how to make a quilt?
i want to make a quilt that looks something like rachel ashwell's shabby chic..
ANY tips, advice, how to's, fabrics, techniques...would be really valuable to me! thanks!
Several websites give step by step instructions. (There is so much detailed information about making a quilt to give you here.)
Go to www.about.com and work your way to the step-by-step quilt instructions page.
also,
www.wikihow.com/Make-a-quilt
Ok, now for the tips--of course a lot of this depends on whether you are going to machine sew or hand sew.
Since you are new to quilting, you will find that 100% cotton fabric will be easier to work with than polyester or a cotton/poly blend. (Polyester fabric tends to pucker.)
Be sure that your thread content matches your material content that you are using. (If you are using cotton fabric, then choose a good mercanized cotton thread to sew with.)
You will probably want to prewash all of your fabric. (Old school thought says that this is a must. Newer school of thinking says you can get by without doing this as long as the content is the same in everything that you are using--they say everything should shrink at the same rate.) Better be safe and preshrink.
Use a 1/4" seam allowance. (Now if you happen to sew denim into a quilt, use 1/2" to 3/4" seam allowance--that stuff unravels like crazy.)
Press with a steam iron all fabric before cutting.
Press all seams. (A good iron saves a lot of time and headaches later on.)
Purchase a rotary cutter and a self healing mat. You can cut multiple layers of fabric quickly. (Great time/labor saver) Get the best mat you can afford at the time.
Get a pair of fabric scissors, only use them for sewing!
If you plan to machine quilt, determine whether your feed dogs will lower, if not you will have to tape over them for the quilting process. (So your layers won't get eaten into the machine)
Also, if you plan to machine quilt, make sure that you have the appropriate feet for quilting. (For example, if you want to stipple, you'll need a free motion quilting foot.)
Don't expect perfection instantly. Learn how to disguise mistakes. For example, if after you have got done quilting, you discover a pucker or two that you didn't catch when they happened--just put a couple of carefully placed appliques over it to hide it.
Have fun.
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