How to Quilt Part 2/2

Next use a few pins and secure the pieces in place. This actually a particular way to base
and even though it sounds, time consuming it's really very quick once you pick it up. For
beginners, basting is an extremely underrated aspect of quilting. Many people who are
starting to learn rush this section and head straight for the more creative work. However,
this course is no end of problems with slipped material or quilt folds and puckering. If
you learn how to base correctly before you start quilting when it does come to the actual
stitching, you’ll find it far easier and enjoyable to do.

Have a quick look here at this example that shows you the grid formation that’s created
with the running stitches. All you really have to remember is to always start in the middle
of the fabric and work your way out. So you would first make a cross the whole length
and width of the block. Then all the other running stitches will always start from the four
lines of the cross and either work to one side or the other.

You never make a whole line stitches from the top all the way to the button. If you
always begin in the middle, it will further ensure the accuracy of your piece and more
importantly, smooth out any folds. Our next step is to complete all the vertical basting
lines. Work in one side of the cross and then the other. Making sure you keep smoothing
the material from the middle out as you go to remove all the ruffles. Once all the vertical
lines are completed, we can then stitch or the horizontals in the same way to complete the
basting. The finished piece will have a series of stitch squares all over it about two inches
or five centimeters in size. Don’t worry if the squares aren’t too perfect shapes because
it's more important to make sure that it all lies absolutely flat ready for the next stage.

Hand stitching is still the preferred method used by many quilters today and although it
may not be as quick as using a sewing machine, the accuracy that it offers is still second
to none. Stitching by hand can also be very calming and if you’ll taking up quilting as a
stress relieving hobby then this style of sewing is particularly hard to beat. The stitch
used for quilting is extremely easy and can be picked up in a matter of moments even if
you are a complete novice in needle craft. All you need to master is an even running
stitch, which penetrates all three layers of material to successfully, learn how to quilt.

Simply pass the needle in and out of the fabric layers like we’re doing here so that the
broken line is produce in the direction the pattern is heading. Try to produce your running
stitch so that all the stitches are at the same size and the gaps between each stitch are also
the same. Always remember these few points and you can’t go wrong and in no time at
all you’ll be quilting confidently.

What machine quilting loses in charm, it more than makes up for in time and energy
conservation. As you can see, a machine quilt like this one uses a vast number of stitches
and the evenness and consistent tension make it lie beautifully flat. There’s nothing
inferior about machine quilting. It's a perfectly acceptable method to make a quilt. It's
also worth considering having the best in both wools by doing the more intricate work by
hand and then switching when it comes to some of the larger areas to the sewing
machine.

The third method is less well known but can create a quilt in it’s own right. Tying is very
popular amongst quilters who want to make a thick fluffy cover often called a comforter.
Because the quilt is not covered in stitches, it allows the natural thickness of the wadding
to remain rather than being compacted by the stitches in more traditional quilting. Base
your quilt sandwich just as we did earlier. Then take your threaded needle, make a stitch
in through the front of the quilt where you want your first tie to be and then bring the
needle back through to the top a little way in front of it.

We don’t want to cut the thread yet, it's usually much quicker just to insert the needle in a
new spot in the position you want the next knot to be placed. Then simply make another
stitch, bring the needle up and through and then insert the needle again in the third
position for the next stitch. When you're making a large quilt, the usual distance is
between three and six inches apart, which is anything up to about 15 centimeters. Just
remember that the further apart the knots are, the quicker it will be to complete the quilt.
However, it will also make the quilt weaker when you come to wash it. What we have
now may look a little messy. However, in a few moments you’ll see the quilt and takes
shape very quickly.

Cut the strands between each stitch so that there’s a length hanging loose. Try to make
sure there’s at least two inches trailing from each thread as it will make it far less fitly to
tie. The particular knot that we need to use to keep everything firmly in place is called the
square knot. Don’t worry it's one of the simplest knots to learn. All you have to do is
make a normal knot as if you were tying up a shoe lace. And then before tying it off,
make another knot and firmly secure the whole thing. Then trim the ends to they’re as
long or short as you want them to be. You can use embroidery silks, colored wool, string
or anything at all you can thread through a needle. So this is a wonderful technique if
more abstract quilted is more to your taste.

Now we’ve learned these three methods of quilting. You can go off and make cushions,
quilts and wall hangings in all manner of different shapes, sizes and designs. However,
you will notice as you look closely at some of these beautifully hand-crafted examples
that they have a number of fonts stitching patterns on them and this is where quilting
turns from a skillful craft into an intricate art. Nevertheless, no matter how intricate they
all still use our simple running quilting stitch. So it's only a case of practice making
perfect.

This pattern is known as quilting in the ditch and it's so simple. It's often the first pattern
that people learn when making a patchwork quilt. All you have to do is use your quilting
stitch, which penetrates all the three layers and follow the lines on your patchwork tack.
Quilting in the ditch is best shown with something straightforward like the hexagons we
have here. Many people use quilting in the ditch because it's very simple due to the fact
that you're following the lines that are already there. So, you can’t really go wrong and
it's almost invisible when complete blending in with the joint between the fabrics.

Quilting patchwork will certainly help to keep your stitches straight. But once you’ve got
the idea, you can use the same principles on plain top fabrics. These patchwork squares
are very easy to follow but when you think about it, all you are doing is quilting. A
slightly more accurate grid than the one you base it in to hold your quilting together in
the first place, and you can certainly do this on a plain top fabric. If it's easier, use the
ruler to draw out your squares on the back of the block and then you can be sure of being
accurate.

If you’d prefer something a little more abstract, take your pencil and create a totally
imaginative pattern on the back of your block. Wavy lines are fabulous particularly if you
use a silky top layer and about the only advice to offer compositionally would be to never
let the lines cross for a really free finish. When you’ve practice this a few times, you
might find you’d rather work on the top of the block without the guidelines and simply
follow wherever your needle takes you.