An Easy Step-by-Step Guide for Sewing a Quilt!--Rumaan

 

For those of you who love to craft or try something new, quilting is an option you might want to consider for your next project. I first started quilting over a year ago with Mrs. Lofgren. She taught myself and many others how to sew! Unfortunately, she retired, but she gifted me a sewing machine and fabric, so that I can create my own quilt in the beginning of quarantine. I was so excited to start my own project and make a quilt all by myself. I’m still in the process of making it, so this piece was the perfect opportunity for me to write and share with the class about my current project.

Step One:​ The first thing you will need to do is gather quilting materials. What you will need:

• ●  Sewing machine

• ●  Rotary cutter/scissors

• ●  Cutting mat

• ●  Thread

• ●  Needle pins

• ●  iron/ironing board

• ●  Seam ripper

• ●  Ruler

• ●  Fabric (100% cotton)

• ●  Batting (filler)

• ●  Walking foot

• Step Two:​ Plan out your quilt pattern  

  
  
  

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• An easy beginner quilt is the 9-square quilt. It is 6 blocks wide and 8 blocks long. Each ​block has​ ​nine 4x4 inch ​squares​ sewn together in a 3x3 pattern. You have to sew 48 of those ​blocks and 432 ​squares​ to make a 8x6 quilt. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but cutting the fabric is the only time consuming activity. Once you start sewing, time will rush past you. You decide how you want the pattern to look like i.e. colors and shapes, but in this case, we are using squares.

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Step Three:​ Cut your squares
With the ruler and cutting board, cut your fabric with the dimensions above. It is important to measure out the exact measurements, so that the quilt will be symmetrical and it is easier to sew pieces together. Be careful when using a rotary cutter because it is very sharp and can cut through multiple pieces of fabric. If you are uncomfortable with using a rotary cutter, then fabric scissors is an option, although it will take longer and your fabric might come out uneven.

Step Four:​ Sew your 4x4 squares together with a 1⁄4 inch seam allowance into a 3x3 block (9 squares). This is important because all of your pieces will be the same size and be sewn in the same way. If needed, there are stickers to place on your sewing machine with a 1⁄4 inch seam allowance that will guide you when sewing.

Step Five:​ Press down your seams with an iron after sewing pieces of fabric together to make sure they are flat. Pressing your seams makes it easier for you to sew multiple pieces together, and makes sure the whole quilt will be flattened in the end.

Step Six:​ After you have sewn together 48 blocks, plan out your design and sew all of those pieces together in a 8x6 pattern. You use the pins to make sure your stitching is straight when sewing big pieces together. Don’t forget to press your seams when you are done!

Step Seven:​ Sandwich your filler with the top layer you sewed together, and a back layer from fabric of your choice. The back layer can be a solid white sheet, or multiple pieces of fabric sewn together to make one whole sheet.

Step Eight:​ Quilt!
Use a walking foot on your sewing machine, so that your stitches pull through and your fabric doesn’t get stuck. Sew all sides of the quilt together, and since we used a square pattern, sew the quilt in straight lines row by row. This creates a grid and it binds all of the layers.

Step Nine:​ Trim the sides of the quilt for any excess fabric sticking out. You want the quilt to look as even as possible, so if the fabric wasn’t cut straight before, now is your chance to make it all nice and even.

Step Ten:​ Make and sew on the binding
The binding is fabric sewn onto the sides of the quilt to tie everything together and close off the quilt. It's the thick part of your blanket that surrounds all sides. This can be any fabric of your choosing. Once you are done with the binding, your quilt is complete!

Now that your quilt is complete, you can choose to gift, donate, or keep it for yourself!