Very First Try at Quilting

Wishing you well on your first quilt.

For a finished block of 6 inches, cut them 6 1/2 inches. If you use fleece for the backing, batting isn't necessary. But be advised that fleece does stretch and may cause problems for a first time quilter.

It may be helpful to do some reading first!

-Irene

I use fleece almost always for baby blankets for Northern babies because it is warm against the skin. PIN PIN PIN before you quilt. Be sure to get the best fleece you can and gently feel the stretch before you buy. Wash it before you use it, including the cotton fabric so you get it to shrink if it is going to. If you don't have bunches of safety pins, I would hand baste it, making sure your stitches are snug. Baste in both directions.

Hope that helps.

Welcome! You are brave to plunge in like this :-) Others have already told you measurements for the squares and warned you about stretchy fleece.

When you get to the quilting, layer your top on the fleece (you truly don't need batting with a fleece back) and pin all over about 4" apart. (I use 1" brass safety pins.) For long straight lines, you could try masking tape as a marker. Do one line at a time, sew right next to the tape. Then tape the next line. But you might find that you can sew a straight line right through the squares from corner to corner, and this would be a lot easier! Do all the quilting before you bind the edges. And cut the fleece a couple of inches larger all around just in case the top shifts in spite of all the pins! Roberta in D

"hmharris" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:87Kdnc29NPBe_SnYnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com...

On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 00:59:15 -0600, hmharris wrote (in article ):

1. To finish the squares at 6" you cut them 6.5"

1. with fleece on the back, you may not need any batting. Just the top and the fleece layered together. If you want to mark your quilting lines, I'd suggest chalk (even blackboard chalk will do) and a ruler. And you''ll definitely want to pin the layers together (with safety pins) really well and use your walking (even feed) foot.

Maureen

I guess I'm having such a problem understanding the measurements because there is not any material between the blocks. So when I sew the strip of blocks together - to the next strip of blocks - some of them will have 1/4 inch at the top and the bottom also. Wouldn't that affect the size and make the block smaller than 6 inches because I didn't leave enough for the top and bottom seams too? I hope I'm making sense.

Good to hear about no needing the batting, but not about the stretching using the fleece. But all the advice is great. Thank you so much. Off to buy safety pins!

you only need 6.5 inch squares because on each side you are only using a 1/4 seam allowance so for each opposite side you need that half inch extra (1/4 x 2 = 1/2) It works honest ;-)

I understand what you mean though, I think I sorta thought the same way at first but if you sit down and look at the block square on in front of you and think it out, it begins to make sense. You have an extra half inch of fabric for the two opposite edges of the block.

Clear as mud??????

~KK in BC~

: > Here's my questions: : >

: > 1. If the squares are to be finished at six inches then I need to cut 7 : > inches to allow for the 1/4 inch seam allowance on all four sides? Is : > that correct? : >

: > 2. Also, the batting says to not let the stitching be any further apart : > that 4 inches so I guess I will just have to : > TRY? to run a diagonal straight stich up and down both sides of the quilt : > to make a crosshatch pattern? : > With what do I mark these measurements? : >

: > I know, this doesn't sound good does it? But you never know unless you : > try right? : >

: > Any help is appreciated. Thanks so much. : >

: > hh : >

: >

: :

NOW I get it! Thank you!

This is a reminder of why I never made good grades in math!

LOL I did horrid in math but this is quilting!!! It just isn't the same (LOL)

Glad that I could be some help to you.

~KK in BC~

: >

: >

: > I understand what you mean though, I think I sorta thought the same way at : > first but if you sit down and look at the block square on in front of you : > and think it out, it begins to make sense. You have an extra half inch of : > fabric for the two opposite edges of the block. : >

: > Clear as mud?????? : >

: > ~KK in BC~ : >

: >

: >

: >

: >

: > : > Here's my questions: : > : >

: > : > 1. If the squares are to be finished at six inches then I need to cut : > 7 : > : > inches to allow for the 1/4 inch seam allowance on all four sides? Is : > : > that correct? : > : >

: > : > 2. Also, the batting says to not let the stitching be any further : > apart : > : > that 4 inches so I guess I will just have to : > : > TRY? to run a diagonal straight stich up and down both sides of the : > quilt : > : > to make a crosshatch pattern? : > : > With what do I mark these measurements? : > : >

: > : > I know, this doesn't sound good does it? But you never know unless : > you : > : > try right? : > : >

: > : > Any help is appreciated. Thanks so much. : > : >

: > : > hh : > : >

: > : >

: > : : > : : >

: >

: :

Howdy!

Try this: cut your square of fabric (or a piece of paper) 6 1/2". Next; w/ a pencil mark off that 1/4" seam on each side. Measure the INSIDE dimensions of that block. Isn't it 6"?

Look at that: you've taken a 1/4" from the left and 1/4" from the right: that's a 1/2" from the width, that's all. Take a 1/4" from the top and 1/4" from the bottom: that's 1/2" from the height. You're only taking 1/2" off from either direction, height or width.

I don't recommend fleece for novice quilters; it's just more trouble than it's worth, to me. However, brushed cotton, aka cotton flannel, is soft, makes for a nice, cuddly quilt. I'm Finishing a project now w/ brushed cotton on both sides, with a thin batting (Hobbs Thermore poly) to keep it light-weight for a cancer patient&survivor. Brushed cotton/flannel has the durability of regular cotton while being so soft and NOT stretchy like fleece. (Fleece also has a tendency to stick to my rough fingers, feels icky to me.) There's a reason fleece is so cheap: it's CHEAP!!! Makes a nice Christmas tree skirt, unsewn, just wrapped around the bottom of the tree.

Good luck! Welcome to RCTQ ng!!

Ragmop/Sandy--p.s. I quilt more closely than 4", esp. w/ a stretchy fabric; quilting adds stability

Could you perhaps add another fabric to the brown spotted fabric? Could you find some blue fabric that would go with the polka dots? Then you could use them alternately. As to marking lines, if you are doing a grid, I would use masking tape - just sew along the side of it. If you buy a reel of quarter inch tape, you could put it on the quilt several lines at a time. Though, a grid with slightly curving lines, as Sandy suggested, looks really good - the lines don't have to be parallel. . In message , hmharris writes

Yes, I think I will find another material so there will be some contrast. I would like to find the blue material if I can.

By slightly curving lines do you mean use the masking tape to mark it and then just start at the top and just sort of make the lines wavy? Then go across the quilt the same way - square? Or cross hatch the curvy lines diagonally? Or would it matter?

I actually meant using the curvy lines in a diagonal grid - sorry not to have made that clear. I only meant the masking tape for straight lines. I hadn't thought of trying to mark the curvy lines - I'm lucky at being fairly good at eyeballing direction, so I haven't done so. I think you would only need to mark the two longest diagonals. Everything else would follow on from them. Actually, I think if you did mark the two diagonals with masking tape, and you were very careful when removing it close to where the stitching lines crossed it, that might work very well. If you are thinking of doing the curvy grid: when I said the lines don't have to be parallel, I did mean that having established the curves with the first diagonals, you don't have to go in and out at the same places on subsequent lines. Just keep them the same 'average' distance apart. It's fun to do, and quite quick. You can do it with your walking foot, as the curves are gentle. . In message , hmharris writes

Thank you. Everyone on this board has been so helpful. I appreciate it. Will let you know how it turns out.