Quilting can look super complicated, but in actual fact it starts off in the simplest way possible – just by joining two pieces of fabric together! Many people enjoy the process of making quilt tops (or pieced tops, more accurately, if they do not get quilted). The art of making quilt tops began with making use of scrap pieces of fabric to make bigger articles of clothing or material for use around the home, fully utilizing every square inch of fabric, while some use quilt tops as a way of making keepsakes out of particular materials (a favorite dress now outgrown, baby clothes, childhood outfits, college tees).
Nowadays, of course, fabric designers come out with gorgeous product lines designed to work well together in pieced quilt tops (which can be super tempting to buy and hoard hehe).
So then, how to get started sewing quilt squares together? You will need the following items:
- A piece of fabric (half a yard would suffice, to be cut into smaller 5in squares)
- A cutting mat
- A rotary cutter (they are much better at cutting fabrics precisely in exact measurements than scissors, trust me!)
- Tailor’s chalk or soluble marker
- Your favorite sewing machine (a simple, fuss-free one works just fine) properly threaded – you can also sew the squares by hand (in which case you’d need a hand-sewing needle, a matching color thread, a needle threader if required, and a thread-cutter/small scissors)
Alternatively, use a pre-cut bundle like charm packs (5in square pieces), mini charm packs (2.5in square pieces) or fat quarters (usually 18 by 22in pieces) to simplify your process (and ensure your fabric selection already matches).
Step 1
If you’re starting from a bigger piece of fabric, fold and press the piece into two. Decide on the size you want, mark the fabric accordingly and start cutting the pieces (easiest would be to do 5in squares). If you’re using pre-cuts, this is the easiest step =) Just pick 2 pieces that you like and think look nice together from the stack .
Step 2
Pin the 2 pieces of fabric that you’ve already chosen, right sides together, along one side, at 1in intervals. Continue with the rest of the cut fabric to have a ready pile of paired pieces.
Step 3
Lift the needle on your sewing machine. Place the edge of the pinned fabric under the needle, with a 0.25in seam allowance (use the markers on your sewing machine throat plate as a guide) and bring down the needle. Press the sewing foot slowly to make the initial stitches, then press on the reverse stitching button (most newer machines have this) to go over the same stitches, and continue piecing the 2 pieces of fabric together. Once you reach the end, keep stitching to tie the threads together, slip the next pair of pinned pieces and continue. This is called chain-stitching.
Once you’re done chain-stitching, cut the threads between one quilt square pair to the next. Depending on how you will piece the squares next, you will either press the seams as they are, flat together, to further set the stitches, or open them up before pressing. If you’re not sure how to do that, here’s a quick guide on how to press fabric before sewing.
Voila! That’s it! You have sewn your first quilt square! Here’s to many more for that gorgeous quilt top!