DIY patchwork bedspread: the basics of patchwork for beginners

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

Every year, the patchwork technique is gaining more and more popularity - sewing from patchwork. A do-it-yourself bedspread will fit into the interior of the room (especially in country style), come in handy as a blanket for summer cottages, and will be an indispensable item for a picnic. It is not sewn very quickly, but there is nothing complicated in the execution technique. That is why such a quality item can be the first quality item for beginners to be proud of.

Style description

The do-it-yourself blanket was sewn by our grandmothers and great-grandmothers many decades ago. This method was the only one available in difficult times, when the choice of fabrics was limited. Over time, this technique did not become less attractive. When sewing products, there were a lot of unnecessary segments. Fragments of quite attractive fabric remained on old clothes that had lost their marketable appearance. People turned all these remnants into blanks for a newproducts. This is how a technique called patchwork appeared, which in English means “a product made of multi-colored patches.”

Benefits

Do-it-yourself sofa bedspreads, blankets, baby blankets, decorative pillowcases and many other original items have become much more in demand than those bought in a store. They are warm, beautiful, colorful, bright and unique. Heart and love are invested in them, as well as labor and the embodiment of the creative talents of the needlewoman. A significant advantage is also low cost, since these products are made from unnecessary pieces that have been put to reasonable use. Recently, patchwork has become popular not only in our country, but also abroad. People around the world have appreciated this technique for its originality and creativity.

Types of patchwork

A hand-made patchwork coverlet can have a different structure (depending on fabrics), colors and patterns. The drawing depends on the degree of complexity and skill of the person. There are the following types of patchwork:

• identical squares - the simplest technique that uses only square blocks;
• watercolor - differs in color pattern and shades that are matched to this product;
• stripes - consists of strips of different lengths, which are assembled at different angles;
• triangle - the product consists of triangular patches;
• log hut - the product consists of a central square, around which rectangular stripes run in a spiral;
• chess board - squaresconnected in a checkerboard pattern (the main emphasis is on the color or structure of the fabric);
• honeycombs are hexagons in the form of honeycombs, which experienced needlewomen work with;
• Russian square - this product contains several geometric shapes. Stripes and triangles are located in all directions from the central square;
• magic square is a complex multi-tiered technique with a round patch in the center, triangles, squares and four-way stripes.

Creating a sketch

Before starting work, you need to decide how the product should look. Depending on the amount of raw materials, you can determine whether it will be a sofa cover, a baby blanket or a decorative pillowcase. For beginner needlewomen, it will be the right decision to start with a small item in order to improve their skills. When the required amount of tissue has been collected, you need to decide on the pattern. It must be remembered that the pieces must be the same size, otherwise it will not be possible to maintain the correct shape of the entire product. Therefore, you should correctly calculate the size and number of parts, which are then cut using the template.

It's best to sketch on paper, keeping the dimensions to scale. It is recommended to draw a square or rectangle (depending on the selected product), divide it according to the pattern and the size of the patches (you can think over a mosaic of colors in advance). Based on this sketch, it will be easier to figure out the location of the parts.

Choicetools

Before sewing a patchwork coverlet, you need to take care of your workplace. It should have a large area, since the product will often have to be fully deployed. The surface should be comfortable and accessible from all sides, as well as good lighting.

You will need the following tools for sewing:

• scissors;
• needles or pins;
• threads;
• pencil or crayon;
• ruler or template ruler;
• hard material template;
• sewing machine;
• iron.

Choice of front surface material

Before you start sewing a patchwork coverlet with your own hands, you need to decide on the most important front surface. Experienced craftsmen can use fabrics with different textures, such as chintz, silk, satin, velveteen and other types of materials. For beginner needlewomen, it is a smart decision to start with simple fabrics that do not slip or fray, not too dense and not too thin. Natural materials are perfect for tailoring: linen, chintz, coarse calico and satin. You can also use a wool blend or wool thin fabric. A do-it-yourself denim patchwork cover looks great.

Preparation of material for work

When making a patchwork bedspread, you need to take care of the purity of the material. If the fabric for the front part is new, it must be put in hot water for ten or fifteen minutes. Then slightlyrinse and dry. If the fabric is not new, it needs to be pre-washed. A smart solution would be to starch linen or cotton materials. After this treatment, it will be easier to work with them. It is not worth completely drying the raw material, you need to leave it slightly damp and iron it.

Filler

For DIY sewing, patchwork style bedspreads use different fillers. This is done so that the product is warm and keeps its shape. There are the following types of insulation:

• Blatting. It can be woolen, semi-woolen, cotton and synthetic. This is a traditional material often used for bedspreads.
• Sintepon. It contains polyester fibers, the recommended density of a synthetic winterizer for a blanket is 150 or 200.
• Holloyfiber. It is quite bulky and difficult to work with, so it is used much less frequently.
• An old woolen or flannelette blanket. This is a very winning solution in order to use an unnecessary item and give it a second life. A patchwork bedspread with this filling becomes warm and heavy.

Open

Before sewing the patches, they must be cut correctly. To do this, it is recommended to make a template. It is made of thick cardboard, plexiglass or plastic, it can be of different geometric shapes. For example, to make a square template that fits an 8cm x 8cm patch, follow these steps:

• measure and draw an 8 x square on cardboard8cm;
• measure 1 centimeter around the outer perimeter from all sides (you should get another outer square);
• measure 1 centimeter again from the second square along the outer perimeter and draw another square;
• cut a frame 10 centimeters wide 1 centimeter;
• this will be an 8 x 8 cm square template with 1 cm for seam allowances.

Cut pieces of fabric from the patches according to the finished pattern.

Sewing the front part

If there is no experience in this direction, it is necessary to apply the patchwork technique for beginners. It consists in making a product from pieces of fabric that are not very small in size and square in shape. Lay out the cut pieces and number them in order to visually see the stitching sequence. A seam line should be marked inside each piece. After each line, you need to iron the seams with an iron. Then do the following steps:

• take two flaps, fold them with the front parts to each other and sew on one side along the intended line;
• attach the next patch and stitch it on one side (according to the drawing on the sketch);
• sew the required number of shreds in one row (this will be the width of the product);
• make the next line in a similar way;
• sew the horizontal stripes to the end;
• sew the horizontal stripes one by one;
• make sure the squares match (if everything is calculated correctly and the seams are ironed,there will be no skew).

If you want to make a drawing in the form of triangles, you just need to sew them together. Stitch the resulting squares in the manner described above.

Quilt assembly

Assemble the patchwork bedspread according to the layering principle: lining part, filler and front side. The step-by-step instruction is as follows:

• spread the lining (the bottom of the blanket) on a large surface, the lining should be a few centimeters (five is enough) more than the front side;
• spread the filler over the lining (it should also be larger than the front side);
• evenly distribute the filler over the lining, smooth out bumps and folds;
• cover the filler layer with face material and smooth everything again carefully;
• fix the whole coverlet, starting from the center, with pins;
• start stitching from center to corners;
• quilt the entire blanket up and down, it is also worth going around the perimeter with a line.

Edging

A do-it-yourself patchwork coverlet needs to be leveled, cut off the extra edges of the lining and filler. The front canvas should be one and a half centimeters more on each side than the other two layers. Then you should measure and cut out four strips that correspond to the sides of the bedspread in length and width, plus two centimeters from each edge. The width of the strip can be arbitrary (plus a centimeter from eachsides to the fold). The cut strips must be ironed in half, tacked or fastened with pins to the bedspread. Sew on the sewing machine, first the long sides, then the short ones. Handle the corners with hidden seams by hand, hiding excess pieces of fabric.

Simplified method

A bedspread made of shreds of furniture fabric, tapestries or velor looks great (fleece materials can crumble, so you need to practice on a small sample). For beginner needlewomen, there is a simplified way to sew a patchwork blanket. It consists of the following steps:

• take two pieces of fabric of different color or texture and cut out two identical strips;
• sew the strips along the length from the wrong side, folding them right side inward;
• cut out two more colorful stripes and repeat the same operation;
• sew four strips together;
• repeat the same action until the vertical line of multi-colored lines reaches the desired size;
• cut the striped fabric vertically, measuring the stripes across the width of each color (you should get stripes with multi-colored squares;
• sew stripes with squares in random order, swapping different colors.

Denim Patchwork

The do-it-yourself denim patchwork coverlet looks great. It can be made from old products: trousers, shirts, jackets, skirts, dresses. Old things will find their second life not only in bedspreads, but also in pillowcases ordecorative pillows. To do this, you need to take the following steps:

• rip clothes, cut off buttons, zippers and other accessories;
• wash, dry and iron garment details;
• using the template, cut out pieces of the desired shape;
• sew the squares into one strip, then join the stripes;
• sew on the filler and lining of the bedspread;
• process the edges with a satin ribbon.

To make a pillow, you should make a pillowcase in a patchwork way and add more filler inside. Products made of denim are very practical, since this material is unique in its kind (it is characterized by increased strength and wear resistance).

High-quality handmade first product will be the beginning of an exciting journey for the needlewoman. In the patchwork style, you can make a blanket for the baby, a cover for his stroller, crib and chair.

Many original ideas can come up for the interior of the room. It is worth trying a little, and real masterpieces will appear from the hands of the master, the one and only.