Binding for quilts is generally made from width of fabric (WOF) strips (selvedge to selvedge). If you’ve got dressmaking experience, you might be tempted to use Bias Binding BUT pre-bought Bias Binding is generally not wide enough, might not match your quilt & is only really required if you’re quilt edges are curved.
To make our own quilt binding we’ll be cutting 2.5” strips (the most common width used by quilters) and then joining them all together to make a long length. Generally, a quilt pattern will tell you how much fabric you need for your binding but if you’ve made a quilt without a pattern or adapted the size then you’ll need to work out how much fabric you need to cut your strips out of.
I often round numbers up - it’s better to have more binding than you require than be caught short. Get your calculator out!
Step One
Measure the length and width of your quilt (I do this in cm, as in the UK we sell fabric in metric units), add these together and then times by 2. This number is the perimeter of the quilt in cm, round this up to the nearest metre.
Step Two
Divide your perimeter by the width of the fabric you’re using for the binding, I generally use 110cm as it covers most quilting cotton fabrics. The number you get is how many 2.5” strips you need. Round this number up to a whole number.
Step Three
Then times the strip number by 6.35 (this is 2.5” in cm). This is how much fabric you need in cm. Round it up to the nearest fabric cut.
Example
Step One
My quilt measures 150cm wide by 170cm long.
150 + 170= 320
320 x 2 = 640cm perimeter (rounds up to 700cm perimeter)
Step Two
700/110 = 6.36 strips (rounds up to 7 strips)
Step Three
7 x 6.35cm = 44.45cm
Rounded up I need 50cm/0.5m/Half a Metre of fabric to make my binding.
Keep an eye out for my future tutorials on how to join the binding together and how to attach it to quilts.
]]>You can use many different techniques to Sandwich your quilt, but this is how I do it. I’ve been putting off Sandwiching my Strawberry Mason Jar Quilt (kit available here) so I thought I’d get on and get it done and show you how I do it!
Supplies
Step 1
If you’re like me, your Quilt Top might have been stored away for a while, so give it and your backing fabric a good iron, you can use a starch spray such as Best Press Spray to get a crisp finish.
Step 2
On the floor, lay down your fabric wrong side facing up and use masking tape to secure it to the floor, making sure there are no creases. Lay your wadding on top leaving an equal border of excess backing fabric (your backing fabric should always be around 5”/10cm wider and longer than your wadding.
Step 3
Then, Spray the wadding with 606 spray, taking care not to breathe it in - open a window if possible.
Step 4
Lay your quilt front/top on the wadding, ensuring an equal border of wadding around the quilt top/front.
Step 5
Using a dry iron (so no steam) on the Quilt Front/top, iron the whole top so that it adheres to the wadding, making sure there are no creases and it’s secure. I often use an extension cord so I can reach all areas of the quilt.
Step 6
Lastly, we’re going to secure all three layers by using curved safety pins. Spacing them out about the size of your hand, pierce all three layers with the curved safety pins. These will need to be taken out as you quilt so you don’t damage your sewing machine.
So, that’s how I Sandwich a Quilt. Some quilters might use just one of these techniques (spray basting or curved safety pins), but to be honest I love using both as I always want to make sure my layers are extra secure because there’s nothing worse than doing all that work only to find the backing fabric has shifted.
]]>So, what makes a quilt a quilt? There are several parts that make a quilt and today I’m going to be going through them in the order you would construct one. Knowing the different parts of a quilt and the terminology will help you when planning your next project. I’m currently working on more in depth guides on each technique, once these are written I will link them below each section.
Quilt Front/Top
So, the main part of a quilt and generally the first part you will construct is the Quilt Front/Top. It can also be broken down into the following; blocks, borders and washing. There are several different techniques when it comes to making the Front/top including Traditional Piecing, English Paper Piecing (EPP), Foundation Paper Piecing (FPP), Quilt As You Go, Appliqué and Wholecloth.
Quilt Wadding
When it comes to wadding/batting there are lots of choices out there. You can choose from different fibre content (including cotton, bamboo, wool & polyester), different lofts (thicknesses) and it comes in different widths. Quite often on the wadding packaging it will have a guide to how wide/narrow the quilting stitches need to be so this will also influence what you choose depending on what quilting technique you will use to join your layers together. In the future I will be writing a more in depth article, so keep an eye out!
Backing
The last layer of a quilt is the backing, this is normally a single piece of fabric however when a quilt is very wide you will need to join several pieces together to get the right size. Generally the back is not made of patchwork squares as it’s difficult to line up the blocks when quilting (although some people do use fabric scraps to make the back!).
Quilting Techniques
Once your quilt is layered together, Quilt Front/Top, wadding and backing you will stitch the layers together. There are several different techniques to try including Machine Quilting, Hand Quilting and Hand Tying.
Binding
Binding is the last part of construction. Often it is made by joining strips of fabric to create a long length. This is then applied to a quilt. Generally the binding is folded in half, the raw edges matched up the raw edges of the quilt, sewn with a 1/4” seam allowance and then folded over to the back of quilt where it is stitched by hand.
Notes
Sometimes quilts are bound by using the quilt backing. The quilt backing is trimmed to a specified width evenly around the quilt and then folded so it overlaps the quilt front/top and then sewn down.
Sometimes instead of wadding and backing, people will use fleece to give the quilt bulk and a soft backing.
I hope you found this article helpful, as stated before I will be going into each of these techniques in detail which I will link here as I write them.
]]>Fat Quarter? Charm Pack? Jelly Roll? What does it all mean?! Whether you’re a beginner Quilter or a seasoned pro, pre-cut names can be confusing. You might be asking what EVEN is a Pre-cut??
A pre-cut is the name given to a bundle of fabric that has been cut to a uniform size and sold together, simply put it is quilting fabric that has been cut for you. They come in a variety of sizes, including Fat Quarters, Fat Eighths, Jelly Roll/Design Rolls, Layer Cakes, Charm Packs & Mini Charm packs. They normally contain fabrics from one designer collection meaning the fabrics coordinate together. You also might be asking why you would want the fabric cut for you? Well, they can be a huge time saver! Say, a quilt is using lots of 5” square blocks. Instead of having to cut them all (and be accurate!), you could just use a Charm Pack! They’re also super beginner-friendly.
So, today I’m going to go through all the different types of pre-cuts!
(Please note, in the UK we use metric to sell fabric but still use imperial to cut fabric for quilts.)
Meterage/Fabric By The Metre
So, this is all where it begins! Meterage isn’t normally thought of as a pre-cut, but a lot of pre-cuts are based on a metre or yard of fabric so it’s a good place to start to understand how the fabric is cut. Quilting Cotton generally comes on a “bolt”. This is normally a continuous length of fabric that has been folded widthways so that the two selvage edges meet and then wrapped around cardboard. Quilting Fabric by the metre is generally 112cm wide (selvage to selvage) and the amount your purchase will be cut from the length. So for example, if you purchase a metre of Quilting Fabric it will measure 1m long by 112cm wide. You can purchase whatever length of Quilt Fabric you require and this will generally be a contentious length. You can then cut this fabric into whatever sizes you need.
Half Metre Bundle
A half metre bundle is as simple as it sounds. Each piece of quilting fabric in the bundle will measure 50cm long by 112cm wide, so you’ll receive a half metre of each fabric. These are a super popular way to own all the fabrics in a given collection as the amount of fabric allows for a variety of projects to be made. There are also lots of quilt patterns that are “half metre friendly” which means the cutting layouts are ideal for fabric of this size.
Fat Quarter Bundle
Even if you don’t know much about Quilting, you would have seen the term “Fat Quarter”. It’s one of the most common cuts of fabric around! Here at Floss Candy, it’s the default cut if you purchase one quarter metre of Quilting Fabric. So, why is it called a Fat Quarter? Well, it’s the opposite of a Long Quarter which is cut similarly to a half metre, so it would measure 25cm by 112cm. Very long! A Fat Quarter on the overhand is 50 x 55cm approximately. First, you cut a half-metre length of Quilting Fabric and then fold it selvage to selvage and cut through the fold. A half metre of fabric will produce two Fat Quarters. A Fat Quarter is the same amount of fabric as a Long Quarter but is shorter and fatter. A lot of cuts for quilting don’t require long pieces of fabric, so therefore a Fat Quarter is ideal and wastes less fabric.
Fat Eighth Bundle
Less common than Fat Quarter Bundle, Fat Eighths are even smaller. They’re great for smaller projects or those that use a lot of different fabrics but in small quantities. A Fat Eighth is half again of a Fat Quarter however, this can be cut width or lengthways.
Jelly Roll/Design Roll
Here’s an unusual pre-cut for you! Jelly Rolls/Design rolls are made up of thin strips of fabric that are 2.5” (6.35) wide by the width of the fabric (approx. 112cm). There are usually around 40 strips of fabric in this bundle. You may be asking, what can I use a Jelly Roll/Design Roll for? Well, there are lots of quilt patterns out there that use this pre-cut to create beautiful designs! You can create Jelly Roll Race Quilts or even Adventureland by Suzy Quilts! Imagine having to cut all those strips by hand, no thank-you! Some companies cut the strips so they fray less, similar to using pinking scissors.
Layer Cake
Layer Cakes are a stack of 10 x 10” squares, they are the big sister of Charm Packs! Like a Jelly Roll/Design Roll they contain around 40 squares of fabric. While not as common as other pre-cuts, Layer Cakes are great for making super easy beginner quilts.
Charm Packs
Charm Packs are a stack of 5 x 5” squares, usually containing around 40 pieces of fabric. They are another common pre-cut and also due to their size, make fantastic gifts! You can also make an easy small quilt using just one pack.
Mini Charm Packs
Mini Charm Packs are super dinky and cute! They’re a stack of 2.5 x 2.5” squares and generally contain the name number of fabrics as their larger counterparts. There’s something so charming about this little bundle. I think these are great for smaller projects, as well as adding to larger ones. I made a huge scrap quilt and incorporated several Mini Charm Packs into it! These also make a cute gift, especially as they’re inexpensive and you can easily have a small collection of them.
]]>Soooo, you're feeling super inspired and want to make a super cute quilt but don't know what fabric to pick? The best choice is "Quilting Fabric". Here's why...
Although Quilts can be created in a variety of different fabrics, the most common type is referred to as “Quilting Fabric” which is 100% cotton, medium weight and plain weave. It is a dense fabric that does not shrink a lot, can stand up to multiple washes and due to being made with a natural fibre, breathable.
Cotton is grown in many countries. Once spun into a thread it can be woven to create a durable, soft to the touch and breathable fabric that can be dyed or printed on to create many designs. It is the most widely used natural fibre in the world.
A piece of woven fabric is made up of warp and weft threads. The warp runs down the length of the fabric and the weft threads run across, this makes woven cotton non-stretch.
Quilting Fabric made from cotton is fun to work with - it’s easy to cut, either with scissors or a rotary cutter because the weave isn’t too loose and doesn’t slip and slide, which also is advantageous when sewing together quilt blocks, as the fabric is less likely to warp. Cotton fabric is also easier to iron, you can use fairly high heat to press creases out and seams open.
Quilting Cotton comes in a huge range of colours and designs, including plains, mixers & prints. Plain Quilting Fabric is a fabric that has been dyed one colour and is normally double-sided. Mixers & Prints are technically the same - a design that has been printed onto the fabric and is generally one-sided however “mixer” refers to a simpler design, often emulating a simple texture.
Quilting Fabric commonly comes in a width of 122cm/44” however it can be wider, but I would be careful purchasing cotton fabric wider as it might be incorrectly labelled Quilter’s Fabric and more suited for dressmaking. The exception is ultra-wide quilt backing which normally comes in 280cm/110” wide.
It’s generally advised to stick to one type of fabric when making a quilt, mixed fabrics can warp and stretch differently when combined and shrink differently when washed. However, nothing is stopping you from experimenting!
]]>