Quilting: Basics for Beginners

Written by RuthAnn Raycroft

A young girl sits on the floor beneath a large quilting frame.

She listens to the voices of the women sitting at the frame – a diverse group of friends including her grandmother and her great aunt – as they talk and laugh and share their lives along with thread, needles and fabric.

From her vantage point below the quilt, she watches the needles piercing the fabric and the thread following a mysterious pattern almost invisible to her.

This scene from the film, How to Make an American Quilt brought back many happy memories for me.

During a visit to my grandmother’s when I was ten years old, I had the opportunity to watch her quilting at a frame with her friends. I, too, sat under the frame and listened to the laughter and life wisdom they shared as I admired the skill of their stitches and design.

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Historic art form

Quilting is a historic art form with a very personal connection for many people. Memories and family heirlooms may help to explain the interest in quilts and quiltmaking that continues to this day. A quick Internet search demonstrates the far-reaching appeal of this traditional handcraft.

Quilting history

It is believed that quilting existed as far back as the First Dynasty in Egypt (about 3400 B.C.). Quilting is known, in some form, in almost every part of the world. Knights returning from the Crusades in the Middle East brought the art of quilting to Europe, and knowledge of quilting traveled with early settlers to the New World.

The social aspect of quilting is believed to have begun as early as the eighteenth century. Women would gather together to socialize while working on a group project.

In the nineteenth century, men were invited to join women for dancing and other festivities once the quilting was finished for the day.

For the women who were pioneers in North America, quilting bees were not only a practical way to exercise their creative gifts but a way to maintain community and support one another.

Quilting basics

Though there are almost as many different kinds of quilts as there are quilters, a quilt generally consists of three layers:

the top,
the batting and
the backing.

The top may be constructed in a number of ways, including patchwork piecing and applique. The fabric used can be purchased specifically for the quilt. However, the quilt top can also be pieced from scraps of fabric left over from other projects, household items or pieces of clothing (for example, quilters in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries used the muslin from feed, flour and sugar sacks).

The top can also be constructed from quilt “blocks.” These are individual sections of patchwork, put together in a particular pattern (there are many different patterns to choose from). The blocks are then attached together to complete the quilt top.

The batting is the layer of insulation that adds warmth and body to the quilt. There are a number of different kinds of batting, depending on type of quilt, warmth required and price range.

The fabric “sandwich” is completed with the backing. This can be a whole piece of fabric but, depending on the size of the project, may need to be two or more pieces of the same fabric sewn together.

Once the top is pieced, and the batting and backing are cut to size, all three are layered together. These must be basted to hold them together during the quilting process.

“Quilting,” though used generally for the process of constructing quilts, specifically refers to the stitching that is used to bind the three layers together.

The stitching is generally decorative and follows a pattern. Quilting can be done by hand or by machine.

Getting started

My good friend and first-time quilter, Carolyn, is already interested in and very skilled in other kinds of handicrafts. She has always loved the look of quilts, and valued the time and skill involved in making them. Yet she didn’t have the chance to try quilting herself until this year.

Carolyn’s adventure in quilting began with a great deal of reading. Three books in particular were very helpful, and there are a number of magazines that provide excellent information for new and experienced quilters (see links at the bottom of this article).

But Carolyn is quick to add that there are many other resources available to help those interested in learning how to quilt.

“Many shops that specialize in quilting fabrics and supplies offer classes. These can be a great way to learn techniques and get first-hand advice from experienced quilters,” she suggests. “There are also some really great resources available on the Internet.”

Carolyn has the following suggestions for anyone interested in learning how to quilt:

Choose your project carefully
Carolyn’s first project was very ambitious. Because she is a skilled sewer and had the time to see the project completed, the queen-sized quilt was a success. For most people, though, a quilt that large would be very difficult to work with – particularly for laying out the multiple layers, basting them together and quilting (imagine trying to stuff a queen-sized quilt into a sewing machine to stitch it). Good first projects include baby quilts, doll quilts, lap quilts, pillows and wall hangings. These projects are easy to work with and offer quick success.
Use good quality materials
Quilts are most often constructed using 100% cotton fabrics and threads. These are most readily available at a shop that specializes in quilting. A good quilting shop will also offer “fat quarters” and “jelly rolls” (packages of fabric that are color-coordinated and pre-cut for quilters).
Find a good local quilting shop
The quilting shop is not only a wonderful resource for materials and advice but also a wonderful way to experience something of the community of the quilting bee. Carolyn’s first quilt was quite large and could not be basted at home. She was able to use the worktable in the back room of her local quilting shop, as no class was running there at the time.

“I worked there all day and it was fascinating to listen to what was going on in the shop,” Carolyn recounts. “Most fabric stores are quiet: people come in, pick what they want, get it cut and leave. Here, people would come in and begin to talk about their project. Before long everyone in the shop would be gathered around admiring the work and offering suggestions.”

Be prepared
Quilting can be expensive and quite painstaking. Smaller projects and recycled or shared materials will help to keep costs down and allow for quicker completion of projects.

Why quilt?

There are so many reasons to quilt, not the least of which is personal enjoyment and satisfaction. But here are some other reasons to look into this traditional handcraft:

Quilting is labor of love that will leave a lasting impact. Carolyn looks at her quilting as making heirlooms. Indeed, the beauty and durability of quilts have made them a favorite with collectors. Quilts are frequently handed down from generation to generation within families.

Quilts are a practical household item and a work or art. The quilt represents the imagination and skill of the quilter, and tells a story about the person/people who made it. Or, perhaps, about the person/people who will use it.

Quilting can also be a way of giving to those in need. The community of the quilting bee – the idea of sharing skills, time and resources to create a thing of beauty that will bless someone else – is not lost.In the October 2002 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting, contributing editor Barb Folkerts shares how quilts can be “Gifts of the Heart.” The article lists a host of projects and organizations that are encouraging quilters to use their skills to give to others: quilts for babies born in poverty, quilts for children going through treatment for cancer, quilts and quilting projects for the needy overseas.
Here are some other ways that this hobby can build into the community and change someone’s life:
- Baby quilts for Crisis Pregnancy centers (centers that offer counseling and practical support for young women who are facing an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy, as an alternative to abortion).
- Lap quilts for seniors’ homes.
- Quilts for the homeless.
- Quilts for missionaries or missions organizations.
- Quilts for children in foster care or orphanages.

The allure of this fascinating craft will likely continue to draw would-be quilters to try their hand at the frame.

Who knows? Years from now another generation may be able to recall how they sat at their grandparents’ feet and learned about quilting.

Perhaps, too, they will remember the quilt that they received from someone they had never met, that arrived just when they needed it the most.

Happy quilting!

Helpful quilting resources:

Books

Fine Hand Quilting, by Diane Leone and Cindy Walter (Krause Publications, 2002)
Encyclopedia of Classic Quilt Patterns: 101 All-time Favorites (Oxmoor House, 2001)
The Encyclopedia of Quilting Techniques, by Katherine Guerrier (Running Press, 1994)

Magazines

American Quilter
Better Homes and Gardens “American Patchwork and Quilting”
Quilting Today
Quilting International

Internet Links

Tags: Culture, hobbies, home and garden, ruthann raycroft, Women

2 Responses to “Quilting: Basics for Beginners”

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Sharon says:

January 1, 2012 at 9:01 pm

good article— my mom quilts and we have a quilt from her on our bed
Carolyn DiPerri says:

December 30, 2011 at 7:46 pm

I loved reading about you sitting under your grandmother’s quilt as she and others were quilting. There is just something so wonderful about picturing the neighborhood women coming together to make a quilt. I am sorry that this tradition hasn’t continued.

I am a quilter and have been for 20 years. I lost my job this year and have started my own quilting business on line. I love what I am doing. I think I must be an old fashioned romantic. Thank you for your story.

Carolyn