15 Things I Learned About Quilting (Before I Even Started!)
I'm about to start my first quilt and I've gone down every possible rabbit hole of research I could find!
As someone who's been sewing clothes since I was 8, I figured quilting would be pretty straightforward - but turns out there's a whole new world of techniques and tips to learn.
Before I cut into my first piece of fabric, I wanted to share everything I've discovered from countless hours of YouTube tutorials, quilting blogs, and yes, even TikTok scrolling.
Whether you're thinking about making your first quilt or just curious about what goes into it, here are 15 things I learned during my pre-quilting research that I'm keeping in mind as I start this new adventure!
1. Iron and starch quilt front face fabrics before cutting anything. Do not wash.
To be honest, I wasn’t so sure about this one before I started.
Before I start any clothing project, the first thing you do is wash the fabric.
So this goes against what I typically do!
But, I was so excited to get started that I gave my front fabrics an iron and starch immediately after I got home from buying them!
And after a few cuts, I can tell it’s 100% worth it to starch your fabrics.
2. Double check what a 1/4” seam allowance is on your presser foot.
Before starting, I hadn’t even considered checking my seam allowance.
I’m using my mom’s old, all metal Kenmore machine from the 70’s (truly a workhorse of a machine to have!) and she got her college degree in fashion design.
She always said that on her machine the edge of the presser foot was a 1/4” and I just trusted that to be true.
So I wanted to measure just to make sure that if I had any seam allowance problems while working on the project that I’d already ruled that out.
She was right, though! The edge of the presser foot is 1/4”. She definitely knew her machine.
My machine, however, I’ll have to check it before I use it for quilting!
3. Pre-Cut fabrics can make quilting for the first time easier.
You know what sewing clothes and quilts have in common? Buying fabric. I might not know much about quilting, but I do know about buying fabric!
For quilting, there are a bunch of different ways to buy fabric. (my favorite way to buy is on sale!)
The two big categories are yardage and pre-cuts. Let’s talk about the options.
Yardage
This is the fabric that you see on the bolts lining the aisles of whatever craft store.
The fabric choices are endless and you can totally customize your quilt with whatever you want.
Pre-Cut Fabrics
There is a little bit of jargon to know when it comes to the pre-cuts. Pre-cut fabrics often come in coordinated color packs. Here’s what you need to know about the different sizes of pre-cut fabric:
Fat Quarters & Fat Eighths
Fat quarters are what you get if you were to break down 1 yard of fabric into 4 equal quadrants. Fat eights are if you took a fat quarter and cut it in half again.
Layer Cakes
Layer cakes (from what I can tell) are 10” squares that come in packs of 42.
Charm Packs & Mini Charm Packs
Charm packs are also squares, but much smaller. Charm packs are made of 5” squares and mini charm packs are 2.5” squares.
Jelly Rolls & Honey Buns
Jelly rolls and honey buns are made of strips of fabric instead of squares. Jelly rolls are 2.5” wide and honey buns are 1.5” wide.
4. Wash the backing fabric, but not the front fabrics.
It seems like any shrinking on the front is better off occurring after the quilt is completely finished. But, since the backing is made of big pieces, getting that fabric pre-shrunk before putting the backing on is important.
I kind of just assumed that you washed the whole thing at the end when all is said and done, but nope!
Wash that backing fabric, friends.
5. IRON
If you don’t like ironing, quilting (even sewing altogether) might not be for you.
After every step, there is some kind of pressing that needs to happen to make the project go as smoothly as possible.
And, STEAM. Quilting cotton can withstand the higher temps of an iron. I’ve been sewing clothes since I was 8 and using steam on cotton makes things go incredible smooth and quick.
6. Press seams according to pattern directions or nest them (whatever that means!)
There seems to be a lot of debate on whether seams should be press in one directions or open.
I don’t know what camp I’ll end up being in.
For now, I’m team follow the directions on whatever pattern I’m using.
I figure since they’ve made the quilt, they know the best direction to press, ya know?
7. Binding fabric is not cut on the bias like in clothing sewing.
This once again harkens to my background in sewing clothes.
Anytime I need to bind a neckline or arm hole, I use a binding that’s been cut on the bias. (called bias tape) This allows me to bind around curves and keep a smooth finish.
But, when looking at the pattern I chose for my first quilt, I noticed that I just had to cut straight strips of fabric.
Easy enough!
8. Don’t sew every row in the same direction
I was scrolling quilting videos on TikTok and Instagram (as one does) and someone posted a video asking why their rows weren’t lining up on the ends.
Each row was sliding a bit and looked a little longer than the last.
Many quilters chimed in and recommended that instead of working from one end to the other in the same direction every single time (for example, top to bottom) that it would be helpful to work top to bottom, then bottom to top. Doing so, along with more pinning, seems to be the best consensus to avoid sliding.
9. Walking foot = necessary for quilting
With as many layers as you are putting through a machine while quilting, there is a concern with the bottom fabric moving at a different rate than the top fabric.
(And there’s nothing worse than turning over a project and finding problems with the bottom thread!)
From what I can tell, a walking foot saves you from the headache of puckering and pleating in your backing fabric.
If it saves me a headache and time trying to solve the puckering problem, then I’m all in.
10. Mark where you want your quilt lines before starting.
From what I can tell, this is especially important for any quilt that isn’t using the quilt top as a guide or if you aren’t doing edge to edge quilting.
I might be delusional and regret it later but since my quilt is buffalo plaid, I’m going to use the seams of the quilt top as my guide.
(If you’re an experienced quilter, is this totally out of pocket? Let me know in the comments!)
11. Use a pattern.
Thank god the internet exists, am I right?
With Youtube and Pinterest I found a pattern and tutorials to walk me through any questions I have.
Crossed fingers that I don’t have too many problems that require a Google search!
12. Use a rotary cutter, not scissors.
My mom taught me to cut clothing patterns with scissors, so that’s what I’m used to.
But I have to say, the rotary cutter, cutting mat, and clear 6x24 inch ruler made cutting everything super easy and precise. They are essentials in my opinion!
13. There are a million different batting options.
Start by looking at your local craft or quilting stores. But I ended up with this one from Amazon because the price was right and the reviews were good. I also love an all cotton quilt, so I went with cotton batting.
14. make sure you have the thread and needles you need.
I’m guessing that there is a specific needle and thread that I’ll need to grab when it comes time to start quilting.
Guess I need to figure that out!
15. Learn as you go, tear out seams if you mess up, and have fun!
As with any new hobby, there are going to be screw ups and whoopsies. No sewing project goes without one! Put on your patience pants and have fun making your first quilt!
Well, there you have it - everything I've learned about quilting before even making my first stitch!
I'm sure I'll have plenty more to share once I actually finish this project.
For now, I'm feeling pretty prepared with all these tips in my back pocket. My fabric is starched, my walking foot is ordered, and I'm ready to dive in!
If any experienced quilters are reading this, I'd love to hear if these pre-project lessons align with your experience. And if you're a fellow beginner thinking about starting your first quilt, hopefully these tips help you feel a bit more confident about jumping in.
Now, excuse me while I get to work!