A patchwork quilt made from quick squares is a warm and soft decoration for your home. Read how to make it yourself. Schemes, patterns and step-by-step instructions for beginner needlewomen. Content:
- Blanket fabric
- Types and schemes of patchwork
-
Making a blanket step by step
- Preparation
- Harvesting squares
- Assembling squares
- Blanket from squares
- Tips for Beginners
- Blanket patterns
The motley grandmother's plaid, patchwork rugs and bedding, bright pillows and potholders with multicolored appliqués have been familiar to us since early childhood. Such cute little things have always filled the house with warmth and comfort. Unfortunately, only grandmothers remember the technique in which those very cozy and cute blankets are made. And it would be necessary for every girl and woman to get acquainted and make friends with the patchwork, in order to be able to fill their hearth with something for their relatives and friends.
Fabric for making quilt in patchwork style
Patchwork is a patchwork sewing from fabric of various household and decorative items - bed, blankets, bags, clothes, tablecloths, kitchen utensils, etc. The technique, known for thousands of years, is popular all over the world. Skillful craftswomen create all kinds of outlandish works of art using the patchwork method. And beginner needlewomen are advised to start with wide blankets from "quick squares". Such products are practical and aesthetic, moreover, they are optimal for mastering such delicate science.
Today, patchwork is considered one of the most popular patchwork techniques. It consists in stitching various tissue scraps according to the mosaic principle. In the hands of experienced needlewomen, bright pieces of material turn into luxurious products that surprise and delight. But not all fabrics are equally good for patchwork.
To find the right material for creating a patchwork quilt, you can follow the traditions of our grandmothers: simply save all the scraps and leftovers from sewing clothes or bedding. From such different-sized scraps, you will certainly get a motley blanket. And you can do much easier - buy a set of fabrics for patchwork in any specialized store. Since the most difficult process in the patchwork technique is working with the material, the fabric must certainly be not only beautiful in appearance, but also of sufficient quality.
Cotton fabrics are considered the ideal material for patchwork, because they meet all important requirements:
- Do not crumple;
- Do not rush around;
- Do not shrink;
- Do not fade;
- Easy to fit.
Linen, silk, viscose and wool are used a little less often in patchwork, since such materials are more capricious and always require special care in work. Experienced craftswomen begin to use sophisticated fabrics; for beginners, there is nothing better than cotton! Sewing material stores offer customers a huge selection of cotton fabrics of various colors and weights. Unfortunately, they are not always suitable for patchwork. Some options crumble too much in the cuts, others are ironed tight or settle after washing. It is recommended, nevertheless, to buy special fabrics for patchwork that have undergone a special pre-treatment. It is very easy for beginners to work with such material.
Popular types and schemes of patchwork
The patchwork style is a wide field for ideas and experiments, which has no boundaries in combinations of shapes, colors, types of material. Here, any creative idea of the author can be brought to life. Fancy patterns, appliques with animals and flowers, geometric mosaics and other equally interesting options can be easily folded into a warm bedspread or comfy blanket.
Of course, you can create a diagram for a product with your own hands, armed with imagination and a sharp pencil. And you can use ready-made ones, of which there are hundreds of thousands, depending on the types of patchwork.
Consider the most popular types of patchwork:
- Classic english … In this version of the patchwork, all parts of the same shape and size are used, as a rule, in two primary colors. Patterns for English patchwork are very primitive. For example, squares of two shades arranged by a checkerboard, or symmetrically stitched triangles.
- Oriental patchwork … The manufacturing principle is similar to the classical one, while it differs in the use of various decorative elements - ribbons, beads, zippers, etc. Most patterns for oriental patchwork products allow for greater freedom in the shapes and sizes of parts. For example, it can be arched and wavy patches connected and decorated with satin ribbons.
- Crazy patchwork … The most "free" kind. It is characterized by its aesthetics and attractiveness. As a rule, the shape, color and size of parts are not limited by anything at all, except for the scheme used. And the schemes at the same time can be incredibly diverse: the image of nature or flowers, floral or geometric ornament, complete abstraction.
Making a patchwork quilt step by step
Of course, the abundance of various complex patterns and variations of products in the patchwork technique surprises even those craftswomen who have devoted decades to this art form. And for beginners, there are more primitive, but no less beautiful and functional options. For example, a “quick” square blanket. It's better to start from it.
Preparatory stage
First of all, it is worth deciding on the color scheme and size of the future product. Although for the first time, any available segments of all kinds of shades will do. Prepare in advance a piece of fabric for the seamy side of the blanket, corresponding to its future dimensions, and the same piece of padding polyester. Don't forget about the edging fabric. It is better to buy it with a margin. In our case, to make a blanket from squares, you will need a chintz of three colors, scissors, a ruler, pins, chalk, a template and a sewing machine.
It is recommended to pre-soak the cotton fabric in hot water, then rinse it with cold water, cover it and iron it out. A tablespoon of starch is diluted in a glass of cold water. Then the mixture is poured into 2 liters of hot water and stirred thoroughly. The chintz is rinsed in a slightly cooled solution, ironed while still wet and dried.
After preparing the material and collecting all the necessary tools, you can proceed to the preparation of those very "fast" squares, of which the blanket will consist.
Preparation of "quick" squares for a blanket
The production of the elements we need begins with the preparation of the strips. From two pieces of fabric of different colors, cut two strips of the same width. Then fold them face to face and sew along one edge. In the next step, cut a wide strip from the third piece of chintz, corresponding to the dimensions of the previous two together. Stitch the resulting third strip to the first two on both sides, folding them face to face, as you did the first time. As a result, you will get a kind of sleeve turned inside out.
At the next stage, cut the resulting sleeve in an even zigzag into isosceles triangles. To do this, use a square, triangle, or triangular ruler template. As a result, from one long "sleeve" you will get several double triangles, and, accordingly, in the spread - squares.
Assembling squares using patchwork technology
To create a patchwork-style product, a wide variety of patterns and styles are used. The squares you have can be folded into zigzags, scales, triangles or rhombuses. The choice of style depends only on the taste of the craftswoman. In such a case, it is not recommended to rush. It is better to put the parts together in several different ways, among which it will be easier to determine the most successful one.
The assembly of "fast" squares is carried out as follows: first, the details are cut into longitudinal stripes, only then the strips are stitched together. The main thing is not to forget to iron the finished seams. In fact, the front of the blanket is complete at this stage.
Making a blanket from "quick" squares
Any fabric, preferably natural, can be used as the back of the blanket. Batiste or chintz will do the job best. To quickly assemble the blanket, lay the prepared fabric for the wrong side face down, then spread a layer of padding polyester and lay a piece of squares face up on top. Using the sewing machine, sew the future product around the perimeter. The border can be the edges of the picture or the edges of the squares.
Until the process is complete, it remains only to make the edging of the luxurious blanket. To do this, you need to cut a strip of suitable fabric 8 cm wide and slightly longer than the side of the product. Apply the resulting strip to the front edge of the blanket, aligning the edges. Use the sewing machine to stitch the strip to the blanket, then fold it over to the wrong side, fold it over and sew again on the right side. Use this method to trim the rest of the blanket as well.
This completes the production of a blanket from "fast" squares. For the first time, such a product is considered optimal in terms of the level of complexity. But even if the result is not quite perfect, you should not be upset. The second try will definitely get better!
Tips for making blankets for beginners
Patchwork creations are now more popular than ever. In between the noisy bustle and tiring working days, you really want to touch something warm and cozy. Even those women who have never thought about needlework before begin to confidently master patchwork. Decorative cushions, aprons, coasters for hot dishes, colorful panels, curtains for a country house, ultramodern bags and many other gizmos can be created by experienced craftswomen.
Novice needlewomen should pay attention to several useful tips:
- Before using a new fabric, it must be washed, ironed, and only then cut out. Thus, it will be possible to prevent accidental shrinkage, discoloration or other nuisance.
- The color of the thread used should match the color of the patch or differ by a couple of tones.
- Use a pencil or soap to trace. It is prohibited to use the pen.
- Cutting is done on a shared thread. In this case, the part will not be skewed.
- When cutting, leave an indent of 1 cm on all sides. If the fabric is loose - 1, 5 cm.
- Perfect templates are made of plastic.
- Patchwork is impossible without a ruler.
- The fragment obtained in the course of work must be ironed after each line.
Patterns for making quilts using patchwork technique
Depending on the chosen patchwork technique, the needlewoman may come in handy with certain patterns of templates:
- Square technique … It implies the creation of a product from square patches or square blocks of different colors. In this case, a pattern in the form of a regular square or a pattern of stripes will come in handy, from which a square block will be made.
- Strip technique … This is parallel or circular stitching of stripes of different colors and lengths. To create a product using this technique, you will need a pattern of different stripes.
- The triangle technique … Much like squares. Most often, patterns of isosceles, equal in size, but different in color, are used for it. Parts can be sewn along the short edge to form a strip, 4 pieces each in a square or star shape.
- Honeycomb technique … It got its name from the end result. Upon completion of the work, the drawing of the product will resemble the pattern of a honeycomb. For manufacturing, patterns of symmetrical hexagons are used.
- Technique lapachi … It is considered the most interesting and at the same time difficult. Pieces of fabric with raw edges are attached to the canvas, thereby forming a volumetric drawing of a certain scheme or a chaotic image of a volumetric abstraction. If a specific pattern is selected for the product (bird, animal, flower, etc.), patterns of each detail will be needed. If chaotic sewing of different patches is planned, you can do without patterns altogether.
How to make a patchwork blanket - watch the video:
Patchwork products are not only beautiful and cozy home decorations, but also positive emotions from the process of making them. Agree, a few pieces of fabric, a sewing machine and fantasy combined can work wonders.
