I made my first quilt when I was in high school. It was a patchwork quilt made entirely of leftovers. At one time, I could have recalled every article of clothing, made by my mother, that was represented in my quilt.
Every square of my quilt was made from crimplene. Anyone remember that sixties and seventies word? Crimplene was a sturdy synthetic fabric that could be used for just about any style of clothing. It is now considered a vintage fabric. Crimplene is so tough that my quilt top looks pretty much the way it did over forty years ago! In fact, I’m probably going to have to replace the backing at some point. The backing is an old flannel sheet that was old when I made the quilt.
My quilt went off to university with me and to this day it continues to be part of my life. It hasn’t always had the respect that it perhaps deserves, but it’s still around. At one time, it was the favourite blanket of our sweet dog, Lady. Lady has been gone for some time now, but the quilt hangs on. I’m not sure if it yet qualifies as a family heirloom, but it may one day.
A patchwork quilt is a good option for a first quilt. If you sew, you can cut and save squares of fabric until you have enough for the size of quilt that you’d like to make. If you purchase new fabric for your quilt, remember to wash and dry it before cutting into it. Making a patchwork quilt is all straight line sewing and it will give you lots and lots of practice matching corners, which is important in quilting.
My first quilt was tied rather than being quilted by hand or machine. Tying a quilt is a great option for beginners. I used yarn, but you can also use embroidery floss. I tied at the intersections of the patchwork squares. Tying a quilt can be combined with traditional hand quilting or with machine quilting.
If you’ve ever thought about making a quilt, there are lots of patterns, other than patchwork, that are beginner friendly. It can be frustrating at times, but it is very rewarding to snuggle on the sofa with your handmade quilt.
There is lots of information out there about quilting. Websites and apps can guide you through patterns and techniques. As you plan and explore, don’t be intimidated by the quilting elite. Quilts have been around a lot longer than fancy long arm sewing machines and cutting templates. If our grandmothers and great grandmothers could make quilts by hand or with a treadle sewing machine, you’ll be just fine with your straight stitch machine.
So, why not give quilt making a try? Perhaps you could start small with something like a wall hanging, baby quilt or lap quilt. Or just jump right in and start working on a full size quilt. Quilted items make great gifts, but you may not want to give your first quilt away. You never know, it might just become a family heirloom!
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