How to Make a Quilt {Part 9} Binding

Welcome to the last installment of "How to Make a Quilt!"  We are almost done! We have just finished quilting our quilt, so it's now time to bind.   

So what is binding?  Binding simply means we are finishing the raw edges of the quilt.  There are several ways to do this.  I recommend trying out a few methods, then deciding which one you prefer! Today I am going to show you how to machine bind your quilt. 

I made a practice quilt sandwich to bind--so don't worry that it looks nothing like the quilt we have been working on! I was also testing out some free motion quilting--different circles and wavy designs! 

How to Make a Quilt {Part 8} Quilting

You have put so much work into creating that quilt top, now you are nearing the finish line! You are ready to quilt.  So let's begin!

I did a variety of designs on the quilt so that I could show you that the sky is the limit when quilting your quilt!  I am mostly going to go over straight line quilting for this quilt.  I have included a little video of some free motion quilting at the end if you are interested in doing that on your quilt!

Here are some tips and some general information on straight line quilting and quilting in general.  

• Straight line quilting is as basic as it gets.  Especially if you do not have a quilting foot or your machine is not able to free-motion quilt.  Anyone can do straight line quilting! 
• First, you want to start with a new needle! Having a new needle really does make a difference in your quilting.  Some people say change your needle every 5-8 hours worth of sewing.  I generally always just change mine when I am ready to quilt a new quilt--that way I know it is a fresh needle.  
• Make sure you clean and dust your sewing machine.  I had some trouble with quilting one of my quilts a little while ago--and come to find out, my machine really needed a good cleaning.    Once I cleaned it--I had no problems. 
• It is important that your quilt is properly basted when quilting--so your quilt doesn't shift, move or get puckers when you quilt it.
• A term you might see often when people straight line quilt is "stitching in the ditch." This simply means that you quilt in the seam lines.  This is actually kind of tricky--and requires much patience so you stay in the ditch.  
• Another technique is to stitch by the ditch--meaning you stitch 1/4"  away from the seam on both sides.  This is rather simple since you can just use your 1/4" foot as a guide to help you keep your lines straight. (This is one of the quilting methods I used in this quilt)
• If you have a "Walking Foot" it is recommend for straight line quilting.  If not, that's okay! I actually do not have one--and I have survived without it! But, if you do have one--why not use it!
• I am using a white cotton thread on this quilt.  This is a preference thing--if you like polyester thread or other type of thread--then by all means use what works best for you! Also, if you want your quilting to blend in with your quilt try and use a thread that matches.  This is also a preference thing.
• If you are doing straight line quilting but have no "line" to follow then you should use rulers and a marking tool (be sure to test your marking tool on your fabric to be sure that it comes out before you mark your entire quilt.) 
• I like to increase my stitch length when I straight line quilt.  Test a few different stitch lengths out on a practice fabric and see what you prefer.  I like the look of a longer stitch--it gives it a hand quilted look to it--in my opinion.
• If you have a sewing machine that offers different types of stitches--you can certainly do one of those rather than using just a straight line.  I often use a pre-set stitch on my sewing machine that is a wavy line.  I really like it because you can't really tell if your lines are straight or not.  Try some of them out on a practice fabric and see if there are any that you would like on your quilt.  The sky really is the limit here!
• The key to getting a straight line is slow and steady.  If you even look away for a second you will most likely have a crooked line or less than straight line.  You can see in the picture below my straight line quilting--it is not perfect by any means and it is not perfectly straight--but that is okay! Straight line quilting is really hard for me--I am much better with the free motion quilting because it feels so much more natural to me.  The only way to get better is to practice on a real quilt and keep practicing!

How to Make a Quilt {Part 7} Batting and Basting

Hi there! Now that we have our quilt tops ready to go, I want to show you how to baste your quilt! But first, we need to go over batting. 

Let's talk batting.  For a first time quilter--this is something that can sort of confuse you.  There are several options out there and each batting will change the final look of your quilt.

Here are some of the options out there when you go shopping for batting:

How to Make a Quilt {Part 6} Assembling your quilt top

Welcome back!  Now that we have made all of our blocks, we are ready to assemble them all together and make our quilt top! 

You will first lay your blocks out in this order:

How to Make a Quilt {Part 5} Chain Piecing

Hi there! I am just coming back from a very long weekend of sewing! I was able to finish up this quilt as well as a few other projects I can't wait to share with you! 

Welcome back to the next installment of "How to Make a Quilt!" 

You can find the other parts of the series here.

Today we are going to learn how to make the square in a square block:

How To Make A Quilt {Part 4} Block Construction

Welcome back to the "How to Make a Quilt" series! You can find all the previous posts in the series here. 

Now that we have cut our fabric, we can now start piecing our blocks! 

First, let's go over 1/4" seams:

If you don't have a 1/4" foot, then you can still quilt.  Most sewing machine's allow you to move your needle to the left or to the right a bit.  So move your needle over until you have a 1/4" seam--or close to it.  The most important thing is to be consistent in your seams.  Sew your seams all the same and you will be just fine, but if you sew one seam wide and another one way narrow, you will have a big problem matching your points up.  

We are first going to make the 9-patch.  This is a really fun block, and really easy to put together. 

How To Make A Quilt {Part 3} Cutting Your Fabric

Welcome back to How To Make A Quilt!

You can find parts 1 and 2 below:

Part 1 --Supplies
Part 2 --Fabric Requirements and Design

Are you ready to cut some fabric?  Cutting your fabric may seem a bit intimidating, but once you get comfortable with it--it will be snap!

How To Make a Quilt {Part 2} Design and Fabric Requirements

Welcome back to part two of this month long series!

You can find part one here.

Today, I want to show you the quilt we are making, as well as share fabric requirements.

There are quite a few designs that are very traditional when it comes to quilting.  Right now I have been obsessed with the Irish Chain--which is a classic design.   There are so many different variations on this timeless design and I never get sick of seeing them. This quilt--looks really impressive, but is a snap to put together.  I have taken the traditional Irish Chain and put my own twist on it.

How To Make a Quilt {Part 1}

I am excited to share with you a new series we are doing for the month of February! 

If you are a new quilter, or have wanted to make a quilt but didn't know where to start or what to do---this will be the perfect time for you to start.  If you are a seasoned quilter, but want to follow along and add in your tips and suggestions as we go through this series--they are welcome and would be very appreciated! 

I will go through all the steps--from cutting your fabric to quilting your quilt.  

First, let's go over the supplies you will need to make a quilt.