Different Ways to Put a Quilt Together

Quilting is sometimes a family affair.

Quilting is an art that is often passed down through the generations. Quilts vary from the traditional combining of small scraps of unmatched fabric, to elaborate appliqued scenes, to single pieces of material sewn together with batting in between. Quilts are personal works and each one can be as different as the people that make them. There are, however, a few common ways to put a quilt together at the finish.

Layering

The soft and fluffy feel of many quilts comes from the layering process. Once the various parts of the quilt are complete it is time to put them together. The common way to layer a quilt is to first lay out the backing fabric, wrong side up, on a smooth, hard surface. On top of this lay out and measure the batting and quilt top. How much excess quilt backing fabric you need to allow for will depend on the type of quilt you are making, the size of your border and the thickness of your batting. Once your quilt layers are pinned, it is time to put the quilt together using your preferred method.

Stitching in the Ditch

Quilts do not have to be a hodgepodge of fabric pieces.

Stitching in the ditch is a quilting term for machine sewing the entire quilt, not just the borders. The pinned layers are fed through the sewing machine as parallel lines and are sewn lengthwise and crosswise along the quilt, forming seamed squares. This can be a cumbersome process with large, thick quilts and may require the use of a special sewing machine foot.

Hand Tacking

Hand tacking is common, traditional method of putting a quilt together. Once you have decided where you want your tacking on the quilt, and how far apart you want each tack, then all you need is a large needle and some heavy thread or yarn. Though it is not necessary, for visual effect you can tack down buttons, bows and other favorite objects in order to enhance your quilt.

Sewing Machine Tacking

Sewing machine tacking is a process similar to hand tacking, in that you first choose the spaces you wish the tacking to go. As with hand tacking, you can also add buttons or mementos to your quilt. If your sewing machine has the capability you can even use small patches of embroidery to tack down your quilt squares.

Binding

There are a number of ways to bind or frame your quilt. Measure your quilt backing and make sure that it is large enough to fold over all your layers, and sew that down tightly. Cut or create separate strips of fabric for each side of the quilt, that are wide enough to fold over both the front and back of the layers. Or, you can fold the top and bottom seams inward, stitch along the edges, and have no border at all. How you put a quilt together is as much a personal preference as the pattern and colors of the quilt itself.

References

• Connecting Threads: How to Tie a Quilt Tutorial
• Dummies.com: Framing Your Quilt with a Beautiful Border

Resources

• Ludlow Quilt and Sew: How to Quilt and Sew for Beginners