I thought it might be nice to share some of the things I have learnt on my quilting journey so far… Basically tips to help you, from the mistakes I have made!
LAYERING – I find this part stressful… I would layer up in the largest space you have – so enough room to make everything flat. Katie from The Fabric Squirrel says “I smooth out the front, then flip it, smooth again and then flip again and smooth it out before pinning.” Top advice!
SAFETY PINS – I use curved safety pins to connect everything together. I use a LOT of them to make sure as flat as I can… The curved ones allow you to connect very thick layers easily.
WADDING – Quilting can certainly be expensive, but I have learnt that some of the cheaper waddings are much harder to sew through. If they contain high polyester levels – I find the quilt can sometimes ripple or pucker. Obviously, use whatever you have/can afford – but if you can, the more organic, high quality waddings, seem to make for a smoother finish.
BACKING – When layering up, I would recommend making your wadding and backing fabric slightly larger than your quilt top – so if it does move, you do have some flexibility on the size.
WALKING FOOT – I do like the trusty standard sewing foot – but a sewing machine walking foot certainly makes a huge difference on being able to push the quilt through your machine.
BINDING – No matter how many quilts I make, I ALWAYS refer back to Stuart Hillard’s YouTube video on binding. Google search it, but it always helps me to see the measurements and steps!
MISTAKES – If you make a mistake and it can be unpicked, then of course, deep breath, cuppa on, and go… but I have had to learn to accept that not every quilt can be 100% perfect. It is a handmade item – there are bound to be small human errors. It becomes part of it!
Finally… get a quilting buddy! I ALWAYS speak to Katie at The Fabric Squirrel – I ask her valued opinion on colour combinations, often quilting stitches, or “HELP I have done XYZ – Now what?!”
And, enjoy it. Quilting certainly can feel like be a marathon craft, but if you take each step at a time, the wait is certainly worth it. Good things come to those who wait!
I am still fairly new to quilting – do you have any top tips I have missed here?! I would love you to share. 