4 Unique Ways To Convey A Baby Blanket Gift
The best fabric for simple quilt patterns is 100% cotton because it minimizes seam distortion, presses crisply, and is easy to quilt. Good simple quilt patterns specify quantities for 44/45" wide fabric unless otherwise noted. You'll need to allow for a little extra yardage to accommodate minor cutting errors and slight shrinkage.
Set your sewing machine to the standard seam allowance used for quilts, which is an exact quarter inch seam. One way to improve a block that is either too large or too small is to use the freezer paper method and square up the block before sewing it together. Gridded freezer paper makes the job easier, but the plain freezer paper will work to help make the block more even.
Always use a rotary cutter with a cutting mat specifically designed for it. In addition to protecting your work surface, the mat helps keep the fabric from shifting while you cut. Start with a 17x23" mat marked with a 1" grid, hash marks at 1/8" increments, and 45 and 60 degree angles.
Quilt Blanket Women made strings from used, old, and new fabrics. All fibers and thread counts were candidates for the string quilt including the thinnest dress fabrics. Often, a flour sack served as the foundation fabric for sewing string pieces onto, in the flip-and-sew fashion, until the foundation was covered. They snipped off fabric leftover around the pattern edges, and the blocks were sewn together as any patchwork block would be. As a result, some string quilts offer a cacophony of fabrics not often used in quilts.
Decide the amount of usage the baby quilt will receive and how often it will be cleaned or laundered. If the project will be a wall hanging, more intricate patterns could be considered as opposed to a child's personal blanket that will be well-loved.
Be sure to keep your quilt top's theme in mind. We all know and love the traditional beauty of the double wedding ring quilt. While the quilt top is beautiful with its color variety, the quilt back is just as pretty with its simple stitching that follows the design on the top.
The hardest decision is in choosing your colors and materials. Remember to always use complementary ccolors in a selected tone of pastels, dusties, or jewel tones. Strive for a pleasing mix of textures, patterns, and solids. As you sew make sure the pieces complement each other in color and fabric type. Above all, remember to never put pattern against pattern to make sure your beautiful embroidery stitches will show up! Always bounce a solid fabric against a patterned fabric.
The cold, damp nights were particularly tough to get through with any kind of true rest. The warm quilt material was a welcome protection and security from the drafty old colonial houses and they quickly became popular.