Ask yourself a most important question before you even attempt this activity. It won't take you long, and the answer may surprise you – should I quilt, or quit? Sure. I know you responded with "quit" because the word is only one letter short of quilt. No, not really. You'd rather quit while you're ahead when you know what's involved in making a quilt.
It all starts with choosing a fabric. Is it going to be hard, soft, or somewhere in between? It's a bit ridiculous to suggest that a quilt could be hard, but the next best thing would probably be a coarse texture. So many people are so caught up with the look of quilts that they almost forget that the tactile aspects of textiles are equally important.
Lincraft is the only place that comes to mind for this step. Don't just have a look around the store; have a feel around. What feels good isn't necessarily what looks good. As Obi-Wan Kenobi said to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, "Your eyes can deceive you, don't trust them."
Now, it's a matter of soaking or leaving your materials dry. Soaking fabrics in the cool water of a laundry trough helps to reduce the risk of potential harm associated with
added chemicals or dyes and this is recommended if the quilt is intended for use on new born infants. Don't use hot water. This will only shrink your fabric, not to mention your quilt making ego.
Next, perfectionism is mandatory for this phase of the materialistic journey. You are going to create the pattern for your quilt. Don't be a hero and go for circles. Settle for easy squares. The
quilter's ruler is a must. It'll ensure that each square contains the exact same dimensions. One error of judgement, no matter how slight, could see you with a dislodged pattern. Frustrated, you could also turn to crooked ways. Be careful. Alternatively – and this is highly recommended – purchase a pre-made pattern, for which you can easily sew onto the quilt fabric.
When it comes to sewing, chances are that your selected fabric came with the relevant sewing directions. Follow these to the letter. Seam allowances can vary drastically, so it's important to consult a
guide if this isn't mentioned in the sewing instructions.
Just as there are flannelette and standard blankets for beds, quilts can also be designed for summer or winter. This
quilt website explains the type of batting that's required for both. You can't go wrong with fire retardant cotton, serving as the guts of your quilt.
A Quilt with a Pre-made Pattern makes Sewing a lot Easier
The quilt in the above photo has a silky, luxurious sort of backing material. Notice how it comes with so much slack on all the borders of the quilt? This gives the layers of the quilt their stability, ensuring that the stitching doesn't come undone with use.
Depending on your chosen batting, an iron may or may not be needed to seal together all the quilt's layers prior to sewing them together. Your body temperature would soar much higher than the iron's heat if you realised that ironing the material did nothing but damage it. Check any directions on all materials, or ask someone at
Lincraft for advice before you head off to your quilt manufacturing site.
