Beginning Quilters Sewing Tips
The traditional method of piecing together a quilt block is sewing by hand with a needle and thread. Even if you own and know how to use a sewing machine, it is important to practice these stitches.
You should always choose the smallest size needle you can comfortably work with. Make sure and use a special quilting thread. It is thicker, more durable and will not tangle. Start by cutting a piece of the quilting thread about a foot long. Thread the needle and make a single knot in the end of the thread leaving a short tail so it doesn't unravel. Do not double the thread. You will want to sew with a single strand.
You will start by placing the two quilt pieces that you are sewing together with right sides facing each other. To keep them from shifting, pin them together using at least three pins. Place one pin at each top corner and one in the middle.
To start sewing, begin at one corner and poke the needle through both layers of the fabric and bring it up through the fabric about an 1/8th inch down the seam line. To keep your end secure, make sure you take one backstitch, then continue the in and out stitching down the seam line. This is called a Running Stitch, or a piecing stitch.
It takes practice to sew a straight line. I always use a pencil to draw the seam line on the wrong side of both the fabric pieces. This lets me know where to poke my needle through the fabric on both sides.
Once you reach the other corner, take another backstitch in reverse and make a 90-degree turn into the seam allowance. Make two stitches and cut the thread. Most quilters do not knot the ends of the thread because the knot will rub and wear out the material faster.
The Applique Stitch is another stitch that beginners should learn how to do. An applique is a fabric shape or design that is cut out and stitched onto the background of another fabric. This method of sewing the layers together should be almost invisible to the eye. The applique stitch only leaves a small dot of a stitch.
To begin the applique stitch, start with a quilting needle and knotted quilting thread in a color that blends with the applique motif. Prepare the design by first turning the raw edges under and basting. It will help if you will press the edges with the tip of an iron. Next, baste the fabric applique onto the background in the desired position.
To begin the applique stitch, place the needle under the background fabric. Push the needle up through the background fabric and the very edge of the applique. Pull the thread through both layers. Then you will position the needle right next to where the thread came up, but only on the background fabric. Make an 1/8th inch stitch through the background fabric and bring it up at the edge of the applique. Continue this stitch all around the fabric ending underneath the background fabric on the wrong side. Then knot and trim your thread.
Hand Sewing may seem like a very time consuming process. However, as you keep practicing you will develop a rhythm and it will proceed much faster. I even find that hand sewing can be faster than machine sewing for those smaller, hard to get at parts of a quilt block.
Hand Sewn Quilts are prized more than machine stitched creations. Whoever you are making the quilt for, you can be sure the time and effort of your labor of love will be cherished for many years to come.
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