Beginner's Guide to Quilting - UK (2020-02)

Gather-up your supplies and clear some

space... it’s time to learn how to assemble

your materials into a quilt

MAKING A

QUILT

When you see big, beautiful quilts on

display, it’s easy to wonder how you

would ever be able to make a project

to such a large scale. But the good

news is that whether you’re creating

a mini make like a child’s playmat, or a

super-sized bedspread made from

beautiful patchwork blocks, the principles

of making a quilt are pretty much the

same. Phew!

By know you’ll already how to create

the quilt top by piecing together fabric

shapes. Over the next few pages we’ll

talk you through how to take this top and

then add batting and backing fabric to

make a ‘quilt sandwich’, before fixing the

layers together (often referred to as

‘basting’), and how to finish it all off by

adding binding to neaten the edges (see

page 61). Let’s go!

Planing your

backing fabric

For the back of a quilt, plain calico is

a popular choice and is often the

cheapest option. Alternatively, pick

a neutral cotton fabric that will

complement the colours in the front of

your quilt. If you’d like something more

lively, or have the option of a reversible

quilt, simply opt for a busier print.

You’ll find most of the fabrics at your

local haberdashery come in 42–44in wide

bolts. If you’re making a bed quilt, this

will mean you have to join more than one

piece of fabric together to make the final

backing piece. To avoid this, you can buy

extra-wide backing fabric in 60in, 90 inch,

108in and 116in widths, but it’s worth

noting that the colour and print choices

for these are usually more limited.

As a rule, your backing fabric should be

at least 2in larger than the size of your

quilt top all the way around. This allows

for the fabric reducing (being pulled

inwards slightly) once you’ve finished the

quilting part of the process (the stage

when you stitch through the layers).

If you’d prefer to get someone else to

do the hard bit, there are seamstresses

who offer a long-arm quilting service –

this means you send them all the parts of

your quilt and they’ll assemble and stitch

the quilt together for you with decorative

designs. If you go for this option then

you’ll need your backing fabric to be at

least 4in larger all round than the quilt

top. Prepare the backing fabric by

trimming off the selvedges and pressing.

Using 42in-wide fabric

If your quilt top is 42in or less on one

side then you’ll only need one length

of backing fabric. So, for example, for

a 36in x 50in quilt top, you’ll need 1½yds

(54in) of 42in wide fabric, leaving you

with a few extra inches around all edges.

If your quilt is larger than 42in, for

example 59in x 80in, you’ll need 3½yds

of 42in wide fabric. Cut the yardage in

half and then re-join along the long

edges using a slightly larger seam than

usual. When joined this way, they make a

piece 63in wide by 84in long (less a little

for the seam). This is enough for the

length of the quilt. Press the seam open

to keep the backing flat.

Whether you’re making a mini quilt

(like a playmat) or a super-sized

bedspread, the principles are the same

01 02

03

HOW TO PLAN YOUR BACKING FABRIC

Check fabric

edge lines up

with mat

Cut the backing

fabric in half

across the width

to make two 4 2in x

63in pieces

ONE LENGTH OF BACKING FABRIC, TO

MEASURE 42IN X 126IN (126IN = 3½YARDS) JOIN

Sew the two

pieces together

to make one new

84 in x 63in

piece