Beginners Guide to Quilting: Necessary Materials
- Sewing machine
- Fabric-washed and pressed (colors and yardage specified by pattern or individual project)
- Iron and Starch Spray-The spray makes the fabric even sturdier and easier to work with.
- Quilt batting- This is the filling of the blanket, sandwiched between two sheets of fabric. It comes in cotton, polyester, and wool. Polyester is less expensive but has a tendency to “beard” or show through the weave of the fabric. Wool is the heaviest and absorbs moisture well, but requires more careful cleaning as wool can shrink drastically when washed. Cotton is generally the best material for beginners.
- Cotton thread- A basic white thread for light-colored fabrics and a black thread for dark-colored fabrics are the only necessities, but different colors can enhance the color scheme of the quilt.
- Rotary cutter & spare blades- A sharp rotary cutter allows you to cut through several layers of fabric at once, speeding up the process of preparing your quilt.
- Cutting mat- This one is self-explanatory when using a rotary cutter. “Self-healing” mats are made from a vinyl material that can be cut on without showing marks. They come in large sizes to cover a table.
- Sewing needles- Use a larger "quilting needle" in your sewing machine, which have a tapered point to pierce several layers of fabric and sew evenly over seams. While a size 12 universal needle also works for most quilting, use a heavier needle for free-motion quilting, which puts more stress on the needle.
- Ruler for rotary cutting- These come in sizes 6” x 24” or 3” x 24” and are marked in 1/8” increments.
- Sewing pins
- Safety pins
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Granny Coy
Feb 23, 2011
Item 2 should recomment sizing rather than starch as starch attracts insects.
Granny Coy
Feb 23, 2011
I read in another article to use sizing instead of starch as insects like the starch and do not like the sizing.
Carly
Jul 23, 2010
I've never gotten a straightforward answer on "what I need to quilt." Thank you for this article, now I'm sure I can start quilting!
Crafter 8691873
Jun 05, 2010
THIS WAS THE MOST EASIER WAY TO DO THIS, I ALWAYS GET STUFF THAT HAS TO MANY WORDS AND COMPLACATED FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND. I LEARN HOW TO QUILT FROM THIS ARTICLE THANK YOU KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU DO ON YOUR WEBSITE. I I HAVE BEEN TELLING MY FRIEND ABOUT THIS WEB SITE. IS THERE A CLUB YOU CAN JOIN, THOUGHT THE MAIL?? IF SO MY ADDRESS IS LAUREN R WILHEM 409 DIVISION STREET PARKERSBURG WEST VIRGINIA 26101, EMAIL ADDRESS IS ROSEBUBBLE3@YAHOO.COM, THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS ALL AT FAVECRAFT
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