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The process

There are two methods to making a quilt, you can either follow a pattern that you, or someone else has designed, or you can make an Improv Quilt.

Improv Quilts are often made using the scraps left over from previously made quilts and are essentially designed-as-you-go. As you don’t follow a pattern, no two Improv Quilts will be the same.

ImprovQuilts

MA Quilts process

Prep

  • Get yer scraps out
  • See what colours and prints look good together
  • Start laying the scraps out- what shapes are there?
  • Join scraps together, trimming/sewing together if  needed, start forming blocks.

Getting going

  • Once you have a few blocks made start to think about composition and layout, where will these blocks sit in the quilt?
  • Add more blocks and think how you can link the blocks together
  • Sometimes blocks you made at the beginning of the process no longer work with the direction the quilt is going in, that’s ok, get rid of them
  • You might need to rearrange the blocks, or chop them up into smaller blocks to make them work, that’s ok too
  • Start sewing blocks together to make sections of the quilt, do you need to add fabric to make them fit together?
MA Quilts process
MA Quilts process

Finishing up

  • If you’re happy with your sections and the layout, sew the sections together
  • Once all your sections are sew together and your quilt top is finished, baste it
  • How will you quilt it? Machine quilting/hand quilting?
  • Bind it.

Pattern quilts

Prep

  • Think about what shape blocks you want to use - hexagons? HST’s? Custom shapes?
  • Think about what fabric you want to use, how many different colours/patterns will you use?
MA Quilts process
MA Quilts process

Getting going

  • Get your sketch or graph paper, start sketching ideas, shapes/blocks
  • Once you have some ideas you like, see if they can be made into a repeat pattern or form part of a wider pattern
  • Think about the whole pattern and how the shapes/blocks you’ve made create that pattern
  • Think about the construction of the quilt, you’ve got to be able to actually make it!
  • Finalise your patterns and think about what fabric you’ll use where.

Finishing up

  • Cut out your pieces, do you have to draught your pattern or will you use templates?
  • Once you have pieced your top together, baste it.
  • How will you quilt it? Machine quilting/hand quilting?
  • Bind it.
MA Quilts process

Bold and geometric

Improv Quilt no.1

Improv Quilt no.2

Improv Quilt no.4

Quilt coat

See all quilts
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