How to Make Minor Seams for Quilts

Make a quilt more decorative by using minor seams.

Quilts are both warm and decorative, and have been constructed for hundreds of years as a way of using scrap fabrics as well as a means of artistic expression. Some quilts are more intricate than others, and this intricacy is developed by using a few different types of minor stitches -- subtle stitches not actually used to piece the quilt together. Using more minor stitches, or substitches, allows the surface of the quilt to seem more textured. Minor stitches can even be introduced into an existing quilt to make it more intricate.

Things You'll Need

• Iron
• Rotary tool
• Quilting hoop
• Quilting needle
• Quilting thread
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Lay the quilt out onto a flat surface, and stretch out any wrinkles or gathers that exist. Iron the quilt if necessary to make the surface of the quilt as smooth as possible.

2. Decide on a pattern for the top of the quilt that you can stitch using minor seams, then trace out the pattern onto the quilt using a rotary tool. The rotary tool creates small, non-damaging holes that let you to see the pattern as you stitch.

3. Take a large quilter's hoop apart, then slide a section of the quilt in between the two hoop sections. Close and tighten the quilter's hoop again to secure the section of quilt in place. Pull the quilt around the edges of the hoop slightly to make the quilt section taut.

4. Stitch around the rotary pattern with a basic running stitch using a quilting needle and quilting thread. Keep the stitches close together to make a more defined minor seam onto the surface of the quilt. Stitch all of the rotary patterns inside the hoop.

5. Take the hoop apart again, then slide it onto the adjacent section of the quilt. Repeat the stitching process to stitch minor seams onto the hooped area, as before.

6. Continue the process over the entire quilt to sew minor seams over the rotary pattern. Trim off any excess quilting tread using scissors.

Tips & Warnings

• Use quilting thread that matches the quilt backing to camouflage the minor seam stitches.

• Keep sharp rotary tools, quilting needles and sharp scissors out of the reach of children.

References

• Threads Magazine: Perfect Your Hand-Quilting Stitch