Strip Quilting Instructions
If you're looking for a quick quilting project that will yield a finished product that looks more intricate than it actually is, make a strip quilt. The strip quilt method is an ideal design for quilting novices, as it doesn't require you to cut pieces from different templates or do labor-intensive hand-piecing. Strip quilting is ideal for baby and lap quilts; plus, their smaller size means you won't have to work with strips of unwieldy lengths.
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Things You'll Need
- Assorted cotton quilt fabric
- Mild laundry detergent
- Clear acrylic ruler
- Rotary cutter and mat
- Pins
- Thread
- Sewing machine
- Iron
- Batting
- Backing fabric
- Scissors
- Yarn
- Tapestry needle
Instructions
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Gather several yards of cotton quilt fabric in corresponding prints and colors. Wash them with mild laundry detergent to remove sizing (a protective film) and make sure the fabric is pre-shrunk. Tumble dry without fabric softener.
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Place one piece of the fabric on your work surface and smooth it to get rid of any creases or wrinkles. Use an acrylic ruler and a rotary cutting tool to cut the fabric into strips, following the grain. (To cut along the grain, cut the fabric from top to bottom instead of from side-to-side.) Cut strips 1/2 inch wider than you want them to appear in your final quilt. If you want to make a strip quilt with a symmetrical patchwork look, cut all your strips to the same width. If you prefer a crazy quilt look, cut the strips to different widths.
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Pin two strips together with the front sides facing inward, and adjust your sewing machine to sew straight stitches that are about 1/8 inch in length. Sew the strips together along the long ends, leaving a 1/4-inch seam allowance.
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Continue sewing strips together until you have a block of strips with a width equal to the finished quilt's desired width. Depending on the length of your strips, you may need to sew several blocks of strips to make a block the desired length of your finished quilt. Open the seams and press flat with an iron.
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Cut the blocks into strips that measure 1/2 inch wider than the desired width of your finished quilt's strips. Cut the blocks from side to side (across the seams) rather than from top to bottom (along the seams). Use a clear acrylic ruler and a rotary cutting tool for, accurate measurements and cuts. When you finish cutting, you should have strips composed of blocks of fabric.
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Piece the finished strips together. Pin the first two strips together along one of their long edges with the right side of the fabric strips facing inward. Sew them together, leaving a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Continue sewing strips together until you've created one large block from all the strips. Open the seams and press flat with an iron to finish your quilt top.
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Measure and cut out a piece of cotton batting and a piece of backing fabric. These pieces should measure 3 inches longer than the quilt top on all sides. Place the batting on your work surface with the backing face-up on top of it. Center the quilt top face-down on top.
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Pin the three pieces together, placing a round-head pin every 2 inches throughout the fabric. Sew along all four edges 1/4 inch from the edge of the quilt top, leaving an opening along the center of the top edge that measures half the quilt's total length. Cut away excess backing to make the edges even with the quilt top.
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Roll the quilt, starting at the bottom edge. As you approach the top edge, fold the sewn portion in toward the center of the quilt and incorporate it into your roll. Then flip the roll through the opening, unroll the quilt and tug at the edges and corners to pull the layers into alignment.
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Sew the opening closed with a blind stitch. To make this stitch, turn in the raw edges and press them flat with an iron, then sew just below the crease of the fold on either side. Continue until you've sewn across the length of the opening.
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Cut 6-inch lengths of worsted-weight yarn and thread the end of one length through a tapestry needle. Sew into the top of the quilt, then bring the needle from back up through the quilt less than 1/8 inch away from your starting point. Adjust the yarn ends to even them out. Knot the ends to secure the yarn in place. Tie a piece of yarn every 2 to 4 inches over the surface of the quilt.
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References
- Photo Credit patchwork image by gajatz from Fotolia.com
