Hand sewing a patchwork quilt anyone done it? Could do with some tips.

lindseykim13

I'm not a beginer at sewing but have never done patchwork. I have spent a few weeks researching how to make one but i am a little stuck on how to start with handsewing it.
I've bought various pre cut square patches (all 10cm) from ebay so i could pick and choose which fabrics i liked. I want to hand sew them togther as i find it more relaxing than sitting at my machine and i can do it in front of the tv!
Whats the best way for me to do it and ensure i end up with the correct seams on all my patches.
All i can really find are people using paper templates but i already have mine pre cut as i wanted to save the hassle. Any suggestions?
I've got one of those disaprearing fabric pens should i draw a line on each patch for the seam?
TIA

Ches

I have sewn a patchwork but I did use papers. I wouldn't be able to keep the seams straight without. You could make a cardboard template a little smaller all round than your precut squares and then use that to cut papers (I used Argos books). Put a paper inside each fabric square and tack then use a small oversew stitch to sew them together. Remove tacking and press. Sorry but I don't know any other way.

whitesatin

When I was taught years ago we had to place paper shape centrally within fabric shape then fold down and tack each piece around it. Then you pressed them using an iron and pressing cloth before oversewing pieces together. Finally we would press the whole thing again to set the stitches. So that's how I still do it.

cardiogirl

Hi there:, I'm hand sewing a patchwork quilt. Mine is in hexagon shapes though & I am tacking them around paper templates before oversewing them together I cannot work out how you would sew them together by hand without paper templates or a machine. I bought the templates from eBay though as I couldn't face cutting out that many. Hope this helps.

Churchmouse

Essentially you are planning to hand piece your quilt, so papers is the traditional way to do it, joining by over-sewing the pieces together. However if you're planning on using precut squares I can see you might be expecting to seam the pieces by hand rather than machine. In that case I'd probably mark the squares with your disappearing pen, but still be prepared for a slightly "rustic" look Whatever, as long as you enjoy doing it, the finished article will be lovely I'm sure.

THIRZAH

I went on an embroidery course which covered patchwork. The tutor recommended using the paper from old envelopes for templates-it's less likely to slip than paper from magazines or catalogues when you are tacking the hexagons etc.

foxgloves

I finished a patchwork bedspread earlier this year. I used papers & handstitched it. It was a real thrift project. I did buy a smallish pack of fabric squares from ebay just to start me off (£6) but I cut a hexagon template from old card, cut my papers from old bank statements (that felt very therapeutic!), used fabrics from my scrap box & stuff people gave me for the rest of the patches, then backed it with a king-sized cotton sheet I got for £3 (for 3 sheets in total) from the charity shop. So the whole project cost under a tenner & it looks nice on the bed. I don't know of any other way to do patchwork than to use the papers, making the patches first then graduallly sewing them together. Taking the papers out at the end was tedious, but lovely feeling to have finished it. Good luck & happy stitching x

alec_eiffel

Hi,

I hand quilt without papers. I do quilt in a more "modern" style so things are sometimes intentionally wonky. In terms of seams I just keep a ruler handy to check I'm at 1/4" then straighten with an omnigrid and rotary cutter if I need to.

GarnetLady

You can buy a plastic 1/4" bar, which you can then use with your marker (chalk pencil that can be sharpned would probably be cheaper in the long run though!) to draw your 1/4" seam on the back of your patches. You could use a wider patchwork ruler instead if you have one of those.

http://www.cottonpatch.co.uk/acatalog/Quilters-12--Seamer-161.html

lindseykim13

Thanks everyone for the replies, will have to have a rethink i suspect. Would much rather hand sew but seems a bit of a faff with bits of paper would take me forever to cut them all and make sure they were straight. Might opt for the sewing machine although i'm sure there is something i need to get for that to make sure my seams are correct-not sure if a already have one or what it is lol

Ches

If you use a machine it should have a seam guide on the needle plate which would save faffing about with a ruler.