applique quilts, rag quilts, pieced quilts, quilts kids can make

Quilts are sew much fun to make. They are very rewarding too. Quilts can be hung as a decoration, or used to keep you warm on your bed, or just to put on your lap while your watching TV. (that's something I never do, because I am always sewing!) Many of my students have made quilts as gifts too. Grand mom's and Nana's really like to receive quilts for gifts!!! Handmade Quilts make a great heirloom.

Learn to Sew - Very Easy Quilt Kits

In general there are 3 different kind of Quilts.

Appliqué - This is probably my favorite kind. It's simple; you draw on paper (or find a drawing) (coloring books work well) of what you want, you pin it and cut it out of your fabric, and you either zigzag or use some fancy type of stitch to put it on your background fabric. Once my students are done the "top" of their quilt, than we put the middle layer called "batting" and then we put the back together and we straight stitch around the zigzag. That is the the quilting, sewing the three layers together. Here are two examples of appliqué quilts. The one to the right was somewhat easy, and the one to the left was a difficult task.

Click here to learn more about making an "Appliqué Quilt"

Pieced Quilts - Pieced quilts can be squares or stripes sewn together. It is just pieces of fabric sewn together to make the top of the quilt. I pre-cut 5" squares for my students. They make a quilt that I call "my 1st quilt". It is very easy to make. If you have never made a quilt before, I suggest you start with this one. Once the top of your quilt is done, put the batting in the middle, add your backing, with the pretty sides facing the batting stitch around the edges leaving an opening. Trim, turn to pretty sides out and hand stitch the opening closed. Then get pretty ribbon or yarn and tie knots here and there on your quilt. That is the quilting process, the knots. Here are 2 pictures of this kind of quilt.

Click here to learn more about making an "Easy Pieced Quilt"

Ragged Quilts - With rag quilts you actually do the quilting process first, before you put your whole quilt together. You take we'll say, 6" squares, use them for front and back. Then take a 4" square of batting. Sew an X over the square. There, you just quilted your first square. Do this to all of them. THEN sew all your squared together. Then clip your seams, don't trim them, clip them. Then wash and dry your quilt and it is ragged!!! Here are 2 examples of rag quilts that Kids Can Make.

Click here to learn more about making a "Rag Quilt"

Quilt -noun – bedding or coverlet blanket made of two layers of fabric with a layer of cotton, wool, feather, or down in between, all stitched firmly together, usually in a decorative design

-verb- create by stitching together; stitch or sew together 3 or more layers of fabric