May we discuss Quilting?

Ladyhawk

I seem to remember learning patchwork at school and it involving tacking fabric to newspaper... does that sound right? I can't imagine how to sew it all together then?

I have been given some lovely fabric for start my patchwork quilt but still don't get where to start. And I need to get cracking if I am going to make a baby quilt for my new neice or nephew who will be arriving in March!

luxor4t

Ladyhawk wrote: »

I seem to remember learning patchwork at school and it involving tacking fabric to newspaper... does that sound right? I can't imagine how to sew it all together then? snipped

I started with cutting out millions of paper hexagons, tacking the fabric on, pressing, handstitching the edges together, removing the papers ....nedless to say that 30 years later that quilt is unfinished!

Now I cut squares or rectangles & sew together on the machine - way faster & very satisfying as you can complete a quilt top in a weekend. Purists would argue that it is not as detailed, but I'm impatient

My latest adventure is a string quilt, quite fiddly but very money saving if you hoard scraps: tutorial here http://loftcreations.blogspot.com/2010/01/while-abby-sleeps.html

Ladyhawk

Thanks Luxor - I thought I was going mad!

I have been offered 2 sewing machines on freecycle so hopefully I can get cracking on the quilt soon.

bizzylizzy

Yesterday I saw the TV advert for the Art of Quilting magazine and unusually I find myself longing to subscribe to it :eek:
I really would like to learn quilting, but it is way too expensive as it runs to 90 issues at £3.99 each :eek:
So can anyone point me in the direction of a website or tutorial which is suitable for a beginner? I will only be using scrap/leftover/charity shop fabric but do have a basic sewing machine.
I would love to make a bedspread, is this possible without a specialist machine?

Gazing_On_Sunsets

Do you mean patchwork - that's the joining of scraps together. Quilting is sewing through two or three layers of fabric, usually the patterned top, wadding (or batting) and the backing. Often they are done on the same thing (ie a patchwork is then quilted) but you can quilt "wholecloth" too.

I do both. I learned from books from the library, and books from charity / second hand shops. Also, some sewing shops have old magazines for sale quite cheaply.

Charity shop sheets are great to use because they are cotton and you get a lot of fabric for your cash!

Do try and keep to the same type and weight of fabric on one patchwork though, otherwise when you wash it, it might go lumpy and strange. Good luck!

Gazing_On_Sunsets

Oh and yes you can make a bedspread without a specialist machine. Some patchworks can ONLY be done by hand! (I'm slogging though a "grandmother's flower garden" at the moment, of thousands of hexagons). Regarding quilting, if you want to machine-quilt then a special machine is easier because the clearance on a standard machine is quite small, so even if you roll the quilt up it's hard to quilt the middle of the bedspread. I have done it, I had to have the machine on the floor and my friend pulling one end of the quilt as I fed it through!

Without a machine, you might want to look up "quilt as you go" which is where you do squares of patchwork and quilt the layers together, then at the end join the already-quilted sections together.

Pink.

Hi bizzylizzy,

I agree with you, those magazine deals are a complete rip off.

This thread may help:

May we discuss Quilting?

I'll add your thread to that one later to keep the replies together.

Pink

bizzylizzy

I can do hexagon patchwork, but have never made a quilt before with wadding and stitching through. I was thinking of quilting patchwork but not necessarily hexagons. I am drawn to the quilt shown in aforementioned magazine (I gave in to some temptation and looked at the website!) and I like the white edging to the patterns. I will have to look at "quilt as you go" I think as I don't think my machine will cope with a king size bedspread! I have never heard of that, so thank you : )

Gazing_On_Sunsets

I do mostly hand-quilt my tops as I find it relaxing. I made a frame once but it was too large for the house really! But I do find a large hoop is fine, and I sit with it on my knee, quilting away. Keeps you warm as you work too!

This seems to explain a few methods quite well. http://www.quilterscache.com/H/howtoquiltoneatatime.html

mummybearx

That magazine will cost you £355.10 by my calculations :eek:

I bought some old quilt covers from the charity shop, started cutting out simple 6x6 squares and have sewn them together.

Very very simple, but Im not long started sewing. It's been lying in the cupboard for over a year now, begging to be worked on again. Must get going again.

You can download some simple patterns, or buy a book from Amazon or somewhere.

We will be strong together and not buy the magazine!! I saw the advert and went Oooooh I want that! And DH said NO lol x