Have you ever wished, if you could quilt on your own domestic sewing machine?
I know you have already given a thought about this. But you fall back by thinking of the difficulties you might face ending up in misery?
Well, don’t worry!
Just sit back and follow these instructions. If you are a beginner and you are thinking of setting the plan to quilt with a sewing machine then this article will help you to quilting a quilt on your own, at your home as a beginner.
Let’s find the possible ways.
Contents
Start Quilting with a Sewing Machine in 5 Steps
Step 1. Find a Table Surface as Big as You Can
Drag and drop are common if you don’t have a spacious table. Where you are going to start quilt you must assure that you aren’t letting the working material falling off the table. If this happens then a lot of problems can happen with your sewing machine.
The gravity will work on the quilt, which won’t let you work perfectly. Because this gravity attraction will set friction and will let the quilt go down. Another problem is that the good stitches will be disturbed if quilt gets dropping down.
It is better for domestic uses to use drop in a table. But sometimes it may not be possible for you to arrange the drop in a table. On that position, it will be better to arrange the largest table around you and aside from the table. You can arrange the tables like portable to control as much as you can in a bulk amount.
Reserve a pretty good amount of space on your left side to move your left hand freely. Because it’s your left hand which normally does all the design.
Step 2. Start off Making Small Units
Don’t get loaded up at a time! This will bring you nothing but frustration.
As you are quilting using your own domestic sewing machine, you had better start by sewing small units for your own good. Again too small unit can bring you days and hours of unnecessary workload. Or, you may sew your own finger instead of sewing the fabric!
The small quilting unit you can easily go with is around 36-50 inches max.
Step 3. For Sewing, Choose Simple Shaped Block
You should choose square and simple block and in the diagonal. It works well. If you want to make a crazy design then it will be perfect for you as you may be restricted to impose straight sewing lines on the design. The more dramatic shape you add the more misery you cause.
Tools Required:
Of course, you’ll need a sewing machine for quilting!
For quilting a quilt, you need to separate your fabrics into three sections.
- Backing
- Batting
- Top piece
The batting and backing must be 2 or 3 inches larger than the top piece. So, if the fabric moves while you stitch, you don’t run out of fabric or the edges.
There are two types of batting. One is Poly batting and another one is cotton batting.
Both are okay to go!
For the basting all the fabrics you’ll need a Basting spray. But sometime you may not find a basting spray to work with. But don’t worry! Safety pins will do the same! I personally like the basting spray than the safety pins. Because you just need to put a layer of spray between each fabric rather than stapling it with the pins. Basting spray reduces your working time and you can sew the fabrics very easily.
You also are going to need an ironing machine to keep the folds accurate, the fabrics nice and flat which are easy to work with. You will also need scissors, rotary cutter, chalk markers and a mat.
Step 4. Preparation and Sewing
Make quilt sandwich!
Take a gridded cardboard to follow the grid line. Place the backing piece right side down. Keep it as flat as you can. You can use an iron or heating machine for that.
Then spray the basting spray all over the backing piece. Place the batting piece over it.
Again, spray the basting spray all over the batting and then place the top piece right side up over the batting piece. Make all three sections nice and flat together by pressing with hand or ironing.
Poly fabrics shrink in heat. So, for poly batting, use a cool iron to avoid shrinking.
And now you are ready to sew. Sew the edges all over. Prepare the second unit of backing, batting, and topping. Follow the procedure repeatedly for the rest of the blocks.
If you are working on a small project, start your design sewing from the edge of your quilt sandwich. If your project is larger, fix a center, divide the fabric into foursquare, and start your design from the center to each square’s edge.
If you are a beginner than choose your backing piece wisely. If you chose a dark fabric for backing, it will show you fewer mistakes you’ve made. Therefore, you won’t be able to figure out any skipped stitch, any over stitch or any fallout threads. For this, your quilt may become a clumsy one.
Step 5. Binding the Blocks
Now that you have prepared all the blocks of your desire, it is time to line them together. Before that, cut down the extra fabric using the rotary cutter. Use the help of the ruler to make it nicely done.
You’ll need two types of binding. 1.5 inch folded binding for the front and 1 inch unfolded for the back. It’ll be easy if you fold the front binding with an ironing machine. Here also apply the same old rule! Both bindings must be ½ or 1 inch lengthwise larger than the block pieces from both sides. Even if something goes wrong you can easily cover it with the extra fabric.
If you don’t your bindings wiggly-wobbly, just wash it twice with the starch to make it stiff and straight.
To start the process, first, place the 1-inch strand right side up and then cover it with a quilt block edge, also right side up.
Then place the 1.5 inches folded strand on top the previous two pieces. Make sure that when you place the folded strand, its raw side must be to the right side.
Align all the three sections accurately with the help of the gridding cardboard. Place this set to the beginner sewing machine and sew all the three sections with the accurate quarter inch seam allowance. Stop after 2 or 3 inches of sewing to make sure that all the pieces are in the accurate position. Sew it to the end nice and secure.
After when you are done sewing, you’ll see that the one inch back binding has reduced off about ½ inch. Turn over the block right side down, press out the back binding. Take another block right side down. Place the first block right side up on the top of the second one. Align the edge of the back binding with the edge of the second block. Then give it a nice stitch.
Take the two blocks right side up. Flip over the first (1.5-inch) binding. Bring it toward the second block. Align it accurately give it a nice press, better with the ironing machine and sew it to the corresponding block.
You can sew it by machine or you can sew it by hand. It’s all up to you. Do the same sewing to the opposite side to keep it balanced and give it a nice look. Follow the same procedure to join the other blocks.
Killing operation done! You’re done quilting your own quilt with your sewing machine!
Some Quick Tips on Quilting:
- Always clean your station after making each block
- Use one needle for one project
- Be accurate in your measurements
- Always keep a bunch of bobbins ready in the case
- Always take the help from color wheels before selecting the fabric and threads.
- Sew the borders in the correct way
- Always maintain the ¼ seam allowance while sewing
- Be quick on piecing your fabrics
- Cut triangles out of a square to make it more accurate
- Mark fabric with chalk markers. Use it as a guideline
- You can use binder clips for holding the bindings to the blocks before sewing
Wrapping Up
At the end I must say that quilting is not easy! It needs a lot of patience. But I will never say to you to stop using your sewing machine. So never get discouraged!
I have included all the important instructions in this article. So try to follow them perfectly. And keep practicing as much as you can. Happy Quilting!
