My sister Jessica is so interested in crafts like sewing and making DIY kinds of stuff. Recently, her friend gave birth to a baby boy, and since then, she has been wondering about having something for the little man.
When she asked for suggestions, the first thing that popped up in my mind was to make a quilted coverlet for the newborn. She loved this idea and wanted to learn how to make a quilted coverlet!
So along with Jessica, if you want to learn how to make a quilted coverlet, go through this entire article.
I will break down all the steps from scratch, along with some pro tips on making a quilted coverlet.
Let’s dig in!
Why Handmade Quilt is The Best?
Of course, the handmade quilts are super cozy!
I mean, you will not feel the warmth and texture of a handmade quilt in any of those purchased ones. They are much more comfortable while customizing according to your bedding.
Handmade quilts are easy to sew if your techniques are proper. If you can adopt the practice of how to sew patchwork pieces together by hand, you will become a pro in no time!
And that is what I am here for!
Moreover, you can make it look simple and classy with handmade quilts or add different colors and floral patterns of various shapes according to your taste and preferences!
How To Make a Quilted Coverlet?
If you are good at sewing, you will enjoy making a quilted coverlet. And if you are totally new to this, don’t worry at all. Take time and practice as much as you can.
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Things need to be ready
Making a quilted coverlet is cost-effective as you don’t need a bulk of equipment. Just some basic threading stuff and a piece of fabric, and you are good to start!
Let’s have a look at the materials you need how to make a quilted coverlet
Needless to say, your thread color should match the fabric color. You can also practice some stitches on a test swatch before you begin working with the fabric.
Step 1 – Preparing the fabric
Since you’d be sewing and binding on the fabric to give it the shape of a coverlet, the fabric has to be spot-on!
Often we begin stitching with the wrong fabric, and ultimately it all gets into a mess. So working on a suitable fabric is really important to turn your stitches and fold them into a smooth finish.
Step 2 – Choosing the fabric
When it comes to choosing the fabric, it doesn’t always have to be a posh or an expensive one. You can make coverlets from scrap and unused old fabrics as well. You can also order some vintage fabrics from Amazon, eBay, Donna Flower, Vintage Home, and so on.
While choosing your fabric, along with the material, you should also look for its texture, coziness, and how much warmth it can afford.
You should go for fabrics carrying the same weight overall. That way, it will not lead to any hassle while washing them. And it will uniformly get distributed all over.
Tip: Coverlets are usually made of cotton, linen, polyester, or silk fabrics. But I would recommend using 100% cotton fabrics to enjoy maximum comfort and warmth.
Step 3 – Washing the fabric
We highlighted this product because according to our experience it’s good for linen fabrics.
Once you have chosen the right fabric to start your quilted coverlet, you must pre-wash it with a mild detergent and air dry it thoroughly. This rule applies to the front part, back part, and the batting cloth as well.
This is a crucial step because you will notice how much it shrinks before making up the quilted coverlet once you wash the fabric. Then you can start your sewing based on that. Hence, pre-washing your coverlet fabric is a must.
Tip: After washing, don’t hang it on the rope. Instead, leave it to air dry.
Step 4 – Ironing the fabric
After washing the fabric, you must notify the amount of shrinkage, and that is when you need to iron it evenly. There will be unwanted wrinkles all over the fabric after you wash it, so hitting a hot iron on the fabric will get rid of those wrinkles and blunt edges as well.
Step 5 – Cut the fabric
After you get the fabric ready to turn into a coverlet, it’s time to determine how much space you would like to keep on the right, left, and bottom sides of your coverlet.
Use scissors and cut accordingly. With the help of a ruler, measure each size and edges equally. Make sure to smoothly cut down the edges to prevent fraying. You can take the help of a dressmaker’s chalk to mark the areas you are planning to cut.
Add an inch more to every side for the seam allowance.
In terms of the backing fabric, cut it according to the size of the quilt. Don’t forget to add the 1-inch seam allowance. There are target sheets available at stores which are basically organic cotton sheets. They work excellently as a backing quilt, and you will get them at just $3!
Step 6 – Work on alignment
Time to cut the patches. Pin them using safety pins and start arranging them as you desire. After you are done, align them by sewing them together and hit the iron on the seams to give a flat finish. You must also align the edges uniformly.
Tip: Pin the rows together with the help of wonder clips. It will help a lot when you start sewing.
How To Sew Quilted Coverlet?
Let’s start sewing now!
We will break down this part into a few points so that it is easy to understand how to make a patchwork quilt by hand for beginners:
Step 1 – Start with sewing the patches
When you are done arranging the patches, take your portable sewing machine and sew them in a Zigzag form where you have pinned them. Repeat the same steps while sewing in the bottom panels. This step serves as a holy grail if you are too worried about how to sew the patchwork pieces together by hand.
In this way, make straight stitches on all the sides of the quilt. Make sure to have at least half an inch of seam allowance to close it up.
Step 2 – Stitch across the quilt to keep the batting in place
When you’d be washing the cloth, and the air dries it a couple of times, you will notice your batting might get a little clumsy or move a lot. To prevent this, you can sew 3 to 4 straight-line stitches with equal spaces between each line.
Tip: You can use a different color thread for this part to add contrast to your quilt. You can also add ruffled strips on all sides of your quilted coverlet.
Step 3 – Switch and tuck all the gaps and edges
With the help of your sewing machine, make sure to sew and tuck all the sides of your quilted coverlet. Grab ahold of your fabric and pull it inside-out and press it nicely. Fill in the section and gaps between the points for a crisp blend finish.
Tip: When it comes to trimming the quilt, I like to use Grid rollers. Before that, use a ruler to confirm that all the corners are squared and even.
Step 4 – Work with the binding pieces
Add all the binding pieces together, either sticking them with glue or chain piecing. Cut off the residual pieces of cloth with a scissor. Now fold all your strips into half lengthwise. Hit the entire region with an iron, and your binding is good to go!
Now use double-folded stitches to attach the binding cloth to the front of the quilt. Press the cloth against the seam.
Tip: To keep the binding in place, wonder clips help a lot. You can also use wonder clips to ensure that the binding overlaps at the back uniformly.
Finishing Touch
The major part of stitching is done, and now comes the fun part. Because this is where you do minor touch-ups to give a completely subtle look to your coverlet quilt.
Add a finishing touch to your quilt by ensuring to snip the stray thread ends at each step. Trim away the ragged edges. Run a steam iron all over the quilted coverlet and place it open on the floor for a few days to let the batting settle down.
I would recommend you wash the coverlet once again before you start using it. You will be using dressmaker’s chalk which would likely leave marks on your coverlet. In addition, you would be keeping it on the floor to settle the stitches and binding.
Rewashing it will help you eliminate unwanted marks and keep the fibers relaxed to align with the stitches all over. After washing, leave it to air dry, and your quilt is all ready to use!
Some Pro-tips For You!
If you are new to sewing, then these pro tips will help you learn a lot! So do not forget to use these hacks. You will thank me later!
Tip 1 – A walking foot is a BLESSING!
I cannot really describe the wonders of walking food! This is a must-have product for your sewing machine. You won’t believe me unless you use it.
A decent walking foot consists of feed dogs that pull the fabric from the top and bottom sides through the machine. That way, it will prevent the quilt layers from shifting everywhere or bunching up. It gets even, and you don’t get much puckering.
Indeed it will make your sewing experience excellent because it is very comfortable. Your stitches come up clean, and it makes sewing a lot easier.
Tip 2 – Use bulldog clips/ wonder clips
These are probably your best sewing buddies as they guide you through the entire stitching time. Additionally, they prevent you from turning everything into a mess.
You can use these around all the edges of your quilt for a straight and neat stitch. These aren’t thorny, unlike the pins, so don’t worry about getting stabbed and all.
Tip 3 – Make sure to accommodate enough space for your quilted coverlet
Yeah, this might sound a bit weird, but sewing and working with a quilted coverlet in a congested area is more painful than a breakup!
Make sure to start your work in the corner of your house, where there is enough space to move around with your quilt fabric. After completing it, you will need to lie your quilt flat on the floor to have adequate space to work.
The binding and batting, along with the sewing machine and other stuff, should leave you enough space to sew appropriately.
Tip 4 – Everything runs smoothly with a good sewing machine!
A good sewing machine is essential for perfect stitches and binding, so you can never neglect its importance. Since this is a long-term project, all your efforts might go unnoticed if your machine isn’t real.
You cannot go with a basic sewing machine for quilting purposes because that might generate unsatisfactory results. So I would highly recommend using a better portable sewing machine.
Recently I purchased this Singer 7285Q Patchwork which works fantastic for quilted coverlets. It is highly durable and gives a smooth finish to the stitches around the delicate edges. My quilt fabric doesn’t get stuck to it and torn up. So it’s amazing!
Tip 5 – A simple formula to calculate the strips
Well, with simple math, you can easily calculate the number of strips needed for your quilt. Usually, it is around 40 inches you get from each strip after cutting down from the fabric.
In this case, just measure the perimeter around the quilt and divide that by 40 to get the actual number of strips required.
I recommend taking additional strips so that you can use them later when needed.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some FAQs that I usually get on how to make quilted coverlets! Thought of sharing with you to get rid of all your queries.
1. Where Can I Purchase My Quilt Fabric?
Well, there are many online stores where you can get quilt fabrics.
For example- Amazon, Aliexpress, and the list go on.
I personally like to purchase from Walmart as they have a vast collection of quilt fabrics- from smooth aesthetic designs to colorful floral patterns.
2. Can I Put Triangle or Square Shapes In My Quilt?
Definitely, it’s so much fun to add shapes, especially if you are making one for babies. Rather than the boring lightweight pattern, adding shapes to a quilt makes it look more attractive.
If you are willing to add square shapes, draw your desired design onto a piece of paper and then start sewing accordingly.
In my last quilt, I added 60-degree triangular clothes. While sewing, I moved from triangles to triangles, alternatively making sure that they overlap the points.
3. What To Do When I Get Confused and Mess Things up?
Well, I face this question many times, especially from beginners. It’s completely normal to mess things up. Sometimes, things go out of hand. It often gets tiring, and you end up losing track and flow.
In such a case, I would recommend you stop your work for the day. Give it a break and start fresh the next day. You will see things will eventually get worked up.
All you need is perseverance and a lot of practice.
4. How Long Does It Take To Complete a Moderate-size Quilted Coverlet?
Well, it depends on how much you finish each day. If you are a beginner, it might take around a week. If you are good at sewing and binding accurately, it might just take two or three days.
Wrap Up
Sewing is fun! Your creativity and passion glow in your works, which is a fantastic thing! How to make a quilted coverlet is time-consuming, but once you learn the technique along with some tricks, you will love it!
Moreover, when you lay down your hand-made quilt on the bed, you will end up being proud of yourself. That is when your efforts will eventually show up. The best thing about hand-made quilts is- Your authority, your design! Design and customize as much as you want. Look for different bright, vibrant colors to add, giving your quilt a subtle, classy look. You can design some matching pillows as well.
Another tip would be to draw your design on a piece of paper before you start, so you don’t forget the details and know where exactly to start and finish.
To conclude, let’s hope that these tips and techniques help you get your first handmade quilted coverlet. If you have any suggestions or hacks on how to make a patchwork quilt by hand for beginners, please do share them with us.
Gear up yourself and make your own handmade quilted coverlet to surprise your family with your creativity. We wish you all the very best!