How to Quilt a Blanket Using a Sewing Machine

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Using a Sewing Machine, Learn How to Quilt a Blanket Step by Step

For the first time, making a quilted blanket might be intimidating. What’s the first step? What color, pattern, and size of blanket are you seeking? And how do you put together a quilt, exactly?

These queries will simply make you more stressed out. This tutorial is designed to teach you how to quilt a blanket using a sewing machine in a step-by-step manner.

Using a sewing machine, what are the steps involved in quilting a blanket? As with any other project, the first step is to gather the necessary materials. Prepare the materials, choose a design, and choose the cloth. If you don’t have a design (need fabrics, quilting ruler and more ) in mind, you can still sew a quilt without one. Now that you know what to expect, keep reading to learn how to use a sewing machine to quilt your first blanket!

Using a Sewing Machine:  How to Make a Quilted Blanket

There is nothing more valuable than a blanket, and they are regarded a need in every family. No matter what the season or environment, having a blanket on hand is critical. So many people are becoming interested in making their own quilted blankets because of this.

Quilting is a fun way to pass the time while also being useful. You may be as creative as you want while sewing a blanket.

how to make a quilted blanket

Most quilters like making blankets for other reasons as well. They do this because it enables them to create the ideal blanket to keep them warm at night and to offer as a thoughtful present to their children, grandkids, and other loved ones. Quilting a blanket using a sewing machine may be done as follows:

To Begin, Prepare Your Equipment

Listed below are all the items you’ll need:

  • The choice of a bias tape manufacturer versus a ready-made bias tape
  • Clear nylon thread
  • White cotton thread
  • A fabric made of 100% cotton
  • Pins with a long point
  • An ironing board and an iron
  • batting
  • seamstress
  • Anything that can serve as a thread garbage can.
  • Using the machine as a walking foot

The Second Step Choosing the Material and Batting  

Inquiry-inducing thoughts:

Consider the colors and size you utilize in your work. How many shades of gray do you want to include in your design? Is there a trend here? Choose a variety of patterns and colors that are all part of the same family.

  • When it comes to choosing a fabric, have fun with it. Instead of depending entirely on the fabric possibilities at your local sewing shop, look for old tablecloths or linens at thrift stores.
  • This means that your quilt’s backdrop will be bigger than the front. Have enough for a bigger size in reserve.
  • Batting is the next step. Filling and batting are the soft materials that give your item a cozy feel. Your quilt’s sandwich is made up of two layers: a back and a front.
  • Fibers in this fabric include polyester, cotton, bamboo, cotton mix, and fusible. This comes in a variety of thicknesses, or “loft,” from vendors. Thickness increases with height, therefore a higher loft is thicker than a lower one.
  • A greater loft is recommended if you want to build a huge blanket quilt. If you’re making a kid’s blanket, you may use a lower loft. Even if you want a warmer blanket, you don’t need extra-thick batting for smaller quilts.
  • You should be aware that polyester batting tends to sag more towards the edges of your quilt than other types of batting. Pucker is another name for fusible batting.
  • Use a cotton or bamboo batt for beginners if you want to learn how to quilt quickly and easily.

Get Your Blanket Into Shape

Cut the parts into smaller pieces

Prior to anything else, you should concentrate on the quilting on the front. Each of the little pieces of cloth should be cut on its own if possible.

On the cutting board, arrange each individual piece of cloth. Then, at the very top of the page, insert your transparent ruler.

how to make a blanket quilt

Apply pressure to the cloth with the rotary blade, following the contours of your mat as closely as possible. The saying “measure twice, cut once” should be kept in mind. It will assist you in avoiding a cutting error.

Make a plan for your quilt

It’s time to be creative with your quilt pattern, which is the most enjoyable part!

Place all of the fabric pieces on the floor and arrange them in whichever arrangement you like for your blanket. To make things simpler, I recommend doing this on the floor rather than at the table since you’ll have more room here when compared to the table.

To avoid having to alter your pattern numerous times and become frustrated and fatigued, make sure you have your pattern set up the way you want it.

Stack the rows one on top of the other

When a huge quilt design is laid on your floor, it might be a little difficult to navigate. I recommend that you arrange the components in the correct sequence.

Start at the bottom of the first row and work your way up the rows. Stack each piece on top of the previous one.

A post-it note should be placed at the beginning of each row. This strategy will assist you in identifying the pattern and avoiding confusion..

Stitch the Fabric Together

  • Sew the rows together.
  • Begin by stitching each row of the quilt together. Always begin at one end of the row with two pieces of your cloth to ensure a neat finish.
  • Place two squares of the design facing each other on a flat surface.
  • Using the straight stitch on your sewing machine, make a seam that is 14 inches wide.
  • Add the square in the row after the one before it to the square before it.
  • To stitch everything together in long, thin strips, work carefully and steadily across each row as you go.

Rows should be pressed

After each piece is put together, the back will be covered in columns of seams that protrude from the fabric. Using your iron, press these seams smooth to ensure that your final quilt lays flat and seems to be more completed. Iron each row in the opposite way as the previous row.

Sew the rows of fabric together

Continue to stitch each row of fabric together in the same manner that you did when you were sewing together each tiny piece of cloth. Turn two nearby rows inwards so that the patterns are facing each other on the page. Sew a 14-inch seam all the way along the bottom of the garment. Then repeat the process for each additional row until you have a completed quilt front.

The quilt front should be pressed

The reverse of your quilt front should be visible when you have flipped it over. Iron the whole back of the quilt using the same approach that you used to iron each individual row of the quilt top. Flatten the seams in opposing directions by pressing them together. It will be much easier to sew everything together if you iron the cloth well before beginning.

The fifth step Making it all come together

The batting and backing of your quilt will need to be cut once the top has been completed. These should be larger than your quilt front in order to accommodate any fabric scrunching that may occur during the sewing process.

In order to make your quilt stand out, the backing and batting should be 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) larger than the front area of the quilt.

Make a basting motion with the quilt

Basting is the process of layering and pinning your quilt before you begin putting it together. Using safety pins to hold the parts in place or spray-on basting adhesive are two possibilities for basting. Safety pins are the most common method.

Distribute your fabrics in the following order: backing pattern side down, batting, then quilt front pattern side up.  Align all of the edges and smooth out any wrinkles that may have occurred. To smooth out the wrinkles, start in the centre and work your way outwards to the edges.

Sew the layers of fabric together

To drive surplus fabric and bunching to the edges rather than the middle of your quilt, start stitching in the center of your quilt and working your way outwards. The most easy method of sewing the quilt layers together is to “stitch in the ditch,” which is to sew inside or near the seams you’ve already created between the parts.

Alternately, you may use your sewing machine to stitch diagonally across sections of the garment or free-hand the seams.

Remove the binding

It is a fabric border that is sewn around the edge of your quilt to finish it. It conceals the seams and gives them a more finished look overall. Binding may be cut on the bias, horizontally or vertically, according on your preference, with the latter allowing more adaptability.

Measure and cut your strips so that they are 212 inches wide and long enough to wrap around the whole circumference of your quilt (you will most likely have to overlap some).

As you sew the strips together, you should have four portions that are each equal to the lengths of the quilt’s four corners.

The binding should be pressed

If you need to sew many pieces of material together to create a single length for the binding, press the seams flat immediately to prevent fraying later.

After that, the binding should be folded in half lengthwise and pressed on both sides. In the end, the binding will have a pressed seam going down the middle of it.

Hold the binding in place with pins

The binding for two opposite sides of your quilt should be positioned on top of the quilt. Assemble the binding such that the edges are aligned and the patterns are facing one another. Make extensive use of pins in order to retain the material in this position.

Sew the binding on the front

Measure and stitch a 12-inch seam around the perimeter of the quilt and the binding. This procedure should be performed on both sides of the fabric to ensure even coverage. Fold the fabric up and away from the quilt’s center, displaying the side of the binding that has the pattern on it.

Bind the remaining pieces together

Then, using the remaining two pieces of binding, wrap them around the quilt’s open edges. Carry out the same procedures as you did for the previous two sides, but this time stitch the binding along the edge with a 12-inch seam allowance. Fold the fabric outwards and away from the center of the quilt, allowing the pattern to shine through.

Fold the binding over on itself

The back of your quilt should be visible when you have turned it over. Throughout your quilt, the binding’s edges should be visible all of the way around. Begin on one side by matching the binding’s edge to the edge of the quilt and folding it in half.

Fold the leftover binding over the back of the quilt so that it overhang the back of it. In order to keep the binding in place, you may want to iron it down and use several pins to hold it in place. Repeat the process on each of the four sides of your quilt.

Complete the binding

Due to the fact that the stitches will show through on the front, it is difficult to sew the binding on the back. As a consequence, you have two options for reducing the amount of visible thread on your garment. If you want to hand stitch the binding, you may use a whipstitch or a ladder stitch, or you can use invisible thread to sew it. However, take care not to pass your hand through all three layers of your quilt.

Start at one corner of the quilt and work your way around the perimeter, making sure that your corners are squared properly and your seams are even.

Finish your quilt

Finish it off with a binding and your quilt is complete! If you want your quilt to have a softer feel, wash it. Otherwise, your quilt is complete and ready to be used.

Making the Perfect Quilted Blanket: Some Tips and Tricks

how to sew a quilt blanket

Don’t roll, scrunch instead

The ability to work with a quilt sandwich that has been rolled into a tube is more challenging, especially if you are free-motion quilting. In the event that you’ve attempted to roll your quilt into a tube and failed, scrunch it instead! Squeeze the excess quilt inside the machine’s neck so that it doesn’t fall out. You will be able to flatten the quilt while keeping it out of your way if you use this strategy.

Begin in the center

As a general rule, this suggestion is applicable to both walking foot and free-motion quilting. It is possible for some quilters to begin quilting in the centre of the quilt and work their way out, allowing them to thread half of the quilt through the machine’s throat at a time.

Instead of scrunching up the whole object, turn it around and quilt the other side of it. Quilting on the diagonal may also be used to get the longest diagonal row of quilting out of the way first, which will make the rest of the quilt seem lighter in comparison.

Turn the machine in a clockwise direction

Are you ready to hear a mind-blowing piece of advice? The needle should be closest to you and the body should be facing away from you as you turn the machine.

While quilting, some quilters find it more convenient to push the quilt straight forward into the machine’s neck while they work. Sit-down midarm quilting machines are configured in this manner to preserve the shoulders of the quilters who use them.

Slippery Surfaces Should Be Created

If you want the fabric of your quilt to simply roll over the table, use a Teflon oven liner or a quilting slider that is one-of-a-kind. This will make your table’s surface slippery, allowing the blanket to slide over it. It is possible to tape it to the table and quilt right on top of it.

Make a quilt as you go

Consider the possibility that all of this is too intimidating. It is always possible to handle a large quilt by quilting smaller sections first and then piecing them all together. When you quilt as you go, you may split the quilt into as many sections as you like and then put them all together at a later time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Is it possible to quilt a quilt with a conventional sewing machine?

Quilting may be accomplished with an ordinary sewing machine. With the equipment you already have; Provided that you are keen to learn and have the necessary tools. You may achieve this in one of two ways: either by quilting in a straight line with a walking foot or by stitching whatever pattern you choose with a free motion quilting foot. Both of these methods are described further below.

Which method of quilting is considered to be the most traditional?

Pieced quilting, often known as patchwork quilting, is the most fundamental and widespread kind of quilting. These quilts derive their name from the method of construction, which involves stitching together separate pieces of cloth. Quilts made using patchwork may be made with any kind of block and using any construction method.

When quilting, what size stitch should you use?

The choice of stitch length for machine quilting typically falls somewhere in the range of 10 to 11 stitches per inch. This length works well with both intricate patterns and more dramatic quilting motifs due to its versatility. However, if you increase both the thickness of your batting and the thickness of your thread, you may need to adjust the length of your stitches accordingly.

What’s the difference between a quilt and a blanket?

The term comes from the method that is used in the production of them. Quilting is the process that is used to create quilts. The technique of stitching the three layers together is referred to as this. They are often more substantial than blankets and may be worn either on their own or as an additional layer.

What is the most recommended kind of filling for a quilt?

The traditional combination of feathers and down in a quilt gives an adequate amount of warmth. The best insulation is provided by down, while feathers contribute to the overall weight. The most luxurious quilts on the market are those that feature a greater ratio of down to feather filling and are among the warmest available.

Conclusion

There’s no need for anybody to explain why you need a blanket on a chilly night. But there’s something lovely about cranking the air conditioner up to maximum volume and being completely enveloped in a warm blanket on a hot summer day.

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Aithley Balder

Hello there, my name is Aithley Balder from Texas. I am a cookware, sewing, toilet, technology enthusiast and I have been sharing my passion with my friends and likeminded folks for close to 4 years now. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me via the contact page.

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