Chelcee

So, when i sew them all together, do I sew them right side up? Do i need to fold the edges over and sew them that way?

Quilter 65

It is always nice to get the first one under your belt. It looks great. Thanks for sharing.

hopetoquilt

1. buy a piece of fabric for the backing that is at least 4 inches wider and longer than your top.
2. buy a piece of batting (either in a bag or off the roll) that is at least 4 inches wider and longer than the top. Look at the instructions on the batting. It will tell you how closely you need to quilt it for the batting to stay together when washed. I prefer something that only needs to be quilted every 4 or more inches. I feel like cotton batting is easier to use (but this is just my opinion and others prefer other batting)
3. iron the backing. Place the backing good side facing the floor. tape it to the floor (pulled flat but not stretched). Put the batting on top. Put the quilt top on top of that (with the good side showing). This is your quilt sandwich.
4. Safety pin the quilt sandwich together. Pins should be placed about a fist width apart (try to stagger rows).
5. Machine quilt. I recommend using the walking foot and stitching in the ditch. If you use a thread color like light gray or tan, it should fade into the quilt more (hiding mistakes). Look at the colors in the quilt and pick one thread that looks good. When you sew, usually, you sew with the quilt face up.
6. In the border, the easiest way to fill it is to make lines all the way around. An easier way to do it is to stitch in the ditch around the border and then mark the next line by using masking tape. quilt next to the tape and then move the tape next to that line... all the way around until you have filled in the border fabric enough to be pleased with it.
7. Come back to this quilting board to find out how to add a binding. I prefer the look of the added binding to a folded over binding but others have other opinions.

quiltinmom

I sometimes use embroidery floss instead of yarn to do ties in baby quilts. I will do regular ties or sometimes use other stitches, similar to some cross-stitch stitches (if you know any cross-stitch). I've used crow's foot, a regular x, lazy daisy, etc. Or you could take a needle with yarn or embroidery floss and stitch a random/freehand design in the border.

I wish I could give some advice about finishing it, but i'm so bad at describing without you being here in person...but good luck with that part.

Peckish

I know you said you wanted to avoid the yarn tuft things in the borders, which I think means you don't want to tie the quilt at all. However, tying is still an easy, simple way to finish a quilt, and you can always tie french knots in the top and have the "tufts" on the back of the quilt where they won't show. Just a thought. If you'd prefer quilting it, another good option for beginners is to use a decorative stitch on your sewing machine. I know one quilter who selected a wavy stitch on her machine and the quilt is gorgeous.

http://www.redpepperquilts.com/2010/...oin-quilt.html

Good luck and make sure you post pics of the finished quilt!

mom-6

I am new at machine quilting, and what I've found easiest so far is doing wavy diagonal lines from corner to corner through the squares, continuing all the way to the outer edges of the border. On a rectangular quilt like yours, the line starting at any given corner of the border will end up about 3/4 of the way up the long side (not actually go corner to corner of the quilt). Hope that makes sense. . .if not PM me and I will try to explain more clearly.

Since the lines are wavy and irregular, there is no way to tell if they are 'right' or not! If you want to, you can go back and do it the other way as well, creating a diamond shaped lattice instead of just the diagonal waves. Depending on the quilt I may or may not go both ways with it.

Sewnoma

Congratulations on your first quilt! I don't have anything to add that hasn't already been said - but please do post pics of the finished product. I'm sure it'll be wonderful!

Maureen

Make sure you smooth out each layer starting with you top upside down then the batting then your backing(right side up) and use lots and lots of pins. You will be glad you did.