Everyone is of course, familiar with the quilt. It is quite a favorite for bed sheets, cushion upholstery, blankets, even mats and tablecloth. It is the art of piecing together scraps of fabric to make a unique design. It is fairly easy to make and can be done by almost everyone who has the desire to.
Traditional quilting is done by hand, using straight stitches like a running stitch to connect differently colored scraps together. Today most quilting is done by simple sewing machines or longarm quilting services. You can come up with thousands of very unique designs, but there are loads of quilting designs and already cut fabric squares available in the market.
You will need three different layers sewn together like a sandwich. The lowest is a plain sheet of cloth known as the backing, in the middle is an insulating material called the batting. This middle layer can either be made up of any warming material such as cotton or polyester or even wool. The material you put in the middle determines the softness of your quilt, so chose this carefully. On top of these two layers is the design itself.
You can not make one without the right tools. For this you will need all three different sheets as aforementioned. Previously cut squares are available on the market if you can not cut them yourself. You will also need needles, thread, a sewing machine, and a pair of scissors.
To make the top design you have to piece together little squares to make a design. It is usually recommended that beginners should use ready made squares to save on time and effort. You will have to mix and match these little scraps to make a unique design. Start on sewing together rows of threes. Three rows make a bigger square.
Once your top is done, it is now time to sew them all together. You must have your backing material first and place in on top of a big table that it is lying face down. This last sheet should be the biggest among the three. A backing material that is slightly smaller than the first one is placed on top, then your design last. It should also be the smallest one among the three sheets. Since this is quite a big one to work on, you can use pins to bind them in place when sewing.
To avoid scrunches in the middle, start from the center then work your way to the sides. You can follow the stitch line you have already made with putting all the squares together for a more neat look. The more stitches you make, the more the batting is held in place. After wards you get yourself a long strip of cloth called a binding. This goes around all the edges to give the project a finished look. You press the binding first with iron, then secure the binding in its place at the ends of each sides.
The last part of quilt making is the binding. Once it is done, your quilt is practically done. You can wash it for a more comfortable feel. Beginners usually take longer time to finish, whereas the more experienced ones can even finish a project within a day, depending on its size.
Of course, not everyone will have the time to make their own quilts. One can employ services that make quilts for shorter periods with the use of a long arm system. These usually take less time and with no effort, too.
You can visit www.ironworksquilting.com for more helpful information about Quilting Made Easy With The Use Of Longarm Quilting Services.