Quiltmaking Essentials I. Donna Lynn Thomas
Quiltmaking
Essentials 1
Cutting and Piecing Skills
Donna Lynn Thomas
Quiltmaking Essentials 1: Cutting and Piecing Skills
© 2014 by Donna Lynn Thomas
Martingale®
19021 120th Ave. NE, Ste. 102
Bothell, WA 98011-9511 USA
eBook Edition: 2014
No part of this product may be reproduced in any form, unless otherwise stated, in which case reproduction is limited to the use of the purchaser. The written instructions, photographs, designs, projects, and patterns are intended for the personal, noncommercial use of the retail purchaser and are under federal copyright laws; they are not to be reproduced by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, including informational storage or retrieval systems, for commercial use. Permission is granted to photocopy patterns for the personal use of the retail purchaser. Attention teachers: Martingale encourages you to use this book for teaching, subject to the restrictions stated above.
The information in this book is presented in good faith, but no warranty is given nor results guaranteed. Since Martingale has no control over choice of materials or procedures, the company assumes no responsibility for the use of this information.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
eISBN: 978-1-60468-441-4
Original Source ISBN: 978-1-60468-440-7
Dedication
To the memory of my mother, who passed on her love of sewing to me. Although she sewed clothing and I sew quilts, the love was truly shared. I hope some day when they are old enough, I can pass the same love on to my granddaughters, Charlotte and Alexandra.
Acknowledgments
Deep appreciation and thanks to Robin Fleming and Prym Consumer USA for providing much of the rotary equipment for photography.
A big thank-you to Georgia Gale of Needle and I (Everett, Washington) for providing my favorite Bernina for photography as well. Becky Keck, northwest regional manager for Bernina of America, took time from her busy schedule to make arrangements for the sewing machine. Thank you, Becky!
Introduction
This book is a reference manual about rotary cutting and machine-sewn patchwork, not appliqué, paper piecing, hand piecing, or foundation piecing. This volume (volume 1) covers basic rotary cutting, sewing, pressing, and block assembly. Volume 2 covers quilt-top assembly, sashes, borders, backings, and bindings.
Since we’re talking about basics, let’s begin at the beginning. What is a quilt? Well, it’s not a blanket! A blanket is a single-layer, woven bed covering. While quilts are also traditionally thought of as bed covers, they’re used extensively in home decor, decorating tables and walls, and are also seen more and more in museums as works of art.
Different from a blanket, a quilt is composed of two or three layers consisting most often of a patterned top, a batting (sometimes called a filling), and a backing (sometimes called a lining). The three layers are stitched together with decorative quilting stitches. This stitching is what gives a quilt its name, while the three layers give it the warmth. A two-layer summer quilt omits the middle layer and is often found in warmer climates.
Quilt tops can be constructed in a number of ways. A whole-cloth quilt is just what its name implies—one large piece of fabric, either plain or printed, that serves as the top. The decorative quilting provides the design.
Patchwork tops come in two forms: pieced or appliquéd. Appliqué is the process of cutting pieces of fabric and applying them to a larger whole to create a design. Broderie perse is one form of appliqué in which motifs are cut from printed fabrics and then applied to a whole cloth to form a design. Most often today, though, pieces are appliquéd to smaller blocks, both plain and pieced, that are then sewn together to make the quilt top.
Appliquéd block
Piecing consists of sewing smaller pieces of fabric together side by side to form a greater whole. Most often, pieces are sewn into blocks of specific patterns that are then joined to make the quilt top. Sometimes pieces are sewn together into one overall design.
Pieces sewn together to form a block
Pieces sewn together to form an overall design
You’ll find many references to precision in this book. Precision is not about pleasing the quilt police. It has everything to do with mastering skills so you can enjoy the process of making your beautiful quilts without frustration, mistakes, ripping, easing, and fudging to make things work. Remember, even Van Gogh had to learn how to hold a brush and mix paints before he could create his masterpieces. If you master precision skills so they become second nature, frustration-free sewing will be like breathing—you won’t even think about it.
To help you learn the finer points of quiltmaking, you’ll find four different types of tip boxes sprinkled throughout this book:
? Did You Know? tips explain words, concepts, or background information in a bit more depth.
! Problem Solving tips warn you of or help you out of a potential “oops” and suggest how to fix or prevent a problem.
# The Numbers Box tip, everyone’s favorite, will help you with—yikes!—math or numbers.
Basic Concepts
“Artifacts,” pieced and quilted by Kim Pope, from On-Point Patchwork
Before you can dive in and start working on your first quilt, there are a few things worth reviewing. In this section, I’ll cover the basic parts of a quilt, information on fabric, grain lines, fabric preparation, and threads. Entire books have been written on these subjects, so I’ll try to keep it simple. I know you’re anxious, but don’t skip this section!
Parts of a Quilt
Other than an overall design (see page 7), most pieced quilt tops consist of blocks that are sewn together to make the top. Many tops, but not all, have sashing strips between the blocks and borders around the joined blocks, which are all identified in the illustration below. Sashing strips, borders, and backings can be plain or pieced. The binding is what encloses and finishes the outer edges of the quilt. In some cases, it too can be pieced for