When making a quilt using the same repeated pattern from side to side and top to bottom it’s called edge to edge quilting. This is because the same pattern runs from one edge to the other. Whether it consists of just one pattern or several, the repeated patterns sewn together creates the same effect over the entire quilt.

Edge to edge quilting is difficult to be sewn by hand, because the patterns are repeated. Hand sewing makes it difficult to exactly repeat them. Once the squares are made, sewing the individual blocks together by hand is fairly quick work. A word of caution: care must be taken when edge to edge quilting to make sure that all the patterns are placed facing the same direction and that their repetition follows the same spacing and order over the entire side of the quilt.

True edge to edge quilting will have the same repeated pattern on both sides. However, most quilters opt to leave the opposite side with a solid color cloth rather than use the pattern. That solid color may be a color that matches one of the shades on the edge to edge quilting side. Usually, the quilter will begin at one side and work it until the entire side is complete. From there she will work top to bottom, piecing the patterns together to form the finished product.

Balance Color and Thread throughout the Project

Since only two or three designs are used through the entire quilting process, edge to edge quilting offers an economy in the work. It also affords a more balanced thread count over the face of the quilt. In addition, it allows color contrasting of light and dark cloth and thread that patchwork quilts cannot duplicate.

Typically with edge to edge quilting only one color of thread will be used when sewing the blocks together. The quilter needs to determine how the thread should show. With two different patterns of material, color can be hidden in half the blocks and visible in the rest. Or a contrasting thread can be used as added decoration over the entire quilt.

When first deciding to make a quilt, give careful thought to the individual who will be receiving the quilt. Their age and their gender are two factors to take into consideration when trying to decide on patterns and styles. A young girl may not have the same taste as her mother, and you will want to make certain your gift if appreciated.

At the heart of every quilt is the fabric with which it is created. The fabric will be the biggest item a quilter needs to purchase. Learning how to select the best quilting fabric for your piece is an essential part of the creative process. From the various colors chosen, to the type of fabric used, each choice will be the force that pulls the whole design together. If you learn to select the best combinations, you will be creating quilts that will not only be beautiful but will last for generations. When choosing quilting fabric, the first thing to learn will be how to use the color wheel and then how to coordinate your colors and fabric designs together.

Color and Feel

A color wheel is a great instrument to familiarize yourself with choosing quilting fabric. The color wheel will help you to become familiar with colors as they relate to other colors. There are two types of colors: primary colors and secondary colors. The primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. When these three colors are blended together, you will get the other colors. For instance, red and blue mixed together will create purple, and yellow and blue will create green and so on. Secondary colors are made up of green, orange, and violet. When you are looking at a color wheel, the secondary colors are located in between the primary colors. They are the basic colors that you will mix together to form other hues. Having an understanding of how these colors relate to each other is the basis for creating pleasing quilting fabric designs.

When choosing the type of quilting fabric that you will use, you will want to take into consideration the use for the quilt that you are creating. What will the quilt be used for? How often will it need to be laundered? And this is an important next step. The quilting fabric you select will of necessity need to be the highest quality you can find. Cotton quilting fabric is a great place to start. This fabric is easy to wash, comes in a multitude of colors and designs, and is very easy to care for. Cotton quilting fabric is fairly easy to sew with. Other fabrics may be difficult to stitch together. Cotton quilting fabric is the best selection to create a lasting and beautiful design. You can also mix different types of fabrics for a one-of-a-kind unique feel and texture. Just be selective when mixing fabrics because of the stitching needed to connect them together. Some fabrics may tear easily and while others are more sturdy and will last a long time.

The Right Combinations

Whatever your choice may be for your quilt design, it is vitally important that you know how to select the right colors. And it is equally important to choose the right quilting fabric to enhance your design. Knowing what colors blend and contrast with one other will ensure that your design will flow smoothly. The correct mix of fabrics will have a lasting effect on the durability of the quilt. Not only will it hold up better through the years, but it will determine the needed care that is required to maintain the piece. Remember, most people who purchase a quilt do so based on the color that is used, the design of the piece, and the quilting fabric used.

There are no hard and fast rules about what quilting materials you should use in your particular project. However there are a few tips that can make your quilt softer, more comfortable and easier to construct. While cotton is most often the material of choice for the quilt batting, some quilters will select synthetic fabrics or perhaps even wool. With synthetics the quilt will be warmer, but on warm nights they may become too hot to sleep under.

For quilting materials and supplies other than the fabric choice, there are a few suggestions to make your work less troublesome. Most quilters will agree that the shorter the needle the better. This is because you are pushing it through three layers of cloth at the same time. A needle size nine or ten is most often recommended, as they are short enough to go through all the layers, yet long enough for your fingers to be able to grip it. Note that the higher number means a longer needle when you are looking for quilting needles.

Be sure to use quilting thread which is 100% cotton. It will be thicker and stronger than your standard sewing thread. Again, since you will be pulling it through three layers of cloth and will pulling pretty hard, you will not want it to break when you are halfway down a row. In addition, it should be wax coated to make it pull through easier. Stocking up on any particular color of thread is, of course, up to the individual quilter. However, but most will wait until they are making a quilt before buying all of the quilting materials, to make certain they have the exact color needed.

Consider Quilt Style When Purchasing Quilting Materials

How will your quilt be used? Some quilters want a quilt for use of a cover on the bed to keep warm. Others are looking for a beautiful display item of art. When quilting the project together some quilters like to insert extra batting at certain sections of their design which will make them thicker than the other sections, which makes them stand out. Others prefer that the quilting materials be evenly distributed over the entire quilt.

While some may use a sewing machine to assemble the quilt together, others choose to simply tack the squares together using the machine and then finish it off by hand. For those who will be using a needle and thread, your supply of quilting materials should definitely include quality thimbles to protect your finger when pushing the needle through the cloth.

Yarn may also be added to the list of quilting materials as colorful yarn is often used to decorate the edges of quilts. After they are sewn together, the yarn can be threaded around the edge or in a pattern on the quilt to achieve a unique appearance.

When undertaking a quilting project, the quilting supplies and tools are the most important things you will need to create beautiful quilts. It has been said that, your work is only as good as the tools you work with. This saying is quite true when talking about quilting supplies. There are a number of different supplies that you will most certainly not want to be without. These include the rotary cutter, rotary mat and rulers, sewing machine, iron and ironing board, fabric and paper scissors, cotton thread and fabric, design wall, seam ripper, and pins and needles. Without any of these quilting supplies, you will be totally unable to complete your project.

Understanding the Uses

Now that you have gathered together all of your quilting supplies, you must understand what each one does. We will begin with the rotary cutter. The rotary cutter will be your most important tool of all your quilting supplies. Using this tool will help you learn how to get your quilting blocks cut quickly. The rotary mat and rulers are equally important because they help the rotary cutter. The mat prevents your cutting into another surface and of course the rulers allow you to get your pieces cut straight and uniform. If you are not stitching the pieces by hand, then a sewing machine will be the fastest way to fit them together. This will be used for straight stitches that allow for a ¼” seam. Once you have stitched the pieces together, next you will want to iron them. This is where the ironing board and iron fit into your list of quilting supplies.

The last quilting supplies listed are also important. The fabric scissors and the paper scissors will not be used as much. It’s a good idea to color code each one so you can tell which is which. Cotton thread in shades of gray will be all that you will need to begin sewing. These shades of gray will match nearly any fabric. High quality cotton fabrics are definitely a necessary quilting supply. Cotton is the best fabric for the beginning quilter to start out with. It is easy to work with and durable. The patterns are also beautiful and varied. A design wall will be a great place to hold your pieces. Once you have sewn them together, you can pin them on a corkboard and this will keep them wrinkle free. Seam rippers are not very necessary as quilting supplies; however it may be needed every once in awhile for pulling out messed up stitches. Finally the pins and needles will hold everything together while you are sewing it all together.

Organization

When you are thinking about quilting supplies, it will be essential to have all of the ones listed above on hand. As you can easily see, you will, at some time or other need any one of them. It would be such a waste of time to be in the middle of your project and then have to stop and made a dash for the craft store for missing quilting supplies. Make sure you are organized before beginning your project and keep all your quilting supplies nearby.

For some quilters, scrap quilting is a practical way in which to use the leftover fabric scraps from other projects. For others, scrap quilting has become the art of combining odds and ends pieces of fabric to create a beautiful finished piece with loads of charm and individuality. For the dreamers of the group, the scrap quilt was a symbol of charm and magic. The old legend of these quilts says that any quilt that is created with 1000 different pieces became a charmed covering. Any dreams one dreamed while snuggling beneath would most assuredly come true. Whatever your ideas are about the art of scrap quilting, it is a craft that has been passed down for many generations, and has now been renewed with a modern take on an old favorite.

The Victorian Era

It was during the Victorian era that the legend of these charmed quilts began, following in the footsteps of the many young single women who would string buttons on a thread. It was believed that the gentleman who brought the 1000th button to her would be her male suitor by the hand of fate. Whether true or not, the legend undoubtedly gave many young women the opportunity to approach a desirous male with the request for that sought after button. Scrap quilting of that day consisted mainly of darker, more somber colors that reflected the times. They were usually created in a simple square pattern, although other, more complex patterns may have been used as well.

Scrap Quilting in the 20th Century

Although the popularity of the scrap quilting waned in the 1800’s, by the 1920’s this style of quilting once again became well known and widely used. The scrap quilting of this age was more apt to be orderly in nature. It was often complemented with a single color that consistently ran throughout or may have been added as a border. Many people still own one of these scrap quilts that a family member might have made, which is undoubtedly an attractive addition to a bed or the wall. Today, scrap quilting is still a popular art form, with many creative quilters going to great lengths to produce artistic pieces that are unique and abstract in form.

For many generations, scrap quilting has been a popular method for utilizing extra pieces of fabric. Today it has become a creative way for a quilter to express herself through an artistic endeavor. If you are a quilter, don’t throw away any of those odd scraps. You never know when you might be inspired to create a scrap quilt of your very own making.

Strip quilting produces a wonderful pattern design. It is quite simple and yet it offers a great number of color and design variations. It also offers quilters a quick alternative to making a quilt. Strip quilting is an easy technique to complete. Both novice and advanced quilters can create a beautiful quilt with very little effort using this special method. The most important items you will need are uniform strips of fabric. A ruler and your rotary cutter are all you need to produce the strips needed for this strip quilting method. It is a very pretty and an easy project to finish!

How to Create a Strip Quilt

As was mentioned before, you will first need long strips of fabric. You can easily make your own by cutting the fabric with a rotary cutter and using the ruler for a guide. Make sure that the height or width of each piece is exactly the same. The length of the strip can be uniform, but you can also make them different lengths. It’s up to you. The more fabric designs you have, the better. If you like, you can start with one fabric for your strip quilting until you become accustomed to the technique.

The next step, after the strips have been cut, will be for you to gather them together and lay the long strips end to end until you achieve the desired width for your quilt. You will now sew the strips together to create a longer strip. For this strip quilting method, you will need quite a few long strips. Cut as many you feel will be necessary to achieve the correct length you desire.

The next step in the strip quilting method will be for you to sew the long strips together. Note that you will not sew them end to end, but will sew them side to side. Continue sewing these together until your top piece reaches length you are wanting. Trim any sides that may hang over the edge. You have now completed your first strip quilting top piece.

Simple and Easy

The strip quilting technique is quite simple to create and it achieves a beautiful design for your quilting project. By using a ruler and rotary cutter, you can be assured of straight and even strips. Only two steps are needed for this strip quilting technique. You will first need to sew the strips end to end and then sew the larger strips you have made side to side. This is continued until you have achieved the desired length and width. With this design, you can choose to use many designed fabrics or just one. This is great for either beginners or advanced quilters. Without question, strip quilting is one of the easiest and prettiest ways to quilt!