Quilting

Quilting is a family craft activity that has survived the test of time. As a result of this craft, many girls and mothers have created heirloom quilts that are passed down through their family for generations' Learning to quilt can provide many hours of quality time for mothers and daughters while creating works of art that can be passed down through your family for generations.

Making quilts is more an art than a science. Quilters are continually coming up with better ways to layout quilts, cut fabrics, match and stitch. Rotary cutting, where strips of fabric a half inch wider than the finished pattern, are cut with rotary cutters, has to some extent replaced the older template cutting methods used by our grandmothers.

Beginners should learn how to read patterns imagining how the quilt was made. By reading quilt patterns and learning the terminology used in quilting, beginners will better understand answers provided by veteran quilters as they work together.

Great Books for Beginning Quilters:

206 Patchwork Quilt Patterns
The Essential Guide to Quilting
The Patchwork Easy As Method

The majority of quilts are made using cotton based fabrics. In order to quilt correctly, you must learn the characteristics of the fabric with which you are working.

Fabric grain, the way threads are organized in your piece of fabric, is one of the characteristics you must understand. Correctly cutting your pattern in relation to the position of thefabric grain can make the difference between patterns that are easy to assemble or those that just won't work.

In fabric grain, warped threads, those that are stretched on the loom and secured, are the fabric's threads that are continuous along the length of your material as it comes off the bolt. The warped threads are known in quilting as the straight grain.

Weft threads are woven back and forth across the warped threads in a perpendicular fashion to create the fabric. These weft threads form the fabric's crosswise grain.

In quilting, patches cut parallel to the straight grain are less likely to stretch out of shape once sewed into your quilt.

• When cutting squares and rectangles for your quilt pattern, you should always cut edges along the straight grain which will minimize the stretch when you sew your quilt.
• Your quilt borders and sashing should be long strips cut parallel to the lengthwise grain to stabilize and square-up outer edges of your quilts.

Long elastic or stretchy strips cut along the bias are useful to bind quilts with curved edges. Also, thin strips cut along the bias edge can be rolled into small stems or other embellishments to be appliqued on your quilt. Bias cuts are easier to turn under when working with curved patterns such as apples, hearts or circles.

Do not place bias cut strips or patterns along the outer edges of quilt blocks or outer edges because these will stretch as you are trying to match patterns while assembling your quilt.

You should also ensure that any fabric you're using in your quilt does not bleed onto other fabrics when they are washed. To test whether your fabric bleeds, submerge a 2 inch square piece in soapy water leaving it there for 30 minutes. If the water becomes discolored, your fabric bleeds. Then remove the 2 inch square from the soapy solution and lay it on a white paper towel. If after 5 minutes you can pick up the 2 inch square of fabric and none of its color has transferrred to the white paper towel, your fabric does not bleed. Rewashing the fabric a number of times may stop the bleeding. If it continues bleeding after a couple of washings, do not use it in your quilt.

As you and your daughter progress in your knowledge of quilting, you may want to start your own quilting business. If you want to take things to the next step, the following are great books and information to get your started:

The Essentials of Starting Your Own Quilting Business
Learn to Sell Your Quilts Online
Start Your Own Quilt Shop
A Great Quilting Magazine
________________________________________________