How do you make a reversible/two sided quilt?
 

Hi everyone. I've been thinking about lovely it would be to make a reversible quilt and wondered how hard they are to make. Can anyone lead me to any links or give any advice?

Many thanks for your help.
Anna-Marie

I have not tried it, but I wonder if it would be harder to quilt or heavier? I have only been quilting 3 years though, so there will be many more expert than I am to guide you. This will be interesting to read about.

Dina

Hi Dina. Thank you for your reply. I've only been quilting a year so would really appreciate all help and advice. I have no idea as to how easy or hard they are to do. It just seems like it would be a nice idea for that quilt where you have a lot of fabric left to make a top but not enough to back it (if that makes sense).

Anna-Marie.

This is a very good book on them:Reversible Quilts:Two at a time by Sharon Pederson. Many of my fellow guild members have made them.

Thanks lots2do. I've just looked on Amazon and found a copy. x

What about doing a Quilt-as-you-go pattern with whatever block you want on the back? I would have automatic sashing but they are nice. See quilt as you go videos on youtube.

If you think about it, any quilt is reversible. Some just have more interest on the back. Quilting two tops together can be more difficult several ways. Keeping them straight and lined up can be hard, especially if you are sending the quilt out to a longarmer, who may not understand how you want them to line up. If you're not longarming the quilt, then the additional seams will add some bulk that might cause problems on a DSM. Here's a quilt that I did that had two tops - http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...k-t216883.html I've also pieced some backs to the point that they might as well have been tops - http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...rs-t82165.html

great examples.

I'm currently doing one that the back is a single piece of fabric (WOF) down the center with blocks on either side and a border around it all. Not quite double sided but close. It is the first (other than a baby quilt completely made out of a jelly roll) that I've done this way. Have it sandwiched but not quilted yet.

Usually I make the back with blocks left over from the front, or a stripe consisting of lengths of coordinating fabric. For quilting a two-sided quilt I've used a simple meander, as it will go with whatever pattern is on the front or back and one isn't bound by differing seam lines.

I have done the Salted Peanut table runner. It's in Sharon Pederson's "More Reversible Quilts". One side is Christmas and the other is done in batiks. I love it and made it several years ago when I was a beginner. All patterns in this book appear to use a QAYG method.

I saw several of the quilts from the Pederson books recently and they were so nice. I was afraid the sashing method would be thicker or thinner than the blocks, but it was very similar in weight and drape to the rest of the quilt. Nice technique.

reversible quilt
 

Check out The Quilt Show,click on Bernina Educational Videos,scroll down to One Step Quilting. The project they are demoing is a bookcover,but, the technique can be used on any size quilt. They do mention in the video that this is a great method to use for baby quilts, as the sewing will be very sturdy. You do not need to subscribe to The Quilt Show in order to watch the Bernina videos.

Thank you for your replies everyone! They are just gorgeous examples Dunster. How did you quilt these if you don't mind me asking? On a long arm?

There is another book called "Turn Me Over, I'm Reversible" by Kaye Wood. I made a baby quilt from it and it was really easy and quite good fun (I have made it twice, it's my standard baby shower gift). The quilts are all done in one step, as there is no quilting after they are done.

One of the most astounding reversible quilts I ever saw was a log cabin by a Japanese quilter at the Houston International Quilt Festival years ago.
How she ever keep the two sides - which were two different blocks - in mind I'll never know.:shock: It must have been like backing a trailer, patting her head, and rubbing her tummy all at the same time!
This was pieced in a Quilt-as-You-Go method that I later learned from Karen Stone. It's surprisingly simple though a bit time consuming. When the block is done, it has also been quilted, so there's no need to do more when the top is assembled. Not sure I can explain it here in words; it's a technique that is much easier visually done. Surely someone has written a book or tute on it by now.

Jan in VA

Quilter2090 - THX so much for sharing the Quilt Show tute! It is a fascinating method I plan to use. I did not realize free videos were there.

Thank you Jan in VA. I will have a look at the quilt as you go method. I've only been quilting for a year so still have a lot to learn.

I have made several with no issues. You just have to line up the front of the top with the back. Its no heavier and no issues with the seams or FMQ'ing. I love the two sided quilts.

I am in the process of making a reversible quilt. I got the idea from this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bSGZbxfekw

I can't understand the language, but the video is so excellent, and it's easy to understand.

I am making it to use up strips, but in actual fact, I see no reason why you couldn't quilt a square made with solid fabrics, cut, flip one and join them into a Drunkard's path type of quilt. Using the bias fabric makes it so easy to do the curves, and I see no problems in joining the blocks.

Craftsy has a class with Elizabeth Hartman called Creative Quilt Backs. I believe it is free. Some of the quilt backs that she shows make the quilt just as interesting on the 'back' as the 'front'. Who decides which is the right way up!!

One of the best two-sided quilts is a sew and flip. I don't have a site for it but you could probably find one.

It isn't hard at all. I made a jelly roll quilt top (first one) and I had NFL material for a top. I put the quilt pieces together face to face then lay fleece on top and sew all around leaving an opening for you to turn right side out. Stitch the opening closed. I pressed all outside seams then tied it. You can also do sid. Make sure all is trimmed and corners are cut before turning and poke out your corners well before the final stitches. It is like making an envelope. I have only been quilting for about 3 years. Take some scrap material and make a sandwich. I used a 10X10 piece and made bigger stitches so I could take it apart easier. You will see it isn't hard. I had a piece of flannel that I added boarders to then smooth it out on another piece of flannel face to face. Pin in place,sew all around,trim and cut corners. Turn and finish sewing that small area you left open. I pressed well then pinned again and did stitch in the ditch all around. It came out so nice. Try it you will be surprised how easy it is. You can also go to Missouri Star Quilt and Jenny will show you how she makes a self binding baby blanket using flannel. That is cute also. I got a little mixed up with the corners so did it my way.

No one has yet suggested Betty Cotton. She has several books out. Her blocks are sewn together in highways, free ways, one way streets, sidewalks, and intersections. I've made several blocks with this method and a very large wall hanging. Completely reversible. My friend made one of the 50 state birds embroidered on the front squares. (7 by 7, and the 50th one was a pillow.) The back was just as pretty.

Make it a QAYG.... That way the back squares can be a different fabric from the front or can be the same. It will make a reversible quilt. Crafty has a class showing how it can be done.....had a friend who did one and it is beautiful.

Beautiful quilts!

I did one for my DH....tee shirt on the back and a ROLL TIDE on the front. Turned out really well.

Has anyone tried the "Cotton Theory Quilting" method? I just got the book and DVD. Looks really beautiful.

Have not tried a two sided quilt yet, but I do have some fun making the back a bit more interesting. I will use borders and cornerstones or stripes down the center. Just have fun with it

I am accidentally making a two-sided quilt... I bought the two panel version of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and the two pieces are 20"x20" each, I think too large to both have on one side of a baby quilt. So I am trying to make one on each side with a tree branch and cocoon to join them. And some other stuff to round out the approx. 40" x 45" quilt. I am NOT good at geometry and am driving myself nuts trying to design this so it looks good on both sides. So far I think the caterpillar and butterfly panels need to be QAYG and then directly opposite (behind) each other. The HSTs and other stuff can be lined up well enough I think... I am concerned that the panels will be too thick even with the thinnest batting, but this is as far as my tiny brain can figure this out. And no, wine has not helped.

I don't make any, just put some blocks on the back. It is not easy trying to line both sides up.

Backing Up Your Quilt
 

Every quilt I make is reversible. I make sure that the backing on each quilt that I create is pretty enough to flip that over. Some of them are hand quilted, some are machine quilted, some are sent out to the long arm quilter. I use fabrics that compliment the front. Here are just a few, quilted differently. I have been quilting since January 01, 2011 when I retired.

Many thanks to everyone for your replies. LOVE the quilting pics posted too! :)

I consider all my quilts to be reversible. I take as much care choosing the backing fabric as I do the front, and make sure the binding will work with the backing as well as the front. To me this allows for a multicolor pieced front, and a single color/pattern for back. I like that one is more busy, and the other more calm.

This is really a good book to use in my opinion. I have made a few using her method. You might look at my quilts I made using her book. "Buffalo Quilt", "Twin Solitudes" and "Hope's Rose Garden"they are on the board under quilts. The last one I made was "Hope's Rose Garden". The Buffalo quilt and Hope's Rose Garden wer both king size and Twin Solitudes was a queen. I would recommend her book. They are not hard at all. If you purchase the book and have any questions p.m. me and I will help all I can. The joining strips or sashing whatever you want to call them, are not at all hard and you are just butting the two blocks together when you do these strips, and folding the top strip over to sew it down. The bottom strip connects the two blocks. When you are finished with each block the quilting is done. You can do this with strips on each side making a scrappy quilt or use solid blocks like I did.

I am in the process of making a queen sized, 2 sided quilt. One side has pieced round, log cabins (can't describe them any other way), and the other side is 6" blocks. I have found that because of all the seams on both front and back, it is VERY heavy! Not sure how I am going to quilt it yet. I made the quilt 2 sided in order to use up some more of my fabrics.

Anita

I made a table runner. I did a bargello design with Xmas fabric on the front and then the backing was a DP9 patch. You have to make your backing quilt a little bit bigger. The quilt also may be is a bit more bulky because you are going thru twice the number of seams than normal. Make sure you have a very sharp new needle when you start quilting. Good Luck !!!

I made one with a quilt as you go sort of technique. On side one, I made a bright block with a white BG. For the opposite side I made the nearly identical block with a black background.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]418500[/ATTACH]

Quilts
 

Thank you to everyone for your ideas, quilts, advice and experience. Love the pictures!! Many thanks.

QuiltingHaven & sew_Tracy - I love your quilt ideas for the back and front.