Beginner's Guide To Quilting - UK (2020-04)

Patchwork Made Easy

36 Beginner’s Guide to Quilting

GET CUTTING

Three to try!

2

GO

CAMPING

Colourful tent

3

BLOCK

PARTY

Cosy quilt

You’ll only need to cut a

few pieces of fabric to

make this cheerful

starter patchwork

pillow on page 37.

Allison Harris’ quilt, from

Love Patchwork & Quilting

issue 1, is great for newbies.

You can buy the mag from

http://bit.ly/1gmNQGn

Sew up this fun tent for

big kids of all ages –

just see page 50. It uses

nice big blocks – a good

project to practise cutting.

CUTTING A SMALL SQUARE

Sometimes you only want one square or

rectangle, or may be cutting what you

need from a small off-cut. You’ll find a

small square quilter’s ruler, such as a 6in

(15cm) square, is useful for this. Trim the

left-hand side and the bottom edge of the

fabric and then use the width of the ruler

to make the right-hand cut (a 15cm/6in

width is shown on the ‘Cutting A Small

Square’ diagram, below). Rotate the mat,

or the fabric and ruler, and make the

final cut on the right-hand side to create

a finished 15cm (6in) square.

CUTTING A LARGE SQUARE

If you need a single square (or rectangle)

that’s larger than the width of your ruler,

use the following technique. Put your

pressed fabric piece on the mat and cut it

to the height you want (35.5cm/14in is

shown on the ‘Cutting A Large Square’

diagram, below). Use your ruler to

measure the width at 35.5cm (14in) and

mark the spot with a pencil dot. Then

repeat at the top of the fabric. Now rotate

the ruler to line up with the two dots and

then make the cut. If you also align a

horizontal line on the ruler with the

fabric edge this will ensure that the

fabric stays right-angled. If your ruler

isn’t long enough to make a cut in one

movement, take care when you slide it

along the fabric, making sure its edge

stays in line with the edge you have

already cut.

CUTTING MULTIPLE STRIPS

Rotary cutting equipment will allow you

to cut many layers of fabric at the same

time, which will greatly speed up your

quiltmaking. For the most accurate

cutting it’s best to limit the layers to

about three or four, because they can

shift a little as you cut. This layered

technique is sometimes called ‘stack and

whack’. Press your fabrics first, pressing

them one at a time and layering one on

top of the other, aligning the bases as well

as you can by eye. Keeping the pressed

fabrics together, take them to the cutting

mat and use your ruler to trim the

left-hand edge and the bottom edge,

making sure these edges are straight and

right-angled. Keeping the fabric layers

still, cut your strip or strips. The uneven

top edges of the strips can be cut at this

stage, if required.

Trim the left-hand and

bottom edges, then cut

the right-hand edge.

Cut a piece to measure

the width of your square.

Measure along the edge and mark a

dot. Repeat at the top.

Line up the

two dots.

Line up a horizontal line on the ruler with the fabric edge.

Place the layered

fabrics on the mat and

trim the layers level at

the left & bottom edge.

Keeping the

fabric layers still,

cut your strip.

Rotate the mat, or the

fabric and ruler, to make

the final cut.

CUTTING A

SMALL SQUARE

CUTTING A

LARGE SQUARE

CUTTING

MULTIPLE STRIPS

1

SNUGGLE UP

Easy cushion