How to Sew a Halloween Quilt

Halloween is the biggest shopping holiday, second only to Christmas. Consumers spend billions in sales, proving that we love Halloween and all its trappings. Add to your Halloween treasure trove by creating your own Halloween quilt. Create a festive theme of orange and black, ghost and goblins or jack-o-lanterns with this quilting project.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Fabrics and Design

1. Decide on a design for the quilt. Choose a pattern of themed blocks, an all-patchwork design, a specific quilt pattern in themed-fabrics or appliquéd blocks. Look for ghost, cat, pumpkin, witch and related patterns.

2. Draw out the pattern on graph paper. Use colored pencils or markers to determine the color scheme and get a sense of balance for the design. Calculate the amount of fabric necessary for the quilt top.

3. Visit the fabric or quilt supply store to see the kinds of fabrics that are best suited for the quilt's design. Ask the salesperson for swatches of various fabrics before making final selections.

4. Stick with 100% cotton fabrics in 45 inch widths for the quilt top. Work around the traditional theme of black and orange, using solids and same-scaled prints. Use cotton batting and 100% cotton backing.

5. Purchase all the fabrics and pre-wash them. Cut longer lengths of yard goods into small section that are easier to manage. Press all the fabrics before cutting.

Assemble the Quilt

6. Use a rotary cutter and mat to cut through multiple layers of fabric. Organize quilt pieces by stacking them running a thread through the center of the stack and knotting it.

7. Piece the quilt together using either the strip method or the block method. Join strips together taking care to align the seams perfectly. Join blocks together so that edges are even and corners line up consistently.

8. Appliqué designs to the quilt top. Fix the quilt base in a large embroidery hoop then pin the appliqué piece in place or use a fabric glue stick. Hand stitch, carefully turning under a 1/8 inch seam or machine sew using a zig-zag stitch to cover the raw edge.

9. Press the seams of the strips or blocks as they are joined together. "Block" the seams by alternating the direction in which they are pressed each time to avoid bulkiness.

10. Sandwich the quilt bat between the backing and the finished quilt top. Pin around the edges and trim away any excess bat or backing. Pin the binding in place and stitch all around.

11. Use a template to pencil the quilt design onto the quilt top. Fix the quilt on a quilt frame or quilt in sections using an embroidery hoop.

12. Sign and date the quilt in one corner. Embroider the stitcher's name(s) or initials and the date the project was completed.

Tips & Warnings

• Minimize the amount of sewing by using pre-made appliqués and adhere them to the quilt blocks with fabric glue. This is a great sewing alternative for kids and an adult can sew the quilt top together after the individual blocks are made.