How to Make A Quilt

Quilt-making isn't easy. I confess that. But it's fun too! The more you do it, the better you'll get at it. And, like everything else in life, practice makes perfect.

Before I share detailed step-by-step instructions on how to make a quilt, let me give you some background information first and what I learned during my own quilting journey.

Pre-quilt Points You Need to Know

Quilting consists of three main elements: the fabric, the batting (or stuffing), and the backing. The fabric is what you see on the front of the quilt, the batting is what goes in the middle, and the backing is what's on the back.

You can use any type of fabric you want for your quilt top, but there are some things you should keep in mind. First, the fabric should be 100% cotton. Second, it should be quilt-weight or heavier. And third, it should be pre-washed.

The batting is what gives the quilt its warmth and texture. There are many different types of batting available, but for a beginner, I would recommend using cotton batting. It's easy to work with and it doesn't shrink when you wash it.

Now that you have all the materials you need, let's move on to the actual quilting process.

How to Make a Quilt? 

Now, let's get started!

There are a few different ways to make a quilt, but the most common way is to use a sewing machine.

Choose Your Fabric: How to Choose and Where to Buy?

When you're choosing your quilting fabric, it's important to keep in mind the overall theme or look you're going for. Do you want a modern-looking quilt or a more traditional one?

Once you've decided on the overall look, you can start picking out individual fabrics. I would recommend choosing a variety of colors, patterns, and textures.

The best overall and backing fabric for quilting is 100% cotton. It's soft, durable, and easy to work with.

You can get it easily from any local quilt shop or you can buy it online, take a look at our precut quilting patterns here.

While choosing your fabric, you should also decide on the color scheme. Do you want a light quilt or a dark quilt? A colorful quilt or a more muted one? It's up to you!

Once you've decided on the fabric, it's time to wash it. Quilt fabric can be very delicate, so it's important to wash it before you start working with it. This will also help prevent the fabric from shrinking later on.

To wash your fabric, simply add it to your washing machine on the delicate cycle with cold water. Then, tumble dry it on low or air dry it.

2) Gather Materials and Supplies

Now that your fabric is washed and dried, it's time to gather the rest of the materials you'll need to make your quilt.

For instance, sewing machines make it easy to quilt, but you can also hand-sew your quilt if you prefer.

Other materials you'll need include:

-A cutting mat

-A rotary cutter

-A ruler

-Scissors

-Pins

-Thread

-A sewing machine

If you're a beginner, I would also recommend getting a quilt kit. Quilt kits come with everything you need to make a quilt, including the fabric, batting, backing, and even the pattern.

3) Choose a Quilt Pattern

The next step is to choose a quilt pattern. There are many different patterns to choose from, so take your time and find one that you like.

Following are some popular quilt patterns for beginners:

1) Nine-Patch Quilt Pattern: The nine-patch quilt pattern is one of the most popular and easy patterns to make. To make this quilt, you simply need to cut your fabric into nine-inch squares and sew them together in a three-by-three grid.

2) Chevron Quilt Pattern: The chevron quilt pattern is a little bit more advanced, but it's still a great pattern for beginners. To make this quilt, you'll need to cut your fabric into strips and then sew them together in a zig-zag pattern.

3) Rail Fence Quilt Pattern: The rail fence quilt pattern is another simple pattern that's perfect for beginners. To make this quilt, you'll need to cut your fabric into strips and then sew them together in a parallel fashion.

4) Pinwheel Quilt Pattern: The pinwheel quilt pattern is a little bit more advanced, but it's still a great pattern for beginners. To make this quilt, you'll need to cut your fabric into squares and then sew them together in a pinwheel shape.

5) Log Cabin Quilt Pattern: The log cabin quilt pattern is another popular and easy pattern to make. To make this quilt, you'll need to cut your fabric into strips and then sew them together in a log cabin style.

All these patterns are great but if you are a complete beginner and it's your first quilt, I would recommend starting with a baby quilt or simple patchwork quilt if you want to keep it simple. What I mean is, that you don't need to use a quilt pattern at all. You can simply cut your fabric into squares and sew them together. This way, you can focus on learning how to quilt without having to worry about following a pattern.

4) Cut the Main Fabric

Now that you've chosen your pattern, it's time to cut the main fabric.

The first thing you need to do is measure the width of your fabric. Most quilt fabrics are 44-45 inches wide, but it's always best to measure just to be sure.

If you're using a quilt kit, the fabric will already be cut for you. But if you're not using a kit, you'll need to cut the fabric yourself.

Next, you need to decide on the size of your quilt blocks. Quilt blocks are typically 6 inches, 9 inches, or 12 inches square.

Once you've decided on the size of your blocks, you can start cutting the fabric. If you're using a rotary cutter, you'll need a cutting mat and a ruler. If you don't have a rotary cutter, you can use scissors.

To cut the fabric, simply line up the ruler with the edge of the fabric and cut along the edge. Then, move the ruler over and make another cut. Repeat this process until all of your fabric is cut into smooth fabric squares.

I have some tips for cutting fabric here.

Number 1: Use a rotary cutter for straight line quilting and scissors for curves.

Number 2: If you're using a pattern, be sure to transfer the pattern onto the fabric before you start cutting.

Number 3: When cutting fabric, it's important to use a cutting mat to protect your surfaces.

Number 4: Be sure to cut slowly and carefully to avoid making any mistakes.

5) Assembling the Quilt

Now, it's time to start assembling your quilt sandwich. A quilt sandwich is simply the three layers of a quilt: the top layer (the quilt top), the middle layer (the batting), and the bottom layer (the backing).

6) Sew the Pieces Together

This section is very important because it will show you how to sew the fabric pieces together.

The first step is to thread your sewing machine and choose the correct stitch.

The most common stitch for quilting is the straight stitch, but you can also use a zigzag stitch or a decorative stitch.

Once you've chosen your stitch, it's time to start sewing the fabric pieces together.

To do this, simply line up the two pieces of fabric and sew them together using a straight stitch.

Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of each seam to prevent the fabric from unraveling.

Once you've sewn all the pieces together, you should have a big rectangle of fabric. Remember, it's important to press the seams open as you go to prevent the fabric from bunching up.

If you're using a pattern, be sure to follow the instructions carefully.

7) Add the Batting and Backing

The next step is to add the batting and backing.

Batting is a layer of cotton or other material that goes between the fabric and the backing. It helps to insulate the quilt and give it some extra warmth.

The backing is the layer of fabric that goes on the back of the quilt. It can be made from any type of fabric, but most people use cotton fabric.

To add the batting and backing, simply lay out the quilt top on a flat surface and then add the batting and backing.

Be sure to smooth out any wrinkles or bumps before you start stitching.

8)  Quilt the Top

Now it's time to quilt the top.

Quilting is the process of sewing all the layers of the quilt together.

To do this, you'll need to use a walking foot or a free-motion foot.

A walking foot is a special attachment that helps to feed the fabric through the machine evenly.

A free-motion foot is an attachment that allows you to sew in any directions

To quilt the top, simply sew a straight line down the middle of the quilt.

Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of each seam to prevent the fabric from unraveling.

9) Layer the Quilt

Now that you have a quilt top, it's time to layer the quilt. To do this, you'll need to place the quilt top on top of the batting and backing.

Once you have the quilt top, batting, and backing all layered together, you'll need to pin them together. This will keep everything in place while you're quilting.

Now it's time to quilt the quilt. This is the process of sewing the three layers of the quilt together.

To do this, you'll need to use a straight stitch on your sewing machine and sew through all three layers of the quilt.

As you're quilting, be sure to use a walking foot. This is a special attachment for your sewing machine that helps to feed the fabric evenly.

10) Pin the layers together

To keep the layers from shifting while you're working, it's important to pin them together. Start by placing pins perpendicular to the seams at regular intervals. Once you've pinned along the seams, pin randomly throughout the quilt top to secure the batting and backing in place.

11) Bind the Quilt

The final step is to bind the entire quilt. This will give it a nice finished edge and prevent the layers from coming apart.

There are two ways to bind a quilt: by machine or hand quilting and binding. If you're binding by machine, you'll need to attach the binding to the quilt using a sewing machine. If you're binding by hand, you'll need to hand-sew the binding to the quilt.

To attach the binding, start at one corner of the quilt and work your way around. When you get to the end, overlap the two ends of the binding and trim off any excess.

To bind the quilt, simply cut a strip of fabric that is 2.5 inches wide and the length of the quilt.

Then, sew the strip of fabric to the edge of the quilt using a straight stitch.

Be sure to leave a long tail of thread at the beginning and end so that you can tie it off later.

Then finish sewing the binding in place.

Finally, fold the binding over to the back of the quilt and hand stitch it in place.

What's the Difference Between Machine and Hand Binding?

The main difference between machine binding and hand binding is the amount of time it takes. Machine binding is faster, but hand binding results in a neater finish.

There are a few other things to keep in mind when deciding which method to use. If you're binding a quilt that will be used primarily for decoration, hand binding is the way to go. But if you're binding a quilt that will be used for everyday use, machine binding is a better option.

Machine binding or machine quilting is also a good choice if you're binding a quilt that is large or has a lot of layers. Hand binding can be time-consuming and difficult to do on a large quilt.

12) Wash and dry the quilt

The last step is to wash and dry the quilt.

This helps to set the stitches and gives the quilt a nice, soft finish.

To wash the quilt, simply machine wash it on a gentle cycle and then machine dry it on low heat.

Be sure to read the care label on the batting and backing to see what temperature they can be washed and dried at.

13) Iron the quilt

The final step is to iron the quilt.

Once the quilt is quilted, you'll need to iron it. This will help to flatten out the quilt and get rid of any wrinkles. You can use a regular iron or a steam iron. If you're using a steam iron, be sure to test it on a scrap piece of fabric first to make sure the steam doesn't damage the fabric.

To iron the quilt, simply set your iron to the appropriate heat setting and then iron the quilt on a flat surface.

Start by ironing the back of the quilt. Then flip it over and iron the front. Be sure to pay special attention to the seams. You may need to use a pressing cloth so you don't accidentally iron any creases into the fabric.

Be sure to use a pressing cloth to protect the quilt from the heat of the iron.

There you go! Now you have a finished quilt ready!

Now that you know how to make a quilt, you can start sewing your own!

Quilting is a great way to use up fabric scraps and make something beautiful at the same time.

Don't be afraid to experiment with different fabric combinations and quilting patterns.

And, most importantly, have fun!

Don't forget all of your quilting books, patterns and notions!