How to Make a Quilt

Use this easy tutorial the next time you'd like to change the size of a quilt block.

Learn how to make a quilt from start to finish. Quilting instructions that take you step by step through the quiltmaking process.

Sewing precise quarter-inch seam allowances is critical for the accuracy of most quilt blocks, and you'll find that your quilts go together easily once you've got the seam allowance down pat. It's not difficult at all, so let's get started.

You might already have some of the tools and supplies you need to get started quilting. Take a look at this list to find out.

Beginning quilters are sometimes overwhelmed by the hundreds of new terms and techniques they encounter when they make their first quilt, and the confusion is often compounded because there are many ways to accomplish every quiltmaking task. Not to worry--practicing a few basic skills will help you sew accurate blocks and quilts on your very first try.

Your piecing accuracy will improve immediately when you take a bit of time to press your quilt blocks after every step of the construction process. Pressing may seem like an extra step, but you'll love the payoff in time saved because your quilt blocks will fit together just like they should when it's time to assemble the quilt.

Some quilters never pre-wash their fabrics. Others always prewash, because they don't want any surprises when they wash a quilt for the first time. Use these prewashing pros and cons as a guide to help you decide whether to wash your fabrics before using them or jump right in and start cutting.

Use these techniques to calculate yardage for your quilts.

Machine quilting techniques are varied, but one thing is sure -- machine quilting can result in a quilt that's every bit as lovely as a hand quilted project.

A quilter's thread options are truly mind boggling. Thousands of color choices are just the beginning, and possibly the easiest aspect of choosing thread. Beyond that, you'll find threads specifically for quilting, and discover that hand quilting threads have characteristics that aren't a plus for machine quilting tasks. Threads developed for machine embroidery and other decorative techniques are…

Here's a simple approach to color value and the color wheel, an approach quilters can use to choose colors that work together in quilts. Our tips will help you take the quilt you see in your mind and stitch it up in cloth.

A decimal to fraction conversion chart to help you rotary cut your quilt components.

These quiltmakers are labeled their quilts as "ugly." Do you agree, and if you do, what actions could have made the final quilts more pleasing?

Favorite quilting tips from members of the About.com quilting community.

Quilting tips from the About.com Quilting Community. Organize long strips of fabric.

Take my quilting quizzes to test your quilt making knowledge.

We throw the term "fat quarters" around a lot and new quilters always wonder what it means. This explanation and illustration will help you see how a fat quarter differs from a standard quarter-yard cut.

Use this form to tell members of the About.com Quilting community about your longarm quilting business.See submissions

I challenge you (and myself) to make a quilt representative of the scenery in (any part of) the state of Arizona.