Sunday, 17 April 2011

Commonly Asked Questions About Patchwork Quilts

By Jane Green


during my years of creating quilts, I've been asked many questions. But there are one or two questions that pop up more frequently than others. I have drawn these together in an easy guide for how to make a patchwork quilt if you have a couple of similar questions!

How Do I Start?

This is a surprisingly straightforward one. The first thing you'll need is enough scrap material to fill in a quilt. The most elementary equipment you'll need is a sewing machine, a rotary cutter, ruler that measures both inches and centimetres and a mat to cover the surface you will be working on.

From there, you'll need to measure out each piece and work out a design. Once you get started you'll have a hard time stopping!

Can I put a quilt in the washer?

This isn't a simple one to answer, simply because of the great range of materials that may be used to make an one of those quilts.

Check the quilt is there any materials that wouldn't hold up well in a machine? Leather, Vinyl and suede don't work too well in a washing machine. Also keep an eye open for any decorations, studs or pretty bits on the quilt that might come off in the machine.

If it hasn't been washed before, you need to pay attention to one special thing that will occur when it is washed. Once the quilt has been through the machine, the material will shrink slightly, resulting in a tiny bit of puckering and stretching round the stitching.

This is also a good way to test if the quilt has been through the wash before. If it has and it doesn't look worse for wear, you can assume it's going to be ok to go through again.

If in any doubt, its always safer to clean it by hand.

Where Can I get a Patchwork Quilt Made?

There are numerous places on the Web which will make you a quilt to order. As I make my own, there are no places that I have attempted and as such, can't vouch for the quality, however a quick Net search will turn up masses of places that will do it for you.

My advice is always check to determine if a pal or family member can do it or know of someone that can. These ones generally turn out better.

I'll be doing more patchwork quilt FAQ's in the near future, so keep an eye peeled.




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