Quilting Basics

A large variety of thread has been produced since the boom in the interest that people have started taking in the quilting craft. And since there is such a huge amount of thread, choosing the right one can leave you in a whole lot of confusion. You will have a wide choice to select from.

There are two categories into which quilting threads fall- thread for embellishing and sewing thread. In quilting, the most popularly used thread is sewing thread. Lets briefly discuss about that. There are different fibers and weights in which you can select sewing thread. The thread weights range from as less as 28 to as much as 60. Strength is the basic property that quilting thread should possess so that it lasts for long. Therefore it is best you go for threads that weigh around 40. Threads that weigh 28 are usually used for embellishment and those that weigh 50 are usually used for piecing. Reading the label can help you find the weight of thread that you are looking for. The labeling is usually of the kind: 30/2. Here 30 is the thread weight and 2 is the number of plies.

Cotton, polyester, plastic, metallic and rayon are the most common threads for quilting. Plastic and metallic threads are used specialty stitches and embellishments only. The most common is cotton thread and it is usually mercerized. Mercerization is a process in which the fiber is made to swell and straighten repeatedly. This removes the fibers tendency to get fuzzy and also increases the thread's luster. The common weights of cotton thread range from 30-60.

Another high lustrous thread is rayon while polyester is known to have a colorfast and non-shrinkable finish. It is usually a little tougher to sew metallic threads and it is not recommended for beginners although they make the quilt look dazzlingly beautiful. A few popular and trust worthy brands that quilters can choose from are Coats and Clark, Guterman that is popular for its ease of use and strength especially for hand quilting, the Madeira rayon thread, which is good for embroidery on leather or denim, and Mettler, which offers several different fibers.

Using old sewing thread is not such a good idea as old threads tend to degenerate when on the spool. Take the old thread by pulling on it after unreeling it a bit. If it s naps, then it is most likely to snap even when you place it in the sewing machine. It is best you buy new thread what with the vast variety of threads available for quilting and its low cost. This way you can save yourself a lot of time and frustration.

There are certain manufacturers who manufacture special threads for the purpose for embellishing and you can easily find them at any local quilting store. For hand quilting, there are a range of colors and fibers in which embroidery floss is available. You will definitely fall more into love with quilting once you learn about the various threads available for it.

Abhishek is an avid Quilting enthusiast and he has got some great Quilting Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 40 Pages Ebook, "Understanding The Basics Of Quilting!" from his website http://www.Fun-Galore.com/622/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

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Of all of the hobbies out there at the moment, there is none rising as fast as quilting. Although that hobby, and indeed art, has been around for years, it is experiencing more popularity than it has done in over a century. Beginner quilting is a great outlet for your creativity and can occupy your mind for hours on end with something beautiful to show at the end of it. You can simply start with a couple of pieces of material to sew patterns on and move up from there, in line with your growing confidence and expertise. Beginner quilting is a worthwhile pastime for anyone and will nicely introduce you to the art with very little financial commitment. It will also give you good practice so that you will soon graduate to the more complicated designs. For more info see http://www.iheartquilting.com/ on Quilting.



Beginner Quilting - Lesson One



As previously mentioned, a good starting point for beginner quilting is sewing and embroidering on two pieces of material that are already cut to a uniform size. The only items of equipment you will need for beginner quilting is material, a needle and thread. Keeping it simple for a start will teach you more for a lower cost than starting off more complicated and immediately losing confidence. Follow the steps of beginner quilting and you will not go far wrong:



1. Buy two equal measures of fabric. They should be uniform in size and have an all-over pattern. The top and bottom piece can be different, but they should both be continuous in pattern.



2. Buy a piece of batting. This will be used to support the material when you sew it to make sure that the edges are even on the finished product. It is an essential tool in beginner quilting.



3. Before commencing sewing, wash both pieces either in a machine or by hand. Wash them together though so that any shrinkage of the material is experienced by both pieces rather than just one of them. This will save you cutting them to size at a later date.



4. Place the fabric pieces one on top of the other with the right sides, or the sides that will be the outer material, facing each other so that the inside is on the outside as such.



5. Place your beginner quilting batting underneath the pieces and begin to sew a seam around the bottom of the material and on both left and right sides. Only sew the top approximately three quarters of the length of the side so there is still a distinct gap. You should leave half an inch of the beginner quilting from the hem.



6. Turn the beginner quilting inside out via the gap at the top of the quilting after removing the batting from underneath the quilting. Be sure to examine the hem of the beginner quilting so that you notice any mistakes before completing your piece. All extra sewing should be performed with the quilting turned inside out, as it was when you sewed the original hem.



7. Finally, stitch up the rest of the quilt when the beginner quilt has been turned out correctly. Iron it to make sure that the fabric is even.



You have just had you first success at beginner quilting! However, making it and making sure that it stands that test of time are two different things! You should do your best to look after the piece so that it achieves a measure of longevity. Always hand wash the quilting and hang it outside to dry. Never use a dryer. If you want to preserve your beginner quilting then you should cherish it. You should now be ready to move on to your next project!

About the Author:
You can also find more info on Quilting Designs and Quilting Machine. IHeartquilting.com is a comprehensive resource to known about quilting.

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If you are thinking about learning how to quilt, or are a beginner and haven't made your first quilt yet, you might be wondering how long it will take you to make your first quilt. If you're afraid that it will take you months, or even years to make a quilt, you will be happy to learn that it isn't the case. Depending on the quilt you choose to make, you can have your first quilt done in less than a week, and may even make an entire quilt in a weekend.

There are many things that will help decide how long your quilt will take you to make. One thing is the amount of time you can devote to it. If you only have a few minutes, you might be better off just waiting until another time, as by the time you take everything out, get it all set up, and start quilting, you will have to stop to put everything away since you've run out of time. If on the other hand, you can set aside a few hours, you will be more likely to get more of the quilt done, and then you will want to devote more time to getting it finished.

Another thing that will help make your quilt take less time is if you make a smaller quilt. At least until you get the hang of things, the first quilt (and probably first few quilts) for a beginning quilter should be something small. Maybe something like a baby blanket, or a lap quilt. This way you will have experience in making the whole quilt an will get better at it and in turn be quicker with it. Also, by choosing a small quilt, you will see your results sooner, and will be more likely to want to continue making quilts.

If you keep your materials together and organized, you will also find that you will be able to finish your quilts faster, since you won't have to spend time just getting things together each time you want to work on your quilt. If you know exactly where everything is, you will be able to pick up where you left off, and get right back to being productive and getting your quilt done.

If you are a beginner quilter and are worried that you won't be able to finish your quilt, or that it will take too long to make the quilt, then just follow some of the above tips as well as any others that will help you quilt faster, and you will have your first quilt finished before you know it!

Jenny Grant enjoys quilting and loves to help others learn how to quilt. She wants to help you make quilts faster so you can make more quilts for friends and family and even earn money from selling them! If you want free tips on quilting, visit the Quilting Advisor.

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Color coordination, color theory, color matching - these terms can frighten an unwary quilter, but they don't have to. Sure, they sound like something you tried to ignore in your Art Theory 101 class, but when it comes to picking out the right quilting fabric, they have a very immediate and useful meaning. It doesn't have to be just theory anymore.

Quilting fabric comes in so many wonderful, brilliant colors and prints that it can almost be overwhelming. That one with green background and golden flowers catches your eye, and then the pink with the dark blue tribal pattern turns out to be irresistible. Would they go together? What's a quilter to do? There's a veritable world of possibilities in front of you, and unfortunately, not all possibilities work and play well with others.

The easiest way to go about it is to make yourself settle on a single print for your main quilting fabric. This print should have a few colors in it so that it will have some texture and visual appeal. Every piece of fabric you choose from here on out needs to be "pulled" from this main swatch. If you've settled on the green and gold, you have to put the pink and blue aside (or at least save it for another project), and buy more fabrics that use green and gold.

Beyond pulling colors you should also try to buy a range of hues. When you use quilting fabric that ranges from light to medium to dark colors you'll be able to add some depth to your quilt. The same goes for other prints. Choose a variety and include patterns that are small, medium, and large. When all these elements come together you can create a quilt that is a joy to behold.

See what happened there? You managed the color coordination required for a classy quilt without having to take a single art class.

Quilting is my passion. If you want to read more tips and insights from me about quilting fabric, you can visit this article.

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Whether you're an expert at quilting, or are just beginning, you will find you can advance your knowledge a great deal with the number of books on quilting that are available. There are several categories that quilting books fall into and a number of titles are available. The categories are historical, encyclopedias on how to pattern, art books and books on the joy of quilting.

The most popular are the how-to books and they are a must for beginners. They have a wide range- from books on the overall quilting craft to step-by-step instructions books. There are also books that take each aspect of quilting and methodically explain it. The instructional books first deal with basic aspects like selection of fabric and basic tools needed to get started and then they will proceed to give instructions regarding assembly of the quilt blocks and then the quilt. They also give detailed explanation about quilting through hand as well as machine. Every quilter must have at least one book of this kind in her quilting library and then will proceed to collect a good many of these books. When in you're on your quilting project, you will need to refer to these books many times.

Encyclopedia of patterns is another book that every quilter should have purchased in time. These books display a range of block patterns and also show the basic assembly. Because these books have to cover a wide range of topics, they will only briefly discuss all the aspects without going into too much detail. If its detail you want, you need to take a book that features instructions on specific patterns. With the number of quilting techniques and block patterns that exist today, you can imagine how extensive these books will be. For instance, books of this kind will dedicate an entire volume to go in to the details of a Log Cabin Pattern.

Because quilting can be dated way back in the American history, this craft and its nuances have been extensively studied and there are many a historical books available on it. It is truly inspiring to the modern quilter when she sees the great many designs that our ancestors did with the limited supplies available to them. There are also quilting books which deal with the pleasure one gets out of quilting, both from solitary pursuit and from the social form like quilting bees. There is also an entire segment dedicated to quilters who have revolutionized the art of quilting. These quilters often display their work in museums and galleries and also publish books that are not only on quilts but also the thought processes that went behind making them. Quilt collectors publish books too. They are just as inspiring as the historical books quilting.

Choose a time, when there is likely to be no interruption, to go through the range of quilting books that you want to make a part of your library. You can either go to a local bookstore; your library or you could even search online for the books you are looking for. Take out enough time to browse and get a feel of the number of titles available to you. Undoubtedly you will be tempted to buy more books than you initially planned but you can short list a few and save the rest for later.

One of the greatest joys of quilting is going through a book on this topic and luckily there are enough books and titles to select from.

Abhishek is an avid Quilting enthusiast and he has got some great Quilting Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 40 Pages Ebook, "Understanding The Basics Of Quilting!" from his website http://www.Fun-Galore.com/622/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

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As the holidays approach and we are all trying to think of unique gifts for friends and family, quilters have the creative edge. Even skipping over the obvious gift of a quilt, quilted vest, or quilted home accessory, quilters can give a truly unique gift.

How about giving quilting kits for holidays and other gift-giving occasions?

Chances are that friends and family have been admiring your work and have even stated they wish they could quilt. Those are the people who would love to receive your quilting kit this year. Putting together a quilting kit is not hard and it will allow you to share your craft with others.

First, remember to keep your quilting kits simple. A throw pillow, a wall hanging, table runner or placemats are a good start.

Next, pick your designs. Be sure to keep them pretty basic so beginners will not easily be discouraged. Make a copy of the finished design or quilt block so it can be used as a check point throughout the project.

Cut and label the pieces of fabric needed to complete the project. Remember to include directions. Either handwrite them or type them. Remember to include information about the batting unless you plan to include it in your kit as well.

Remember to include all the necessary notions in your quilting kit: a small pair of scissors, coordinating threads and a couple of needles. Your recipient will be delighted!

Quilted oranments, tree skirts and table runners make nice quilting kits. Find your favorite designs and make holiday quilting kits for your friends.

For friends who have some quilting skills, you could assemble kits to make quilted clothing items or larger projects.

If you are part of a quilting club that is looking for a fundraiser, creating quilting kits would be ideal. Quilting kits encourage others to learn the craft and give a sense of satisfaction upon completion. The fundraiser could be year around since many of the projects could be completed and be given as gifts or holiday ornaments themselves. Keep skill levels in mind when making quilting kits: beginner, intermediate and experienced.

If your club is making quilting kits for a fundraiser, keep in mind to price the kits according to the level of difficulty for which they are designed and on the contents inside the kit. A beginner kit will cost less than a quilting kit because it will not be as complex and detailed. Complex designs will involve more work in putting the quilting kit together. More supplies will also be needed to complete it...which in turn means more cutting of pieces.

Packaging your quilting kits is simple. Use resealable plastic bags to hold the items. Include a copy of the finished product or of the quilt block template. Don't forget detailed instructions, too! Add your phone number to the instructions in case your friend runs across something they don't understand. Zip the plastic bag closed and your quilting kit is complete!

If you want to give something a little more than your quilting kit, tuck it inside a personalized tote bag that will be handy for carrying along the project (and future projects). Personalize the tote bag yourself with appliqué, rhinestones, fabric paints or embroidery (or a combination of them all). You may also take the bag to a local embroiderer for a custom monogram or personalization.

You may soon find that your quilting kits are the hit of the holiday season and don't be surprised if friends and family come to request your quilting kits each year!

About the Author:

Penny Halgren

http://www.TheQuiltingCoach.com

Penny has been a quilter for more than 27 years. She enjoys exploring all aspects of quilting and sharing her knowledge with all quilters. If you are looking for an Internet quilting club with a wide variety of resources for all level quilters, check out http://www.TheQuiltingCoach.com .

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