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Easy and virtually free patchwork quilt – Part 8 THE END!

Binding

At last - we are at the final stage!

Read part 1
Read part 2
Read part 3
Read part 4
Read part 5
Read part 6
Read part 7

This is the kind of thing that is so easy to show but very hard to describe, so I've drawn little diagrams to try and explain. There are lots of different ways of binding the edges of your quilts. I am showing you this way because it is totally machine sewn, therefore very fast, and doesn't involve tricky mitred corners.

First cut your 2 inch wide binding strips. Don't use a very thick fabric for this. Use a light cotton, maybe some of your left over sheet backing. Fold the strips as follows:

Iron the creases in really well. Open out the strip again and position it as shown

Turn over the quilt and fold back the binding strip along the fist crease, like this:
Fold in the right hand edge, and then fold it over again down the centre crease. Sew through the whole lot as neatly as you can close the the folded edge of the binding. Trim off the ends. Thats one side done! Repeat on the opposite side of the quilt

For the other 2 sides position the binding strip as before, (face down on the wrong side of the quilt) but this time with 1/2 an inch extra at the ends.

Again, turn over the quilt and fold back the strip

To neaten up the edges, fold in the ends like this:

As before, fold in the right hand edge, the fold again to close up the binding. Sew close to the folded edge. The corners will be bulky so go slowly and don't panic.

Other binding tips:

Use up scraps by sewing together off-cuts, then cutting out the 2 inch strips.

I never pin, but fold and position as I go. Try it and see.

Percieved wisdom says that your binding should be darker in colour that your quilt top, but I don't heed this advice. I use up scraps, or go for a contratsting colour to create a frame.

If you don't like the effect with the stitching on the front face then the traditional way of binding is to place the strip face down on the right side of the quilt first, sew down the crease, then turn it over, fold in the edges, and hand sew it down. You can do mitres too but I don't usually bother unless it's a really special quilt.

So - thats it! You've finished your quilt. That wasn't too hard was it!

Easy and virtually free patchwork quilt – Part 6

Read part 1
Read part 2
Read part 3
Read part 4
Read part 5

Basting

Now you need to ‘baste’. Nothing to do with turkeys you’ll be glad to hear. The idea is to temporarily hold the 3 layers in place so you can pick up the whole thing to quilt it.

Lay the backing on the floor (right side down) and smooth it out. If you are on your own sellotape the corners to the floor. If you can get a friend to help it’s much easier. Lay the wadding over, followed by your pieced quilt top and smooth out any wrinkles.

The traditional way to baste the quilt is to use large running stitches. Start from the middle and sew a line of large running stitches across the whole quilt.

Repeat with more lines about 6 inches apart until you’ve covered the quilt. Then do it all again perpendicular to the first lot. Frankly I can’t be arsed to do that. My knees can’t take it. I either use safety pins, or for the true speed merchant, quilt basting spray, which is essentially a spray on glue. Quilt basting spray is marvellous but for a larger quilt you definitely need a helping hand or you’ll drive yourself batty trying to get it stuck down straight and flat.

For the safety pin method I use quilter’s safety pins which have a cunning kink in them which helps you to pin while keeping the whole thing flat on the floor. Put the safety pins about 6 inches apart right across the whole quilt keeping all the layers smooth.

When it’s all basted trim off any excess wadding and backing so it’s about an inch bigger than the quilt top. You will neaten up the edges later.

Now you are ready to quilt your masterpiece!

(Or in Jane's case, another gin.)

Easy and virtually free patchwork quilt – Part 5

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Read part 2
Read part 3
Read part 4

Before we get on to assembling the quilt, you need to organise some supplies. A quilt is a 3 layer sandwich:

The quilt top - the pretty bit you have spent ages making.
The wadding - the soft fluffy insides of a quilt that makes it warm.
The backing – usually plain fabric.


Wadding and backing basics

There are loads of different types of quilt wadding. (Americans call it batting) Some is made from natural fibres like cotton, some from polyester, and some are a blend.

The polyester wadding is inexpensive, and comes in different thickness. It doesn’t shrink when washed. I used 2 inch polyester wadding in the first quilt I ever made. We use this quilt everyday on the sofa and it has turned super soft and snugly.

The cotton wadding gives a more traditional flatter look, and generally I prefer this, especially for art quilts that hang on the wall. It will shrink a bit when washed so either pre wash it, or embrace the antique puckered look you'll get in the future. The cotton wadding is more expensive but lovely.

There are more expensive alternatives like wool or even alpaca if you want to go for warmth.

If you buy wadding on the internet it is generally sold in pre-cut bed sized pieces, so you will probably get quite a bit of wastage. Most fabric shops will sell quilt wadding by the metre and this is your best bet for avoiding leftovers. John Lewis also sell wadding.

I bit a rather expensive bullet a while ago and bought a whole bolt of cotton wadding.  It seemed a big outlay at the time but it was sensible because I make alot of quilts.  I haggled the price down with the fabric shop man because the wadding had gone a bit bobbly.  

Extra thrift tip:  Keep all scraps of wadding, however small.  It makes very good stuffing for soft toys. 

For the backing you need another piece of fabric just larger than your quilt top. My local fabric shop sells bed sheet seconds for £2 so I often use those for backing. Also I use cream calico quite a lot as  it’s very reasonably priced. Recycle an old bed sheet if you have one spare. If you don't have a spare I bet your Granny has. If you want the backing to co-ordinate with your top you could buy some matching cotton.

Your quilt will probably be wider than your backing fabric so you will have to join 2 or 3 lengths together. It might seem like a waste, but put the seam down the middle, not to one side. I know it means ending up with 2 thinner off cuts, but an off centre seam looks like a mistake. You can always use your off cuts in another patchwork project!


Similarly if you need 3 widths to make up the desired size, put your seams symmetrically like this:


Of course if you are using a bed sheet no joining will be required!

Hope you like my little diagrams! Please don't reproduce them without asking me first.