How to Make a Quilt for Beginners: 12 Steps from Pattern to Binding

How to make a quilt, step by step

1. Choose a simple pattern and size. Pick a patchwork of squares or large blocks and a small finished size, such as a 40 x 40 in baby quilt or a 50 x 65 in throw. Check sizes on the quilt size chart.
2. Calculate and buy fabric. Work out yardage for the top, backing and binding, and buy batting a few inches larger than the top on every side. A 80/20 batt such as Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 Queen is forgiving for beginners.
3. Prewash or not, then press. Decide whether to prewash cotton (it can shrink about 3 to 5 percent), then press every fabric smooth with a steam iron such as the Rowenta Pro Master before cutting.
4. Cut accurate strips and squares. Fold fabric selvage to selvage, square the edge, then cut strips and subcut squares with a Olfa RTY-2/C 45mm, a Olfa 24x36 Mat mat and a long Creative Grids 6-1/2 x 24-1/2 ruler.
5. Lay out the design. Arrange the squares on a bed, floor or a flannel Missouri Star Design Wall until the colors are balanced, then stack each row in order.
6. Sew rows with a 1/4 in seam. Sew the squares in each row right sides together with an accurate 1/4 in seam, using fine Clover Fine Patchwork Pins at each seam and a 50wt cotton thread such as Aurifil 50wt White.
7. Press seams and join the rows. Press seams in alternating directions row by row so they nest, then sew the rows together, matching seams. Press the finished top from the back, then the front.
8. Make the backing. Piece 42 in cotton into a backing 4 in larger than the top on every side, or use 108 in wide backing such as ROC-lon 108 in Backing for no seams.
9. Baste the quilt sandwich. Tape the pressed backing wrong side up to a table or floor, smooth the batting on top, center the quilt top right side up, then hold the layers with curved safety pins or a light mist of Odif 505.
10. Quilt the layers. Using a walking foot and a longer stitch of about 3 mm, stitch straight lines from the center out, in the seams or 1/4 in beside them. Mark any guide lines with a Clover Chaco Liner.
11. Trim and bind. Trim the batting and backing even with the top, sew 2 1/2 in double-fold binding strips to the front, then fold to the back and stitch down, holding it with Clover Wonder Clips 50.
12. Label and wash. Stitch a label with your name and the year to the back. Wash on cold and dry low if you like the soft crinkled look.

What supplies do you need to make a quilt?

You need less than quilt shops suggest. A sewing machine that sews a reliable straight stitch, basic cutting tools, an iron and a handful of notions will finish a first quilt. Here is a practical starter list with approximate current prices; if you already own a machine and an iron, the rest costs around $300.

A walking foot, which feeds the top layer at the same rate as the feed dogs move the backing, is the one accessory worth buying for your specific machine model if it did not come with one. For three complete shopping lists at different budgets, see the beginner quilting setup.

What is the easiest quilt for a beginner to make?

A simple patchwork of squares. There are no points to match, no triangles to stretch, and every seam is straight. Squares cut at 5 1/2 in finish at 5 in once sewn, which makes the math friendly: 8 squares across is a 40 in quilt, and 10 across by 13 down is a 50 x 65 in throw.

The two plans below list everything to buy, computed with 40 in of usable fabric width, 4 in of extra backing per side and 2 1/2 in binding strips. If you would rather skip the cutting, a charm pack of 5 in squares or a layer cake of 10 in squares works for the same style of quilt, finishing a little smaller.

See the detailed pages for baby quilt sizes and throw quilt sizes, or check your own layout with the blocks needed calculator. Once squares feel easy, half square triangles are the natural next skill.

Can you make a quilt with a regular sewing machine?

Yes. Every quilt top is pieced on a regular sewing machine, because piecing is simply accurate straight seams. Quilting the layers together also works on a regular machine for baby quilts, throws and, with patience, twin quilts. What makes it easier:

• A walking foot or built-in dual feed for straight-line quilting, so the backing does not pucker.
• Throat space, the distance from the needle to the machine body. Six to 7 in handles baby quilts; 8 to 9 in makes throws comfortable.
• A large, flat surface around the machine so the quilt never hangs off the table and drags.
• A needle-down setting and a knee lifter, so you can pivot without letting go of the quilt.

An entry-level machine like the Brother CS7000X at about $280 can piece and quilt a first quilt. Quilters who stick with it usually upgrade to a machine with more room and power, such as the Juki TL-2010Q, a 1,500 stitch per minute straight-stitch machine with an automatic thread trimmer and a knee lifter. Our best quilting machines for beginners roundup compares the options.

How do you quilt a quilt on a sewing machine?

Start with straight lines. They are the easiest way to hold the layers together and they look clean on patchwork.

1. Stitch in the ditch, sewing right in the seam lines between rows, first down the center, then outward, to anchor the layers.
2. Add lines 1/4 in beside the seams or a diagonal grid through the squares, using the edge of the walking foot as a guide.
3. Lengthen the stitch to about 3 mm so it glides through the layers.
4. Roll the quilt toward the center from both sides so only a narrow band passes under the arm.
5. Keep lines within the batting's limit. Every batting has a maximum distance between quilting lines; an 80/20 cotton blend is typically quilted no more than 4 in apart.

Free-motion quilting, where you drop the feed dogs and move the quilt in any direction, comes later. Our free-motion quilting for beginners guide has a practice plan, and how to choose quilt batting explains quilting distance.

What mistakes do beginner quilters make?

• Seams that are not quite 1/4 in. Being off by a thread on every seam adds up across a row. Sew a test: three 2 1/2 in strips sewn together should measure 6 1/2 in wide. Adjust needle position or use a 1/4 in foot until it does.
• Ironing instead of pressing. Sliding the iron stretches fabric. Lift and press straight down.
• A backing that is too small. Layers shift while quilting. Keep at least 2 to 4 in extra on every side, and 4 to 6 in if a longarmer will quilt it.
• Skipping basting. Pins every 4 to 5 in or basting spray keeps tucks out of the back.
• Starting too big. A queen as a first quilt means wrestling more than 8 yards of backing through a small machine. Make a baby quilt or throw first.
• Working in poor light. Accurate cutting and seam matching depend on seeing the lines. A daylight floor lamp such as the OttLite ClearSun Floor over the cutting and sewing area makes a surprising difference, especially for eyes over 50.

How long does it take to make a quilt with a sewing machine?

It depends on size, pattern and how often you sit down to sew, so beginners are better served by thinking in stages than hours. A simple square-patch baby quilt breaks into five sessions: cutting, sewing the rows, joining rows and making the backing, basting and quilting, then binding. Hand-stitching the binding to the back is often the longest single stage; machine binding is quicker.

What speeds things up most is not rushing the sewing but removing the fiddly bits: cutting several layers at once, pressing at the machine, a thread cutter instead of snipping every seam, and a table that supports the quilt. A die cutter such as the AccuQuilt GO! Big cuts up to 6 layers of fabric per pass, which is why quilters who make many quilts eventually add one. When you are ready for bigger quilts, a drop-in cabinet like the Kangaroo with Joey sets the machine flush with a 71 1/2 x 40 1/2 in open surface.