How to quilt fabric - Sewing technical tutorial
How to Quilt Fabric?
Are you dreaming of a beautiful quilted jacket, but the fabric you found isn't thick enough, or you're not satisfied with the fabric choices in stores? Then you're in the right place! In this video tutorial, find all our tips, techniques, and examples to master the quilting technique. This sewing technique, accessible to beginners, requires very little equipment for a stunning effect! All you need is patience and precision :-).
What is Quilting?
Quilting involves stitching one or two layers of fabric with batting or wadding. This results in a thicker and warmer fabric with a raised texture from the stitching. The fabric becomes embossed and soft. Both aesthetic and practical, this technique gives fabric more body, allowing you to use lightweight fabrics like double gauze or poplin all year round.
Why Quilt Fabric:
You can find pre-quilted fabric in stores, but several reasons might lead you to quilt it yourself:
- The available ready-made options don't suit you: not the right color, pattern, etc. Quilting your own fabric expands your possibilities and allows you to create something truly unique.
- You need matching quilted and non-quilted fabric.
- A beautiful fabric catches your eye for a jacket or a sleeping bag, but it's a bit thin; quilting will make it warmer.
Quilting your own fabric gives you almost unlimited choices. You can also choose the quilting pattern: spaced lines, geometric designs, etc. The tighter your pattern, the more texture it will have. Quilting significantly changes the look of the fabric. Some fabrics are more suitable for quilting than others, and it can really add character to a simple fabric.
What Quilting Pattern?
Once again, your imagination is the only limit! You can quilt your fabric with horizontal or vertical lines, diagonals, squares or diamonds, with different spacings and sizes. Have fun with more original shapes: rounded shapes, less linear geometric forms, decorative stitches from your machine, or following the pattern of your fabric. You can also combine two types of quilting: horizontal at the top and vertical at the bottom. Note, however, that the more lines you have, the more time it will take!
What Fabrics to Quilt?
Follow your desires! Many types of fabrics can be quilted. Just avoid very stretchy knits that might stretch out during sewing, or stabilize them with interfacing before stitching. Corduroy, poplin, denim, viscose, flannel, gabardine, double gauze… Test and have fun. Note that the stiffer a fabric is, the easier it will be to work with.
What Supplies Are Needed to Quilt Fabric?
The only truly essential item is batting, also known as wadding. It comes in different thicknesses and is sold by the meter. For clothing, choose a medium thickness; for accessories, choose a thicker one. You can also find iron-on batting, which saves time by eliminating the need for pinning!
You will also need:
- A marking tool: a patchwork ruler or a Japanese ruler (a school ruler will also work just fine!) to draw parallel lines using your guides.
- A FriXion pen, which erases with heat. Be careful of the white marks it may leave! Test it first on a scrap piece. Otherwise, tailor's chalk works well.
- Regular polyester sewing thread, either matching, contrasting, or glittery. Follow your preferences!
Helpful Extras:
Some non-essential accessories for your sewing machine can still be very helpful, such as:
- A walking foot to help your machine handle the thickness of the fabric.
- A quilting guide: a small tool that attaches to your machine to ensure regular spacing between each stitch line without having to mark all your lines by hand. It’s a significant time saver.
- An extension table for larger pieces.
Preparing the "Quilt Sandwich"
The "quilt sandwich" refers to the layers of fabric stacked with batting. To prepare your quilt sandwich, you will trace your lines, stack the different layers of fabric and batting, and then pin or baste them all together.
Make sure to leave a sufficient margin around your pieces. Quilting consumes and reduces the size of the fabric, and it would be unfortunate to run out of fabric to cut your pattern pieces! Ideally, quilt your fabric entirely before cutting out your pieces to be sure. We also recommend pressing your fabric well; this will help you achieve a consistent result.
Next, you can trace your lines. Start with the center line on your fabric, then draw parallel lines on each side. If you're using a quilting guide, only trace the first line.
If your pattern is more complex and less linear, you won't be able to trace your lines with a ruler. Here are some techniques:
- Print or draw your pattern on a sheet of paper. Place your fabric right side down on carbon paper, and your paper pattern on top. Using a tracing wheel, retrace your pattern with light pressure, following the lines of your design. The carbon paper is coated with ink that transfers designs by pressure. The ink will transfer onto your fabric along your traced lines. Once your project is finished, the ink will wash out. If your lines are not visible enough, you can retrace them with chalk or a FriXion pen.
- If you have one available, you can also use a projector to project your pattern onto your fabric before tracing it by hand !
Then, place your different fabric layers on top of each other. First, position your lining, wrong side up, then the batting layer, and finally the outer fabric with its wrong side against the batting. You can also choose to quilt only the batting with an outer fabric.
Next, pin your layers together or baste them with contrasting thread. We prefer this method as it takes more time but allows for greater precision, flexibility, and ensures you don't leave any pins in your project.
Once your quilt sandwich is secured, you can begin assembling it.
Sewing the Quilt Sandwich
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Start by sewing the central line of your quilting, then alternate stitching on either side of this line. Follow the lines you have drawn. This technique is ideal for beginners; the lines will be straight, and your work will be consistent.
If you are sewing with a guide, you will sew along the first central line drawn by hand, then place the guide in the groove formed by the first seam, and off you go! This technique allows you to have a regular interval without spending too much time drawing lines.
You can also quilt according to the width of your presser foot or use masking tape or painter's tape. This repositionable tape is used by aligning it with the first seam and sewing parallel to the other edge. The only drawback of these two techniques is that you are limited by the predefined width of the presser foot and the tape. You can also use lines or squares already present on the pattern.
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If you are working on large surfaces, there is no need to backstitch.
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If the batting sticks to your machine, you have several solutions:
- Slide tissue paper between the feed dogs of your sewing machine and the batting. Once your seam is finished, you can remove the tissue paper by tearing it along the perforations of the seam.
- Slightly reduce the pressure of your presser foot or increase the length of your stitch.
4. Once your quilting is finished, you can remove your pins or basting thread.
You can then cut out all your pattern pieces. For pieces to be cut on the fold, we recommend not cutting them this way as you will lose precision. Instead, place your piece on the quilted fabric in a single layer and put a few pins along the fold. Cut around your piece, except on the fold line of course, then mirror your piece along the pins. Now you can cut the other half.
5. Serge your pieces on all edges so the quilting lines do not come undone.
You can now assemble your garment following your pattern instructions! However, be mindful of the finishes: if your garment is lined or has a facing, there is no problem, but you can also choose to bind the pieces with matching or contrasting bias tape.
And there you have it, you have mastered quilting! This technique has almost no limits, whether in the choice of fabric or quilting pattern. We look forward to seeing your beautiful creations #ikateecouture.