subject: Quilting Tips And Techniques To Make Quilting Easy [print this page] If you are a fan of quilts or you are just amazed by its intricate and colorful patterns and you want to try your hands on quilting, you can find some quilting tips and techniques to make the activity a little more exciting and easy.
Here are some tips and techniques to remember.
- Perform a bleed test for your fabrics. The colors of your fabrics is one of the main attraction of your quilt and of course you don't want the colors of your fabrics bleeding onto each other and ruin your quilt. Soak a piece of your fabric in soapy water for about 30 minutes and check if the color bleeds. You can transfer it into a paper towel and check if the color transfers into it. If it does, then you may want to avoid using the fabric. If you really love that fabric, then you can also get a dye fixative to avoid bleeding.
- Get a little more fabric than what you need. Especially if it is your first time in quilting, you may not want to run short of fabric and mess up your design. Get a little more of the fabric you need. Keep in mind that it is easier to trim extra fabric than not having enough for your project.
- Start with simple patterns. One of the quilting tips and techniques that will help beginners avoid frustrations while finishing up your first project is to start with simple designs. You may be tempted to go for the intricate designs, but this can bring more frustration if you are attempting a difficult task while still learning the basics.
- Choose your colors wisely. To avoid making your quilt a mismatch of colors, consult the color wheel for the choice of your colors. Keep in mind that not all colors go well together. Consider also where you want to put your quilt. If you want to make it for your baby, you may want to choose cooler colors, or warmer ones if you want to put it in your bed.
- If you are not confident about making even and quality stitches with your hand, you may want to opt for machine-quilting for easier and more uniform stitching too. Although there have been debates about whether hand-quilted or machine-quilted projects are better than the other, it is however your option.
- Cover your first and index fingers with a rubber fingertip if you are having difficulty in moving your quilt under the machine, and make sure to guide the stitching with your hands to avoid too long or uneven stitches.
- Secure your stitches by stitching two or three times in the beginning and end. This will help you make your stitches secure and help you make a good quality quilt.
- One of the most important step of quilting is marking and cutting your fabric because this can affect the look of your quilt. Test your fabric marker in a scrap fabric to help you master your marking. In cutting, remember also to make use of very sharp scissors to avoid tearing the edges of your design.
Keep this quilting tips and techniques in mind and get a good guide to help you with the details of how to start with your first quilting project. Even without someone looking at your work, you can actually learn quilting with a good guide in hand.
