The Baby Gift Dilemma - Develop A Handmade Quilt

With right sides facing each other, place another rectangle, this time a solid one, over the first rectangle and edges even with side 2 of the center piece. Always cover the previous piece (in this case the first rectangle). Sew from the edge of the previous rectangle to the edge of side 2.

Then and only then was the quilt frames set up in the living room. They were four 8 foot long 2 x 4 pieces of lumber with a bumper pad made of old mattress pad attached so it would not splinter into the quilt or tear the blocks that had been so skillfully arranged.

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.

Using a sewing machine, sew along the lines. For each line, start at the top of the fabric, as close to the edge as you can get. When you reach the bottom, sew a little past the edge.

Blanket Quilt The preferred needle type for woven cotton fabrics is called a "sharp." Sizes 75/11 and 80/12 are good choices for piecing, quiltmaking, and binding most simple quilt patterns. Use a smaller needle (70/10) if you're piecing tightly woven batiks and a larger needle (90/14) for flannels. Dull needles can cause skipping or uneven stitches, so it's a good idea to insert a fresh needle at the start of every project.

Make pillows. Single blocks are the perfect sice to create toss pillows for your sofa, loveseat or chairs. Make pillow shams for your bed by stitching several together to fit your pillows.

After the foundation piece has been completely filled with fabric strips, trim the block to the desired size. Press the block on both the front and back. Don't leave any loose pieces.

Quilting Fabric. You'll need two squares of fabric that are the exact same size. You can use any sized fabric you want, but these three sizes work best for a baby blanket or quilt.