Sewing Doll Quilts: Easy Quilts For Beginners

Learning to sew beautiful quilt for dolls

The basics of making doll quilts. It’s very important when learning how to sew a quilt to start with a simple design. Too often a major project will be too repetitive and time consuming and the “love for quilting” dies before there is a chance to come to life.

Here are a few ideas for success when sewing easy quilts for beginners:

– Stay easy. Smaller quilts must have simple blocks and patterns. Utilize squares 1 1/2″ or larger. Finished quilt sizes will vary. The quilt could fluctuate from 18-24 inches in either direction, based on the doll’s size and shape of the quilt. A cape for a doll is a block. A cover for her bed is rectangular.

– You must be precise. Corners have to match up and seam edges must be even. Iron the seams each time you sew the pieces together. The quilt top must be flat when completed.

– Will I need certain quilting instruments and equipment? Yes! When you are learning how to sew a quilt, these tools will assure your success.

– One fourth inch presser foot. Be accurate. It’s necessary that your seams are exact.

– Rotary cutter and ruler. These are better than scissors and will reduce your time.

– A quilter’s square. One can ensure exactness by “squaring up” after every ironing before you add the next seam to what you just completed. Be sure from the beginning that the squares are the same shape.

– A walking sewing machine foot. Is helpful when quilting through multiple layers of material or using silky or any slick fabric. It furnishes a feed dog from above and behind the presser foot which works with the one built into your sewing machine which functions from underneath the material. This keeps fabric from slipping and seams remain in a straight line.

Is there a better method to select fabrics and colors?

There’s no set rule that states you have to solely use cotton for quilting, but there is 1 rule that is essential you heed is to never make use of stretchy fabrics. While it may seem interesting at the time, it’s extremely difficult to stitch and not stretch the fabric and to make it to lay flat.

Colors: My favorite method of selecting fabric is to come by a big print that I like. I will buy one eighth yard and find other fabrics in the colors, shades, and tones like ones in the print. I might not incorporate the big patterned material, but I know that I’ll always enjoy the color combinations, should I decide to incorporate it down the road.

Fabrics: How the quilt is going to be used determines the type of materials I use. For a traditional quilt, I use all cottons. If sewing a picnic throw, I use denims. If I am sewing an old fashioned quilt, I work with batiste. For warmth, I work with flannel or maybe fur. Kids often use a doll’s quilt and texture is significant to them. Be creative!

Are there any specific quilting techniques I should know?

– Stitch all quilts with a one-fourth inch seam allowance. It isn’t needful to use a seam finish as they will be enclosed and quilted.

– No backstitching. This leaves a bump in that area and makes it harder to stitch the next square on. Without backstitching you need to shorten the stitch length to 2.0 so they will not pull out as easily.

– Chain sew the quilt block and save a great deal of time! This means you’ll continuously sew from 1 piece onto the next not stopping to remove each one off and clip the threads. When you are done stitching, you will have made a long row of pieces that you clip apart and move on.

– Follow the grain lines so the quilt will lay correctly when finished. The exception is if you use a printed on plaid or check, follow the printed lines.

– Only pin seams that match. Using to many pins can wrinkle the fabric. Place the pins from the main piece pointing toward (close to, but not into), the seam edges. The material is firmly held and it is easy to complete the seam without taking them all out.

– Binding: On simple quilts, stitch around the outside borders, leaving an opening, and then turn like a pillowcase. Extra difficult quilts need a binding. With straight edges and corners cut the binding with the straight of grain. For curves and/or rounded corners, cut the binding on the bias.

– Connecting: Whether you decide to tie, hand quilt, or quilt with a sewing machine, the layers need to be connected every 3-4 inches to hold the batting in position.

– Pressing: Make sure you always iron a seam before stitching it to another seam. Iron it flat to set the stitches, then iron the complete seam edge toward the dark shaded piece.

You have now learned the basics of how to sew a quilt. Now have Fun! Whatever your cause for making dolly quilts sit back and have fun! Enjoy the one of a kind learning experience and creating works of beauty for generations to come.