How to Make a Geometric Quilt

Geometric quilts are the simplest quilts to make and are perfect for a beginner. A geometric quilt is based on shapes such as squares, triangles or circles. It has no complicated construction, as the shape and color provide the design. Simple tools are needed, and detailed instructions are easy to find at a number of sources. You can construct a geometric quilt easily for your first quilt, or make a work of art after 20 years of experience.

Things You'll Need

• 100 percent cotton fabric Sharp and between needles 100 percent cotton thread Scissors or rotary cutter and board Sewing machine (optional) Quilt batting Tailor's chalk or marking pencils Hoop or frame

Instructions

Creating Your Geometric Quilt

1. Plan your quilt by deciding what you like in your life. Are your favorite colors blue and white? Do you like flowers or sharp, strong colors? A quilt is a personal statement and will be with you for a long time, so pick something you're going to love to live with. Check out the many sites online for design ideas, or look through some quilt pattern books. If this is your first quilt, pick larger pieces and simple lines. Go to a quilt shop and pick out the fabric that you're going to use. Quilt shop owners will be glad to help you decide how much fabric you'll need for the top and back of the quilt.

2. Cut out the pieces for your quilt top. If you use a rotary cutter, follow the instructions on the package carefully. Mark each piece on the fabric with a pencil, then cut around it. This marking is your seam line. Whether you cut with scissors or a rotary cutter, leave a 1/4-inch seam allowance around the seam lines. When you have your quilt pieces cut out, begin putting it together. You can put pieces together very quickly if you have a sewing machine, or take your time if you have a needle and thread and are hand-sewing. Be very careful to sew along the seam lines that you have marked on every piece, so that each block is uniform.

3. Iron the top of your quilt. Make a sandwich by layering the backing, batting and ironed top on a flat surface. A large table or clean floor is ideal. Use needle and thread or pins to baste all three layers together, putting stitches or pins about 3 inches apart. After your quilt is basted, mark your quilt design on the top using tailor's chalk or marking pencils. Put your basted quilt in a hoop or frame if quilting by hand. Quilt your desired design. If machine quilting, a hoop or frame is not needed; simply use the sewing machine or a quilting machine.

4. Trim the edges to get rid of straggling batting or uneven edges. Cut binding fabric 3 inches wide and long enough to go around the quilt, piecing strips where necessary. This can be another piece of the same fabric as the quilt top, or a different fabric for a colorful accent. Double this strip lengthwise, right side out. Pin the binding to the front of the quilt, matching the raw edges of the binding with the quilt edge, placing the folded edge towards the center of the quilt. Sew along the quilt edge, using a 1/2-inch seam allowance. You can begin sewing this seam at any point in the quilt, continuing along all four edges. Sew together the two binding ends. Bring the folded edge of the binding over the quilt edge to the back of the quilt. Slip stitch the folded edge to the back of the quilt. Complete your quilt by sewing on a label, detailing your name, the date finished, your location, the name of the quilt and any other important information about this quilt that you have.

Tips & Warnings

• For the best-looking quilt designs, pick fabrics with a lot of contrast. Light and dark or black and white, not medium shades.

• If new to rotary cutters, be very careful. They are essentially round razor blades and cut fingers very easily.

References

• The World Wide Quilting Page

Resources

• Block Central