Needlecrafts Quilting Quilting Basics

Tips and Techniques for Designing Quilts

New quilters are sometimes hesitant to create a quilt from their own design, but anyone... yes anyone, can design a quilt. These tutorials will help you with the quilt design process. Don't get discouraged, because like anything else, quilt design is a process.

  • 01 of 10

    10 Quilting Skills Everyone Needs

    These 10 quilting techniques that every quilter should master are your first step when you are thinking of designing a quilt. Get comfortable with the must-know skills so you will know which techniques work best for you and are the ones you want to use in your designs.

  • 02 of 10

    How Big Will Your Quilt Be? Mattress Sizes and Comparisons

    Choosing the size of quilt you are designing is one of the first steps. Here are standard sizes for mattresses from crib to California King and how those will play into the design you will create. Considerations include the border, dust ruffle, pillows, and more.

  • 03 of 10

    How to Calculate Fabric Yardage for Quilts

    Calculating how much fabric you need to make a quilt is easy once you understand the basics. Try this step-by-step tutorial to calculate yardage for your next quilting project. You'll have to decide how large your quilt will be and how much of the quilt top will be made of quilt blocks, borders, and sashing.

  • 04 of 10

    Combining and Contrasting Colors for Your Quilt Designs

    How you'll use different colors together is a basic consideration when you are designing a quilt. See how to use a color wheel and contrasting so you are choosing fabrics and colors that look lovely together and create the effects you want.

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  • 05 of 10

    How to Choose Quilting Fabrics for Your Project

    You may want to create a quilt when you find a gorgeous fabric you can't wait to put to use. But there are many considerations when it comes to the fabrics you use and how to combine them.

  • 06 of 10

    Using Contrast to Change the Appearance of a Quilt

    Contrast refers to how light or dark a fabric is in relation to the surrounding fabrics. An understanding of contrast is important in deciding how to arrange patches of fabric to either blend or create divisions with each other. Here is how to understand and use contrast when you are designing a quilt.

  • 07 of 10

    How to Measure and Sew Borders

    Straight sewn quilt borders, also called butted borders, are quick and easy to sew, and that's probably why they are the most commonly used borders for quilts.

  • 08 of 10

    How to Make Quilt Sashing with Cornerstones

    Sashing is made from strips of fabric that divide quilt blocks from each other. It's one way to add another design element to your quilt's layout. Cornerstones at the corners of each block are another element to add interest.

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  • 09 of 10

    How to Identify and Understand Patchwork Designs

    When you are designing a quilt made with quilt blocks, you'll need to decide on which type of patchwork grid arrangement you'll use within the blocks. Learn about the terms such as four-patch, nine-patch, and five-patch.

  • 10 of 10

    How to Change the Size of Quilt Blocks

    It's easy to change the size of most quilt blocks once you understand patchwork quilt block structure. Here are the basics of scaling a block up or down to better fit the size of quilt you are designing.