In Patchwork & Quilting for Beginners, you’ll find everything you need to start completing gorgeous patchwork projects, from learning how to craft your own designs and which stitches to use, to full patterns that you can follow to create something spectacular. Whether you want to create an heirloom that tells a story, or you’re looking to enhance your home with cushion covers or patchwork coasters, everything you need to learn is here. Simple step-by-step tutorials and guides to time-honoured techniques make this the essential companion for anyone looking to master the skills of patchwork and quilting. Getting started - Learn the basics from choosing the right tools to complementary colours. Patchwork - Discover the techniques necessary for patchwork projects. Quilting - Master the traditional art of quilting and create beautiful items. Projects - Complete satisfying projects including quilts, cushion covers and toys.
Welcome to Quilting & Patchwork For beginnres
Tools and materials • Making a quilt does not require a lot of equipment. If you are a beginner, you probably won’t need more than needles and threads or a sewing machine, scissors, pins, a ruler or measuring tape, a pencil, and a thimble. There is, however, an enormous selection of specialized tools that have been designed to make quilting easier.
Types of fabrics
Waddings and fillings • Wadding is the soft middle layer between the quilt top and the backing that gives a quilt its plushness and warmth. It is available in a variety of different materials and thicknesses, depending on your preferences and needs.
A quilt explained • The terms patchwork and quilting are very often confused with one another. Patchwork usually refers to piecing, or sewing, pieces of fabric put together to make a larger, more intricate, piece of fabric. the quilting is the stitches that hold the three layers of a quilt together. Read below to find out more about how a quilt comes together and its different elements.
Quilt sizes and measurements • Standard bed sizes vary around the world, so depending on where you live you may need to adapt a pattern to fit your specific needs. Mattress depth is another factor that can vary significantly and will influence the way your finished quilt looks on a bed. A deep mattress will make a quilt look much smaller than a shallow mattress of the same size. Follow the simple instructions below to measure up your bed for the perfect quilt size.
Design principles • Most patchwork and many appliqué quilts are based on patterns comprised of blocks – that is, squares made following the same pattern, which are then assembled to make the quilt top. This means that they can be broken down into working units that are easier to cope with than a large overall design. There are literally hundreds of existing block designs that you can make in fabrics and colours of your own choice (see pp.54–57) but, once you understand the basic principles, it’s fun to come up with patterns of your own.
Understanding colour
Scale, prints, and design • There are so many quilt designs and fabrics to choose from that getting started on designing your quilt can be a bewildering experience. Most quilts are a mixture of printed and plain fabrics. When using prints, first consider whether the pattern lends itself to being a primary or secondary pattern. The plain areas will act as a foil. Using a design wall can help with your planning.
General techniques • Quiltmaking involves different techniques at different stages, but many techniques are the same, whether the quilt is pieced, appliquéd, or wholecloth. THe techniques outlined in this section are key, whichever type of quilt you choose to make. You will use them over and over again.
Patchwork block gallery • There are hundreds of traditional patchwork patterns and we have space to show...
