How to Make Window Quilts

Window quilts can be both decorative and economical. Using less gas or electric heat in your home will save money during the cold winter months. Window quilts used on an east or west window will also keep your home cooler during the summer. These instructions will explain how to make a decorative window quilt that can be attached to the inside of your window. This will allow you to also use drapes and curtains that add to your general room décor.

Things You'll Need

• Quilt top
• Backing fabric
• Batting
• Scissors
• Thread
• Quilting thread
• Sewing machine
• Spring form curtain rod

Instructions

1. Measure the inside of your window. This will be the size of your finished window quilt.

2. Piece together your quilt top. There are many books and websites with free quilt block patterns and instructions. Scraps can be used for your quilt top or you may purchase coordinating colors of your room décor.

3. Sandwich your window quilt. Place the backing fabric, right side down, on your work table. (Backing fabric should measure 4 inches wider and 4 inches longer than your measured quilt size.) Place the batting on top and then the quilt top, right side up. Using large safety pins, starting in the center of the quilt working outwards, attach all three layers.

4. Quilt the sandwich quilt with quilting thread and short running stitches. These stitches will be worked into the seam of your quilt top pattern. This is called quilting in the ditch. Trim all excess fabric around the outside of the quilt top (backing fabric and batting).

5. Cut two strips of leftover backing fabric the length of your quilt for the binding. The strips should be cut 1½ inches wide. Cut an additional 1½-inch fabric strip the width of your quilt plus a ½ inch for the bottom binding. Finally, cut the top binding piece the width of the quilt plus a ½ inch. This top binding piece should be cut 3 inches wide.

6. Sew both sides of the quilt binding onto the quilt first. Place the binding and the quilt right sides together and attach the binding by pinning and sewing all the way up each side. Next, attach the bottom binding, making sure to fold each short end under ¼ inch to make a nice edging. Sew the top binding in the same manner as the bottom binding.

7. Sew the back of the binding to the back of the quilt by hand. Once again, begin with the two sides. Fold under ¼ inch and hand sew as you would a hem. Next, complete the bottom binding in the same manner.

8. Form a tube for the curtain rod. The rod should fit on the inside of the window casing. These generally have a spring apparatus that allow for different sizes of windows. Smooth over the top binding to the back of the quilt. Fold the binding under ¼ inch and then down as far as it will go without straining the fabric. This should measure 2 to 2¼ inches. Attach the window rod through the top binding tube and place it on the inside of the window.

Resources

• Free Quilt Patterns