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Quilting is a fun hobby that can leave you
feeling very satisfied with your efforts. This
wonderful hobby does not call for any specific
eligibility criteria and can be taken up no
matter how old you are. Quilts are often
regarded with sentimental value because the
person who creates them makes them with great
care and love. A lot of attention goes into the
choice of color, material and stitch. By taking
up quilting as a hobby, you can enjoy the
pleasure of gifting it to your loved ones or
just make one for yourself. Who knows, as you
become proficient at it, it might even become a
nice source of income. In many homes, quilts are
often cherished because of the memories they
carry and are passed on from generation to
generation.
Getting
Started With Quilt Making
Quilting is a process that gets you fully
involved and by combining art and skill, you can
create a lovely quilt that you can keep for
decades to come. It can seem intimidating to
think that making a quilt takes substantial time
depending on the type you are planning on
making. But you can rest assured that all your
effort will be fully worth it when you see the
fruit of your labor.
Quilting
is a craft that has been around since ancient
times and is said to have begun some time in the
18th century in America. Quilts were
described as coverlets that were made of three
layers stitched together to make one layer. The
person who makes the quilt is called the quilter.
Nowadays, quilting is quite popular as many
people earn a substantial income from this
creative art. While quilts were made for utility
in early times, today, they are widely used to
bring a decorative touch with the variety of
designs and types of quilts. People who enjoy
embroidering and needlework also enjoy quilting.
What You Need – Quilting Tools
As with any hobby, quilting can be made
even more enjoyable with the right tools. No
matter which type of quilt you intend to get
started with, you will need basic stuff like
needles, pins, hoops, etc. in your kit. There
are more accessories that can enhance your
quilt-making activity, letting you produce
beautiful quilts. As your skill level goes up,
you will enjoy using these tools that help you
save time. There are even quilting machines you
can consider at a later stage once you get the
hang of it.
Here is an overview of the quilting tools you
will come across. Getting familiar with these
will let you choose the ones you might need when
you get more involved with your quilting hobby.
·
You get fabric markers to mark your quilt
fabric. Preferably you should choose one that
will wash out.
·
Quilting machines suitable for large
quilts literally take the weight off your hands
since huge quilts can be tough to hold and
stitch at the same time.
·
Quilting needles for machines as well as
sewing by hand are something you must need to
keep a stock of. Since the needle is vital to
your sewing machine or manual quilting, you will
need to pick the right ones.
·
Thimbles and pins are also essential in
quilting. Many people use pincushions and
magnetic pin strips to keep needles and pins in
place. For hours of stitching it is advisable to
use thimbles since these protect your fingers.
There are a variety of them available.
·
Frames and hoops are used in quilting and
these come with instructions on how to make use
of them. These also come in a wide range of
options to choose from.
·
Rotary cutters and boards are very
helpful with cutting the fabric, which is
considered one of the most important steps in
quilting. Since different pieces must be aligned
just right, rotary cutters are the tools for
this.
·
Templates for quilting are useful in
giving your quilt a unique structure. These help
you produce that dream quilt that you are keen
on.
The
above tool list is not exhaustive and you will
probably discover more as you progress with your
quilting hobby. Apart from these, you will need
to know how to select threads and cottons for
your quilt since this can practically determine
how well your quilt will turn out.
You will also hear about different quilting
techniques and will naturally want to
experiment. Some of these techniques are:
-
Block piecing where you piece the quilt
blocks perfectly
-
Foundation piecing that helps you create
quilt blocks
-
Rotary cutting for creating quick accurate
pieces
-
Speed piecing where you quickly piece quilt
blocks
-
Diagonal corners with which you piece corner
triangles
-
Appliqué, a technique that can be done both
with hand and machine
-
Getting neat, even stitches with hand
quiltin
-
Machine quilting that lets you save
tremendous time
-
Binding helps finish the rough edges
-
Basting is a technique to hold the quilt
layers together
-
Picture transfers on your quilt
-
Dying and painting your quilt fabric
Other
techniques that you will discover involve
measuring the right amount of fabric for your
quilt, drafting patterns, pressing your quilt
and caring for your quilt. The entire process of
quilting can be quite a voyage of discovery as
you learn new techniques.
The Quilting Process
The first time you choose your quilting design
it is best to keep it simple using cotton fabric
pieces and fewer colors so that you familiarize
yourself with the art. You will need to ensure
that you pre-wash your quilting fabric so that
they don’t shrink or run color after you make
your quilt especially if you are using cotton.
Begin with a simple pattern. Quilting will
involve piecing the fabric, layering it, then
quilting it and finally binding it. Quilts are
usually begun at the center and then
progressively built outwards. Remember, the most
crucial step is piecing it since the top layer
decides its pattern. You stitch the pieces of
fabric together for your pattern. Layering
involves bringing the three layers together as
one. These are the top layer, the batting and
the underlining or backing for the quilt. This
is then quilted into a single piece using a
variety of stitches. The final step is the
binding, which means the finishing touches like
adding a trim to the edge.
This should give you a good idea of what
quilting involves. As you progress, you can buy
the tools you need to produce a professional
quilt. For a more in depth knowledge of the art
of quilting please visit the following website.
Here you will find excellent instructional
videos and books that show you various quilting
techniques and tips. In addition to this, you
will also find many interesting links that will
tell you all you need to know about quilting. So
– get started!
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