Sewing Quilts with Confidence: Tips and Techniques to Help You Master Your Craft

As any quilter will tell you, sewing a quilt can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to working with intricate shapes and patterns. However, with the right techniques and tools, anyone can create beautiful quilts that showcase their unique style and flair. In this article, we'll explore some expert tips and tricks for sewing quilts with confidence, including how to press seams, use paper piecing, and bind your quilt.

Pressing Seams with Ease

One of the most important steps in sewing a quilt is pressing those seams just right. With a quarter inch seam allowance, it's easy to get frustrated when your seams don't lie flat or are wonky at all. But fear not! A little trick for getting those seams pressed open is to press that seam on one side, and then repeat the process on the other side of the seam. This ensures that both raw edges are encased in a clean, smooth finish.

To get started, make sure you have a pressing board, which will help you keep everything organized and within reach. Next, place your fabric pieces under the ironing board cover, making sure to match up those seams carefully. Press the seam open on one side, using a gentle touch to avoid distorting the fabric. Repeat this process on the other side of the seam, working slowly and deliberately until both raw edges are pressed open.

Once you've mastered this technique, you can apply it to all sorts of shapes and patterns, from simple rectangles to intricate squares and triangles. Just remember to always start with large pieces of fabric that can be trimmed down to size as needed.

Using Paper Piecing

Paper piecing is a great way to add some excitement to your quilting projects without feeling overwhelmed. This technique involves using paper templates to create shapes and patterns, which are then sewn together using a special stitch. With practice, you'll find that paper piecing becomes second nature, allowing you to create beautiful blocks with ease.

One of the benefits of paper piecing is that it allows for some flexibility in terms of shape and size. You can make all sorts of blocks using different shapes and sizes, from tiny stars to large hexagons. Just be sure to start with a piece of paper that's large enough to accommodate your design, so you can trim it down to size as needed.

Incorporating Paper Piecing into Your Quilt

One great way to incorporate paper piecing into your quilt is by using it for the background square or as an accent block. For example, you could create a paper pieced block with a unique shape or design, and then add it to your quilt top in a creative way.

To take this technique to the next level, try pairing paper piecing blocks with other shapes and patterns. For example, you could pair a paper pieced star block with a simple rectangle or triangle block. The combination of these different shapes and textures will create a unique and visually appealing effect that's sure to set your quilt apart.

Tips for Making Paper Piecing Blocks

When it comes to making paper piecing blocks, there are a few key tips to keep in mind. First, make sure you're using high-quality paper templates that are designed specifically for sewing. These templates will help you achieve crisp, clean lines and accurate measurements.

Next, be sure to sew your blocks together slowly and deliberately, using a gentle touch to avoid distorting the fabric or damaging the paper template. Remember to always press those seams open as you go, to ensure a smooth and professional finish.

One final tip for making paper piecing blocks is to experiment with different shapes and patterns until you find one that works for you. Don't be afraid to try new things and make mistakes – it's all part of the process! With practice, you'll develop your skills and become more confident in your ability to create beautiful paper pieced blocks.

Binding Your Quilt by Hand

One of the final steps in sewing a quilt is binding those seams together. While some quilters prefer to use a machine to bind their quilts, there's something special about doing it by hand. Not only does this technique add an extra layer of personal touch to your quilt, but it also allows for a level of precision and control that can be difficult to achieve with a machine.

So how do you bind your quilt by hand? It all starts with preparing your binding strips, which should be cut from the same fabric as your quilt top. Next, take one strip of binding and fold it in half lengthwise, creating a long, thin rectangle. Press that seam open to create a clean finish.

To attach the binding to your quilt, start by sewing the first end of the binding to the edge of the quilt, using a gentle touch to avoid distorting the fabric or damaging the threads. Next, fold the raw edges under and press them to create a crisp, smooth finish. Repeat this process along the entire length of the binding, working slowly and deliberately until your quilt is fully bound.

Tips for Binding Your Quilt

One key tip for binding your quilt by hand is to use high-quality threads that match the color of your fabric as closely as possible. This will help create a seamless finish that's virtually invisible from the outside. Another important consideration is to make sure you're using enough backing fabric, so that your quilt lies flat and even when finished.

With practice, binding your quilt by hand becomes second nature. You'll develop a sense of rhythm and flow as you work, and be able to create beautiful, professional-looking finishes with ease.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhey it's Vanessa I'm back with another video and I wanted to thank you for leaving all your comments below letting me know what quilting means to you and why you love it and so from reading the comments it seems like a lot of us love quilting or enjoy it for the similar reasons and so I'm getting super excited about this new online community that I'm getting ready to put out for all of us quilters and I wanted to briefly go through the types of things that will be in this new online community and there's so many that I really need a list because I can't keep them all in my mind and remember them all so we're gonna have some video classes there's some going to be project-based and some will be technique based it's all going to be quilting or quilted type projects and there's also going to be tons of never-before-seen footage so I'm designing these new projects just for our community members okay now we're also going to be doing collaborative projects where we'll get together and work on projects together as a group right kind of like our own online little guilt then we're also going to have opportunities for you just to work by yourself if you're someone who doesn't want to work with somebody else no problem you'll still be getting tons of information from my different videos and course lessons so that you can feel free to just incorporate it into your quilting style any way that you want to okay you're also going to have the opportunity to ask questions ask advice from other quilters both myself and then all your peers right everybody that's going to be in the community with us will also have a chance to share pictures and show our works in progress and even ask for advice like things like which block do you guys think will go better here and they're just things that you may not necessarily get already by yourself in the real world okay I'm also going to be having some live chats and live stream sessions and I'm working with some sponsors to hold some really fabulous giveaways that are only going to be open to our little online community and then I'm also putting together this really great mystery quilt project so if that's something that you like to do make sure that you stay tuned for more details on all that and so basically this whole new project I've been working on is gonna be pretty amazing as a quilting instructor I really have to credit my teaching style with how popular my online classes and my videos are and I feel like once I get the hang of something I'm confident enough in my teaching abilities that I can pass that knowledge down to somebody else like you so no matter what you may be thinking that this may not be for you I promise you you will be able to come pleat your projects or learn a new technique or skill using my online video lessons and so what I want to do now is kind of show you this new technique that I came across and it's really fun and easy and I promise that after you watch this video I bet you'll be able to do it at home too so this is a really fun and easy technique I learned it from peg spradlin and Jenny Doan they each use some few different shapes and so I went home and gave it a try myself and I want to share it with you guys so that you also can give it a try it's really easy and great for beginners so let me show you this is what I started with here this is a seven inch square and this is a three inch square and without having to cut into my pieces to stitch them together I was able to stitch them up and make them like this so peg Spradlin calls it folding so quilts and I kind of like to call it sandwich piecing because that's what we're doing we're sandwiching the fabrics in so let me show you you can do this any size and pretty much any shape as long as you can do straight seams across I'll show you how that works so for this square I'm just gonna fold it it's just placed on top there's nothing else there sometimes to keep it from moving I will take my little lapel stick here and just dab a little dot and this doesn't have to be in the center it can be off to the side at an angle whatever you want we're just going to do it right in the center so I can show you how I did this one and then what you do is you fold one edge over so where we have the raw edges of our square we fold it over right to where that raw edge is and take it to the ironing board and press that in place so I'm pressing it right where the raw edge of my red square is okay now you take it to your sewing machine and stitch a quarter inch of seam straight down just like you would normally do in your PC so now what happens when we open this up is that the raw edge on the side there of the red square is now encased in here so you can just take it over press it open just like you normally would and you're gonna repeat that till you in case all the four sides so then I would come to this side first or second I should say like the opposite side of the other one that we just did press it first so it holds it in place and stays crisp and again stitch your quarter inch seam allowance come back to my pressing board press that seam open and once those two sides are done we can just repeat this to the other two raw edges so you would repeat that here and here and then you would end up with this little square and sometimes your edges may be a little wonky especially if you set things at an angle or you're messing around with different shapes that are not just squares or rectangles and all you have to do is make sure that you start off with pieces large enough so that you can then trim them down to a smaller size and get rid of any wonky sides so let me show you a few samples that I did here using different ways I use the rectangle for this one and offset it a little bit further down so you can see that this block can be put into a quilt in any kind of way you can make a ton of them just the same and then alternate them kind of make it look like little confetti spots sparkled or sprinkled around your quilt top that would be cute and then this one I did it with a triangle as well and so you can fit that in remember just do one do the other side the other side just so that the raw edges of whatever the shape is is encased in there now here's a cool one that I tried I did something a little bit different with and I'll show you how I ended up with this in here in the middle I got my background square and I got two strips that are the same size and I put one wherever you want it and the other one right on top and then I sandwiched it in there with all of these layers so notice when I stitch that seam down I'm going to end up with both of these raw edges encased in there so when we open it up we'll end up with this one and then I just repeated that to the outer seams on the long sides and then again on the short sides and you end up with this really cool-looking block so how fun is that super quick and easy technique huh I hope you guys will give it a try and I bet you'll be cranking out some really funky and cool blocks for your next quilt project so now let me briefly read you a few different testimonials from some of my students who probably thought like you did that they couldn't do something and after they watched my instructional videos all that changed so the first one comes from joy she says hi Vanessa I just wanted to thank you for your YouTube presentation on sewing the binding of a quilt onto the back by hand I have been quilting for about five years and I realized that I had never seen anyone actually do that I started my new quilt binding last night right after I watched your video and it's turning out so nice in capital letters she writes I can't believe it I have always just haphazardly sewn them on or done it by machine which isn't that great so thank you for taking the time to put that video up I have found your blog and appreciate all that you do so the next one here comes from Sandra she says I have been struggling for years and staying away from paper piecing I found your instructions and your video made it so clear and trust me I have watched all the big sewers and read every book I could and they made no sense to me your video made it so clear thank you okay so that's someone for paper piecing and now the last tutorial testimonial that I have here comes from Linda and so she says thank you so much for doing up this very simple paper piecing method tutorial I'm a relatively new quilter in that I have been quilting for just over a year I'm a visual learner and my situation has changed dramatically and I find that I can no longer attend my school of quilting at a quilt shop located out of my County I have a block of the month block to do that is paper pieced and I've been totally terrified to do it until I have now seen your amazing tutorial I noted your other tutorials and I'm thrilled that these are here and available to me in my learning stages so you hear firsthand from some of my students if you're ready to take your quilting to the next level and make some lifelong friends then make sure that you stay tuned for my next video where I'm gonna be sharing with you the details of the new online community for quilters that I'm building right here also be on the lookout for my next email because this opportunity will be available for a limited time only so I hope you're getting excited because I know I am getting excited and I want to hear from you go ahead and leave me a comment below and let me know what part of this whole new online community that I'm bringing up are you looking forward to the most thanks again for watching and I'll see you in the next videohey it's Vanessa I'm back with another video and I wanted to thank you for leaving all your comments below letting me know what quilting means to you and why you love it and so from reading the comments it seems like a lot of us love quilting or enjoy it for the similar reasons and so I'm getting super excited about this new online community that I'm getting ready to put out for all of us quilters and I wanted to briefly go through the types of things that will be in this new online community and there's so many that I really need a list because I can't keep them all in my mind and remember them all so we're gonna have some video classes there's some going to be project-based and some will be technique based it's all going to be quilting or quilted type projects and there's also going to be tons of never-before-seen footage so I'm designing these new projects just for our community members okay now we're also going to be doing collaborative projects where we'll get together and work on projects together as a group right kind of like our own online little guilt then we're also going to have opportunities for you just to work by yourself if you're someone who doesn't want to work with somebody else no problem you'll still be getting tons of information from my different videos and course lessons so that you can feel free to just incorporate it into your quilting style any way that you want to okay you're also going to have the opportunity to ask questions ask advice from other quilters both myself and then all your peers right everybody that's going to be in the community with us will also have a chance to share pictures and show our works in progress and even ask for advice like things like which block do you guys think will go better here and they're just things that you may not necessarily get already by yourself in the real world okay I'm also going to be having some live chats and live stream sessions and I'm working with some sponsors to hold some really fabulous giveaways that are only going to be open to our little online community and then I'm also putting together this really great mystery quilt project so if that's something that you like to do make sure that you stay tuned for more details on all that and so basically this whole new project I've been working on is gonna be pretty amazing as a quilting instructor I really have to credit my teaching style with how popular my online classes and my videos are and I feel like once I get the hang of something I'm confident enough in my teaching abilities that I can pass that knowledge down to somebody else like you so no matter what you may be thinking that this may not be for you I promise you you will be able to come pleat your projects or learn a new technique or skill using my online video lessons and so what I want to do now is kind of show you this new technique that I came across and it's really fun and easy and I promise that after you watch this video I bet you'll be able to do it at home too so this is a really fun and easy technique I learned it from peg spradlin and Jenny Doan they each use some few different shapes and so I went home and gave it a try myself and I want to share it with you guys so that you also can give it a try it's really easy and great for beginners so let me show you this is what I started with here this is a seven inch square and this is a three inch square and without having to cut into my pieces to stitch them together I was able to stitch them up and make them like this so peg Spradlin calls it folding so quilts and I kind of like to call it sandwich piecing because that's what we're doing we're sandwiching the fabrics in so let me show you you can do this any size and pretty much any shape as long as you can do straight seams across I'll show you how that works so for this square I'm just gonna fold it it's just placed on top there's nothing else there sometimes to keep it from moving I will take my little lapel stick here and just dab a little dot and this doesn't have to be in the center it can be off to the side at an angle whatever you want we're just going to do it right in the center so I can show you how I did this one and then what you do is you fold one edge over so where we have the raw edges of our square we fold it over right to where that raw edge is and take it to the ironing board and press that in place so I'm pressing it right where the raw edge of my red square is okay now you take it to your sewing machine and stitch a quarter inch of seam straight down just like you would normally do in your PC so now what happens when we open this up is that the raw edge on the side there of the red square is now encased in here so you can just take it over press it open just like you normally would and you're gonna repeat that till you in case all the four sides so then I would come to this side first or second I should say like the opposite side of the other one that we just did press it first so it holds it in place and stays crisp and again stitch your quarter inch seam allowance come back to my pressing board press that seam open and once those two sides are done we can just repeat this to the other two raw edges so you would repeat that here and here and then you would end up with this little square and sometimes your edges may be a little wonky especially if you set things at an angle or you're messing around with different shapes that are not just squares or rectangles and all you have to do is make sure that you start off with pieces large enough so that you can then trim them down to a smaller size and get rid of any wonky sides so let me show you a few samples that I did here using different ways I use the rectangle for this one and offset it a little bit further down so you can see that this block can be put into a quilt in any kind of way you can make a ton of them just the same and then alternate them kind of make it look like little confetti spots sparkled or sprinkled around your quilt top that would be cute and then this one I did it with a triangle as well and so you can fit that in remember just do one do the other side the other side just so that the raw edges of whatever the shape is is encased in there now here's a cool one that I tried I did something a little bit different with and I'll show you how I ended up with this in here in the middle I got my background square and I got two strips that are the same size and I put one wherever you want it and the other one right on top and then I sandwiched it in there with all of these layers so notice when I stitch that seam down I'm going to end up with both of these raw edges encased in there so when we open it up we'll end up with this one and then I just repeated that to the outer seams on the long sides and then again on the short sides and you end up with this really cool-looking block so how fun is that super quick and easy technique huh I hope you guys will give it a try and I bet you'll be cranking out some really funky and cool blocks for your next quilt project so now let me briefly read you a few different testimonials from some of my students who probably thought like you did that they couldn't do something and after they watched my instructional videos all that changed so the first one comes from joy she says hi Vanessa I just wanted to thank you for your YouTube presentation on sewing the binding of a quilt onto the back by hand I have been quilting for about five years and I realized that I had never seen anyone actually do that I started my new quilt binding last night right after I watched your video and it's turning out so nice in capital letters she writes I can't believe it I have always just haphazardly sewn them on or done it by machine which isn't that great so thank you for taking the time to put that video up I have found your blog and appreciate all that you do so the next one here comes from Sandra she says I have been struggling for years and staying away from paper piecing I found your instructions and your video made it so clear and trust me I have watched all the big sewers and read every book I could and they made no sense to me your video made it so clear thank you okay so that's someone for paper piecing and now the last tutorial testimonial that I have here comes from Linda and so she says thank you so much for doing up this very simple paper piecing method tutorial I'm a relatively new quilter in that I have been quilting for just over a year I'm a visual learner and my situation has changed dramatically and I find that I can no longer attend my school of quilting at a quilt shop located out of my County I have a block of the month block to do that is paper pieced and I've been totally terrified to do it until I have now seen your amazing tutorial I noted your other tutorials and I'm thrilled that these are here and available to me in my learning stages so you hear firsthand from some of my students if you're ready to take your quilting to the next level and make some lifelong friends then make sure that you stay tuned for my next video where I'm gonna be sharing with you the details of the new online community for quilters that I'm building right here also be on the lookout for my next email because this opportunity will be available for a limited time only so I hope you're getting excited because I know I am getting excited and I want to hear from you go ahead and leave me a comment below and let me know what part of this whole new online community that I'm bringing up are you looking forward to the most thanks again for watching and I'll see you in the next video\n"