Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Gathering your supplies
• Part 2 of 4: Starting your quilt
• Tips
• Warnings

Quilting is a fun and practical way to spend time. You can be as creative as you want, and you end up with a blanket that will keep you warm at night and that you can give to your children or grandchildren. Follow the steps below to learn how to make a simple quilt, then show your handicrafts to all your friends and family.

To step

Part 1 of 4: Gathering your supplies

1. Choose tools for cutting and clipping from. To make a neat, symmetrical quilt, it is important to start with pieces of fabric that are all trimmed or cut the same size. Using a good cutting or cutting tool will not only make your blanket look more professional, but it will also help you finish your blanket faster and make the process easier for beginners. You can use regular sewing scissors, but rotary cutters are generally considered the easiest and fastest tool for cutting fabric.
   • Rotary cutters are sold in a variety of sizes, but it is best to start with an average size rotary cutter. If you choose to use regular scissors, make sure they are sharp so you don't get caught on the fabric.
   • Buy a cutting mat. It may seem easiest to just cut your fabric on the table, but chances are you will cut into the table top and the fabric will be cut less straight. Buy a self-healing cutting mat to prevent this. Such a cutting mat has printed gauge guides on the top, making it easier to lay the fabric straight and cut it perfectly.
2. Use a ruler. Don't just pick a ruler. An extra long and wide ruler works best for quilting. Find a 12-by-60-centimeter ruler made of clear plastic. This makes it easier to clamp the fabric between your cutting mat and the ruler to always cut the fabric perfectly straight. If you're making a small quilt, you can use a 12 by 30 centimeter ruler.
3. Collect the various basic sewing tools. There are things that come in handy with any sewing project, such as pins, safety pins and a seam ripper. If you don't already have these items, you can buy them at hobby and craft stores. You need a lot of pins and safety pins for a quilt, so be sure to buy a lot of them.
4. Choose yarn. Yarn may seem universal, but it comes in a variety of colors and made from a variety of materials. Do not use cheap thread, as it will snap faster during sewing and will fluff more quickly during washing. High-quality cotton thread is the best option for a quilt. If you want to use the thread for multiple projects, buy a spool of thread in a neutral color like white, light brown or gray.
5. Choose the fabric. The most important step in making a quilt is to choose and prepare the fabric. This step can seem a bit overwhelming as there are thousands of fabrics for sale. Pure cotton is the easiest to make a simple quilt, although you can also use polyester or a combination of polyester and cotton. Choose different fabrics for the front of the quilt and the border, as well as one or two fabrics for the back of the quilt.
   • Think about the colors and patterns you use. How many different colors do you want to use? How many different patterns? Try to use a good mix of small and large patterns, as well as colors from the same color family.
   • Be creative with fabrics. Look for old tablecloths and sheets at thrift stores instead of just getting fabrics from a fabric store near you.
   • The fabric for the backing is larger than the front of your quilt and batting, so make sure to buy enough fabric for this large area.
6. Buy the batting. Batting, also called batting or just batting, is the soft material that makes your quilt so warm. As the name implies, the batting is placed between the front and back of your quilt. Interfill is made from different types of fibers, including cotton, polyester, cotton blend, bamboo and fleece. It is sold in various thicknesses. The thicker the filling, the warmer the quilt.
   • Polyester batting will shift more quickly to the edges of your quilt over time and nonwoven will wrinkle more quickly. As a beginner, it is therefore best to use cotton, cotton mix or bamboo batting.
   • If you are making a large quilt, such as a blanket for the bed, you may want to use a thicker batting. You don't need a thick lining for smaller quilts unless you want a very warm blanket.
7. Use a sewing machine. You can sew a quilt by hand, but this will take a lot more time and can be quite overwhelming for a beginning quilter. Use a sewing machine to assemble your quilt as easily as possible; any sewing machine with which you can sew straight is suitable. Make sure you have a lot of extra needles to keep your sewing machine working properly.
8. Grab your iron. During the process you will need to press your quilt at different times, so grab your iron (preferably one with a steam function) to use it for this. You really don't have to use an expensive iron or an iron with a ton of functions. If you don't have an iron, you can also just get one from a thrift store.
9. Think about the pattern. You don't need a pattern when making a quilt, but it is sometimes helpful to have a simple pattern to fall back on. You can download quilting patterns for free on the Internet or buy a book of patterns from a sewing store. If you prefer to come up with your own pattern based on the sizes you want, all you need is a sheet of graph paper and a pencil.
   • Even if you are not buying or thinking of a pattern, it is strongly recommended that you make a rough sketch of your design before you start.
   • The easiest quilt for beginners is a blanket made up of rows of squares sewn together. It is easier to use larger pieces of fabric for the squares than a lot of smaller pieces.

Part 2 of 4: Starting your quilt

1. Sew on the other strips of edging. Place the other two strips of edging on the unfinished sides of the quilt. Use the same method as you just did and sew the border fabric in place at a distance of half an inch from the border. Then fold the fabric out and away from the center of the quilt so you can see the pattern.
2. Finish your quilt. Now that you have sewn on the border fabric, you are finished with your quilt. If you wish, wash your quilt again so that it softens and looks old-fashioned. If you don't choose this, your quilt is ready. Enjoy it!

Tips

• To finish the edges easily, cut the fabric for the back five centimeters larger than the front. Turn the quilt forward, fold the fabric over about an inch and pin it in place. Do the long sides first. Sew in the border fabric with a decorative stitch. Then fold the short sides over and sew them in place, squaring the corners.
• If you want to use pieces of stretch fabric (like from old T-shirts), there is a product you can buy and iron on the fabric so it doesn't stretch. Do not try to make a quilt out of stretch fabric.
• When washing a quilt or quilting fabric, you can use a color protector that absorbs the dyes from the fabric and prevents the fabric from fading. This will prevent the colors of your quilt from running through.
• It is best to make a smaller quilt before starting a large one.
• Use a walking foot or walking foot. Your seams will then all look the same and no needles will pop.
• Muslin is an excellent choice for the back. It is sold in wider rolls so you don't have to sew the pieces together and it is made entirely of cotton so you can easily dye it in a color that matches your quilt.
• If you are hand sewing your quilt, there is a neat trick you can use to push the buttons into the batting. When you get to the end of a piece of thread or a piece of fabric, use your needle to tie a knot close to the surface of the fabric. Then pass the needle through the quilt one more time. When you feel the knot reach the surface of the fabric, pull the yarn tight and the knot will be pulled into the fabric. You can then cut the yarn close to the fabric without worrying about the seam coming loose.
• A quilting frame can be helpful when quilting. It consists of a large embroidery hoop on a stand and helps to keep the fabric taut so you don't sew wrinkles in the fabric. It also keeps the fabric as high as your lap, which is helpful because your quilt will likely have gotten heavy after several hours of sewing.

Warnings

• Take breaks while sewing, especially if you are sewing by hand. Of course you don't want to get sore hands or back pain.
• If you are using tailor's chalk or fabric chalk to draw lines on the quilt, test the chalk on an old scrap of fabric first. The chalk can stain some fabrics.
• You can make a wrinkle-free quilt from synthetic fabrics such as viscose and polyester, but the blanket does not breathe. That means you will start to sweat if you sleep under it and it feels stifling. It is best to use natural fabrics such as cotton for a functional quilt and only use synthetic fabrics if you are making a decorative quilt or if you want to decorate your quilt.
• Making an entire quilt can take a lot of time, especially if you do everything by hand. Be willing to put in a lot of time or pay someone to finish your quilt for you. There are people you can pay to sew your own designs on the front.