One must procure right fabrics and proper quilting supplies before making a quilt. Most quilts are made of 100 percent cotton fabrics. Quilt blocks characteristically make use of a mixture of dark , medium  and light fabrics to generate the block patterns. A quilter also needs fabrics for a narrow inner border, a wider outer border, the quilt backing and the binding around the outer rim of the quilt.  For your first baby quilt you can also use what is called a “cheater quilt” top. This is a pattern or picture stamped on the fabric and is sold as the basic top piece or panel and not by the yard. Often there are coordinating fabrics to go with the panel as well.  There are generally enough different coordinating pieces to decorate an entire babies room. You will also use quilt batting which is the material used as a stuffing between the quilt top and quilt backing.

Some quilting supplies that one would essentially require to make a quilt are specific  needles and threads which are easily available in a quilting supplies shop.  A quilting ruler and rotary cutter are also an essential part of quilting supplies. The quilting ruler and rotary cutter will make cutting your fabric easier, more accurate and save you time. Quilting rulers are clear plastic rulers of different lengths and widths. The rotary cutter is a tool resembling a pizza cutter that is capable of cutting through several layers of fabric and is used in conjunction with the quilting ruler.  A sewing machine will be required even if you are stitching by hand. It is used to put your patchwork quilt together.

Hours of love  is invested in making a baby quilt which often becomes an heirloom that is passed down from one generation to the next.  A baby quilt is the best way to get started with quilting,  being that the quilt  is quite small .  Learning to create these one of a kind gifts on a smaller scale will help you from being overwhelmed when you decide to tackle a larger version.  Baby “cheater” quilt fabrics and quilt patterns with instructions can easily be found in fabric and craft stores as well as quilting shops. A popular baby quilt style is the “red work” quilt. It consists of only the outline of children, animals and the alphabet  in red embroidery. The entire quilt top can be put together in red, white and cream then the redwork done by hand before sandwiching the quilt together. Redwork patterns and books can easily be found along with other quilting books and supplies.

Natural fibers are generally used when making a baby quilt. Cotton fiber is ideal as there are fewer irritants and chemicals which could potentially bother a baby’s sensitive skin. Even a beautifully patterned baby quilt may not be used as much as you would like it to be if it is harsh and discomforting. Many baby quilts are made just to decorate the room and are displayed on the wall instead of used as a blanket. Be sure to make the quilt big enough to fit a crib. If made to fit the bassinet the baby will quickly outgrow the quilt.

Good luck , enjoy the journey and have fun learning how to create a one of a kind treasure .

A tailor tack is a technique to “mark” fabrics by using a thread rather than markers or pins. Here’s what it looks like:

Its not a difficult task at all. Your knowledge about it would be worth the learning. Thinking how would this benefit you? Personally, I feel that gaining knowledge of anything keeps you better-off than others who don’t have that knowledge. Apart from my beliefs, some of the several reasons which would want you to know about tailor tacks are:

1.  In case you are using a slippery fabric, the pins might come out easily. Using a tailor tack allows you to continue your work without worrying about the falling pins.

2. The pins may perhaps leave a noticeable pinhole which is undesirable, especially in case of dear fabric like satin, silk and others.

3. There may be a shortage of available pins.

4. The need of the hour may be to accurately mark two or more layers simultaneously.

5. It provides a superior approach to “mark” darts, without using carbon paper and a tracing wheel which has the possibility of leaving ever-lasting marks on your piece of clothing.

How to make a Tailor Tack???

Here is how you can make a tailor tack. I have illustrated the procedure using a scrap of metallic fabric.

First, make a small stitch into the selected fabric. In case your material includes more than one layer, then make sure you stitch in all the layers. Also make sure that the ends of your threads are of equal lengths. This also does not require that you knot your thread.

Then, make a second stitch exactly at the same place where you did your first one.

Instead of pulling it tight, create a loop over the fabric’s surface as shown below:

Now, cut the thread such that you leave a tail of about three inches in length. If you have a quick look beneath the first layer of the fabric, you will notice that there are threads amid the layers. Be cautious while you are looking through the layers to or else you may pull out most of the threads and have to re-do everything again.

After having pulled the two layers, gradually and tenderly, cut the threads like this:

You will find some threads marking the spot on both on the top layer and the bottom layer. Move on with your sewing, leaving these threads.

You can pull out these threads once you are over with your sewing.

Try as you read but be careful. We do not intend to injure you.

Want to gift something exclusive? Here is a practical item which you can make easily while enjoying your way through learning. It is one of the most popular embroidery techniques, counted cross stitch.

A very innovative product of sewing- Pincushion. Pincushion is a small stiff cushion with pins stuck into it ready for use. Most of us associate pincushions with the tomato. A thing as simple as pincushions has evolved phenomenally. For the time being, lets focus on the traditional pincushion.

What do you need? You just need a few items which are available easily:

• Fabric (Aida is stiffer than even-weave but selection of sewing fabric is a matter of personal choice).
• Lining
• Design chart
• Thread
• Needle

To create this exquisite gift you just need to follow the steps:

1. First stitch the design using one half of the fabric.

2. Then with the design facing inwards fold the fabric in half.

3. Now stitch two sides of the fabric with a single strand of sewing thread. You can sew a 5mm seam using the holes of the fabric to guide you for a straight seam.

4. Turn the pincushion the right way out and push the corners with a pin to form a neat point.

5. Fold the lining in half twice and insert into the pincushion.

6. Finally turn the edges and sew up the openings with small neat stitches.

By following these basic steps you can make pincushions of different sewing patterns.

You can make pincushion with small pieces of Aida or even-weave fabric, which can be as small as 5.5” X 3” of fabric. For a bigger pincushion the dimensions can be increased but just ensure the design you stitch doesn’t hide. You can also use two contrasting materials and stitch them together.

So now you can make beautiful gifts using the small amount of fabric in your work box, which would have otherwise gone in the bin.

The knife blade, elastic properties of fibers and air permeability also have significant influences on the quality of cutting and pattern pieces.

A simple tool to cut fabrics easily is by using an underlay. An underlay is a piece of paper that is placed below the fabric you cut. Something as simple as brown paper can be used as an underlay. An underlay prevents the fabric from shifting and going off grain.

The paper needs to be wide enough as the table and of course the fabric which you will cut. An added advantage is that you keep a record of what you have cut which can also be used in future.

While using an underlay, It becomes imperative that you cut along the straight grain. A G-thru ruler or a T-square can be used to make a straight line along the grains. The grains can be revealed simply by tearing, as in the case of chiffon or by pulling a thread all the way as in charmeuse.

It goes without saying that you would have to use weight to hold the fabric along the lines you have marked. Having established a straight grain, you need to lay out the fabric absolutely smoothly. Use a ruler to clear out all bumps. Use weight to hold the fabric and the underlay in place.

Now place the pattern on the fabric and hold it in place using weights. Also ensure that the weights are not too close to the edge of the pattern as this will not get you a clean edge.

I strongly recommend that you do not use pins to hold the fabric as this will move the fabric and disturb the layout.  You should also not cut on the fold while using an underlay as there is serious risk of going off grain.

All in all, an underlay, if used well can make work much easy and lend a fine finish to the end product.

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