, is the rag quilt. The process involved in making a rag quilt too is much the same as that of a normal quilt. I am sure, that the quilt making instructions mentioned below, will make your work easy.

Instructions for making a quilt

• Before quilting, it is advised to first wash the fabric and then iron it.
• Avoid the usage of fabric softeners, as they tend to make the fabric limp, thus, making it hard to work with. Instead, use fabric starch, this will make your fabric easier to work with.
• Before cutting the actual piece of quilt, mark the pattern template on a piece of plastic or any rigid material. Make sure that you mark them accurately.
• Before you start stitching, make sure that you have tied a knot at the end of the thread.
• It is always better to backstitch after you have made the first stitch. This will add strength to the stitches.
• For a firm finished edge, binding is must. Depending on the firmness you desire, the fabric can be cut into different widths. Most of the time, the binding is single layered. However to make it more durable, the strip can be folded into half, along its length.
• Before deciding on the final look, you can create a few practice blocks.
• For creating blocks, you can scan your fabric and use a drawing program like a quilting design program or paint shop pro.
• If you want to make the blocks quickly, then you can opt for a radical method known as the crazy quilting technique. This technique deals with the usage of small and irregular pieces of fabric.

How to make a quilt

• The items required for making quilts are as follows; a seam ripper, pin cushion, long pins, pencil, ruler, cutting board, rotary cutter, quilting frame, bias tape, cardboard for making the stencil, tailor's chalk, quilting needles, sewing needles, thread, fabric for the back and front of the quilt, quilt block patterns and batting. These are the main tools for quilting. The things of utmost importance that are required for making the quilt are; patience and determination.
• The first step is to choose a fabric and the pattern for your quilt. If you do not know much about which design or pattern to choose, then you can search on-line or also refer to books. If you're stitching a baby quilt then you can use patterns of animals or plants.
• According to the pattern decided previously, make the cuttings. The cuttings should be precise, or else the quilt pieces wont line up in a correct manner . For accurate cutting, use a rotary cutter, a quilter's ruler and a self-healing mat.
• The next step is to ready all the blocks. The number of blocks depends on the size of the quilt you want.
• After this comes the selection of the batting. Battings are available in different shapes and sizes. High loft batting is thick and will make the quilt 'poofier'. Low loft batting is thin and easy to prepare but, it cannot provide the same warmth like that of high loft batting.
• The next step is to select the backing material. This material is usually a large piece of solid fabric.
• Baste the top layer, batting layer and backing layer together. If you have fusible basting, then you will just have to iron these layers together, place these layers on top of each other, and then sew them together. A good idea is to use thread of contrast colors for sewing. Start stitching from the center and move outwards.
• Now, finish off with the edges of the quilt. With this, you have completed the making of a quilt.

With the quilt making instructions mentioned above, you can now make a lovely quilt for your loved ones and gift them one, made from your own hands. You can choose a design according to the tastes of the person you are gifting it to, and rest assured, yours will be the most valued and treasured gift, anyone can hope to receive.