Posts
On this rainy Friday afternoon I have been engaging in a pastime that may seem old-fashioned, even archaic: quilting. Quilting has been around since ancient Egyptian times. America has a rich traditionof patchwork quilting; antique quilts can sometimes fetch thousands of dollars in auctions. Therefore, quilting is an excellent homesteading activity. Ok, I'm cheating a bit because what I'm doing is more like sewing than actual quilting (which involves attaching lots of little pieces of scrap fabric together in intricate designs.) No, my project is quite easy and can be done by anyone. I've adapted my quilt from the book "Sew Everything" by Diana Rupp. To start you'll need about 2.5 or 3 yds of fabric for the quilting fabric. You can use old dresses or sheets if you want to conserve. For my quilt, I am going to have four rows of 11inx11in squares with four squares in each row. This might seem a little small, but I am making my quilt for a toddler.
Step #1: using a tape measure or yard stick measure out an 11inx11in sq on an old cardboard box (to recycle resources). This square will be your template. Trace the square onto your fabric and cut as many squares as you need for your project. Having fabric scissors and some duck tape is a real help at this point to keep your fabric straight. Bonus tip: Iron your fabric before marking and cutting. Patience is key here, because this part can be a pain in the neck. I had to cut three squares out before I cut one I was satisfied with.
Step#2 I am alternating squares of green striped cotton with squares of the green striped cotton overlaid with an ivory eyelet cloth, but if you aren't doing anything like that, you can get right to sewing your squares together. Take two squares and pin on top of each other using straight pins, right side to right side (The right side of a fabric is the side you want to show when you are done with your project.) Sew the right hand sides of the squares together about 1/8 from the edge. Iron the finished seam to "set" the stitches. Repeat putting the new square on top of the second square you added to the row. Repeat until you are satisfied with the width of the quilt.
Step #3 Create four or five rows of squares that are stitched together. Pin one row to the next along the lengthwise side and the stitch. Iron the seam. Repeat until you have all the rows sewn together.
Step #4: Cut a piece of fabric that is a little bigger than the size of your quilt (old sheets are ideal for this). This will be the back for your quilt. Lay it out on the floor or table and tape in place, making sure there are no wrinkles.
Step #5 Lay a piece of cotton batting that is the size of the quilt on top of the backing fabric. Cotton batting can be bought or ordered online, but you could use old filling from pillows if you don't mind a messier looking quilt.
Step #6: Center your quilt fabric on top of the batting and backing fabric. Pin in place with quilter's needles.
Step #7: To connect all three layers together you will yarn to "tie" the pieces together. Cut some yarn into 10" pieces and thread on a chenille needle. Leave the thread unknotted. Starting at each intersection push the needle down through all three layers and push back up on the other side of the intersection. Tie the ends into a knot. Repeat on the other intersections of the quilt.
Step #8: Trim the excess from the backing fabric so that the quilting fabric and backing fabric are the same size.
Step #9: Using a 60" piece of bias quilt binding (which kinda looks like a ribbon), pin the binding along one edge of the quilt (so that the binding encloses the three layers) and edgestitch (if you have a sewing machine)or hand sew it to the three layers. Repeat on the other three sides, tucking the raw edges under at each corner. Iron the seams.
Ta-da!! The Quilt for Dummies is finished! Because I don't have a sewing machine yet, I'm doing all my sewing by hand, which can be quite relaxing on rainy afternoons such as this one.
