Posts Tagged ‘making quilts’
When it comes to quilt making, the color and design or pattern are entirely up to the creator. To insure a beautiful finished quilt, the project must be planned carefully, and an established pattern should be followed.
Making test patches is a great way to experiment with your design. Colors should be sorted into tones - light, medium, and dark. Using assorted tones helps to create depth and design. Textured fabrics also create different effects in your pattern.
It is absolutely necessary to pre-wash all fabrics in warm water with a mild detergent added before starting any quilting project. Fabrics that have a tendency to run should be washed separately. When dry, the fabrics should be ironed, either with a steam iron, or with a dry iron and a clean damp cloth.
The craft of quilt making can involve making a great variety of styles and designs of quilts. One such style is the patchwork quilt. These days, patchwork quilts are traditionally made from scraps which have been left over from previous sewing projects, although pre-cut pieces are readily available in stores.
Something every quilter is aware of is that not all fabric scraps are suitable for quilting. Loosely woven fabrics (for example, muslin) are weak and prone to easily distort. On the other hand, tightly woven fabrics, such as ticking, are not flexible enough and are difficult to stitch.
Cotton is considered to be the best fabric to use, especially for beginning, inexperienced quilters. After quilters become more experienced, they may add additional fabrics, such as silk or lightweight wool.
Quilt making (quilting) is a craft that has been around for centuries. The Chinese have used quilted cloth for padding their winter clothing for hundreds of years. Quilted shirts offered a lot of warmth and protection. Later the process was adapted by European women for use in creating bedcovers.
It is interesting to note that quilting came to America with the pilgrims. Because of their lack of resources, it became necessary for the settlers to recycle their clothing and other fabrics. They made quilt tops by cutting the fabric into smaller pieces and patching them over and over until they eventually wore out completely.
These first quilts, as we might assume, were more practical than pretty. However, as the settlers prospered, their designs became more colorful and elaborate.
Today quilts are available in many, many designs and colors and are highly treasured by collectors and the public in general.