How big does my quilt need to be?

You can measure any comforter to get the measurements for a quilt. The hardest part of making a quilt is putting together the top. Each piece needs to be pretty much the same size for a beginner and to make this easier most fabric stores like JoAnn's, Hancock and quilting supply stores sell what is called a fat block. These are pre-cut fabric squares you sew together to make what are called squares. You then sew the squares together to form the design for your finished quilt. Some designs use various sizes of pieces to make the square but you need all your squares to measure up to a set amount of squares to fit the finished size. This is the main reason it is best to buy your first quilt pre-cut for you.

The stuffing is called batting and it comes in a roll sized to each bed size, single, full, full/queen, queen and king. I prefer pure cotton but you can use polyester batting. You need to tell someone or perhaps sew a tiny sticker on if you use poly as it makes a difference how the owner will care for the quilt. Some quilts get passed from family member to family member over the years so you want it to last.

The next thing you need is a backer, we usually use a flat sheet for this as it is one solid piece of fabric that does not have any seams and wears very well over the years. A solid color is best as it will not distract from the detail work on the top nor from your quilting.

Simply lay the bottom out flat on a slick surface, place the batting neatly over that and the topper over that and using safety pins, pin all three layers together. Place the pins close enough to each other that the layers cannot move on you. Then once all is secure, roll the fabric into a nice roll so you can work on "quilting" small sections at a time. Rolling the areas you have quilted as you finish time to give you space. They make stands for this but they are expensive and you may not make another for years so it would be a waste of money and you truly do not need it. I have never had one and have made a lot of quilts.

The next area is deciding how many stitches per inch you use for your quilting proper. Some people put a ton of stitches, others put them only a half dozen to the inch, others use a sewing machine.

Be sure to plan where you will quilt, that decision is yours to make. There is no wrong way, the design you use is based mostly on the basic design of the squares on the front. It is on the back that you truly get to see the beauty of your quilt. I always pick a lovely color for my backing as I reverse my quilts often for a change of color.

There are a lot of books on quilting but almost anyone at the local quilting or fabric stores will be happy to guide you. Good luck you have chosena truly wonderful gift for your friend.

Have you made quilts before ? this is the first question. If you have, the most fun I have is designing the quilt, going to Joann's and buying a "fat block" is O.K. but, if you really want to do it for your self, design it all the way.

Do all your own cutting. I started on a simple quilt, I still have it and, it's my favorite.

If your talking a really big one, be careful, it can get out of hand and then your stuck. We took on one that a lady wanted out of Suede, what a mess. It was over ten feet square. We had to use the surger on it and use the leather machine to sew it, never again and, it weighted so much.

If it's for Christmas get going now. By the way, you can get your Matt or filler but again, be careful. I've seen people use old blankets then, they can't wash them.

And, by the way, the back can be just as beautiful as the front and can in fact add to the beauty of the quilt, using a sheet is O.K. I suppose but, it's like using a "fat block" someone is doing the work for you. Use your own style and make your own.

Through the years we've made about 150 quilts.