How to Quilt Fabric: Techniques and Tips

How to quilt fabric?

Are you dreaming of a pretty quilted jacket? Have you spotted a gorgeous fabric but its thickness isn't right? Are you unhappy with the fabric selection found in stores? Then you've come to the right place! In this video tutorial, find all our tips, techniques, and examples to help you master the quilting technique. This sewing technique, accessible to beginners, requires relatively little equipment for a wow effect! All you need is patience and discipline :-)

What is quilting?

Quilting involves stitching one or two layers of fabric with batting or fleece. This creates a thicker, warmer fabric with relief, thanks to the topstitching. The fabric will be embossed and soft. Aesthetic and practical, this technique gives a fabric more hold: you can use lightweight fabrics like double gauze or poplin all year round.

Why quilt fabric:

You can find already quilted fabric in stores, but there are several reasons why you might want to do it yourself:

• The available "ready-made" selection does not suit you: not the right color, the right pattern, etc. This allows you to expand your possibilities but also to create a truly unique creation.
• You need matching quilted and non-quilted fabric. 
• A pretty fabric catches your eye for a jacket or a sleeping bag but it is a little thin, the quilting will make it warmer.

Quilting your own fabric allows you to have almost no limits on the choice of fabric. You can also choose the quilting pattern: spaced lines or not, geometric or not… The tighter your pattern, the more relief there will be. Quilting really changes the appearance of the fabric. Some lend themselves to it more than others, and it can really add character to a simple fabric.

What quilting pattern?

Once again, your imagination is the only limit! You can quilt your fabric with horizontal or vertical lines, diagonals, squares or diamonds, with different spacing and sizes. Have fun with more original shapes: rounded, less straight geometric shapes, fancy stitches on your machine or by following the pattern of your fabric. You can also combine two types of quilting: horizontal on the top and vertical on the bottom. Note, however, that the more lines you have, the longer it will take!

What quilting fabrics?

Follow your whims! A multitude of fabrics are suitable for quilting. Just avoid overly stretchy knits that risk loosening during sewing, or prefer to interface them to hold them in place before stitching. Corduroy, poplin, denim, viscose, flannel, gabardine, double gauze… Experiment and have fun. Note, however, that the more a fabric holds its shape, the easier it will be to work with.

What supplies are needed for quilting fabric?

The only truly essential item is batting, otherwise known as fleece. It comes in different thicknesses and is sold by the meter. For clothing, choose a medium thickness; for accessories, choose a thicker one. You can also find iron-on batting, which will save you time: no need to pin it!

You will also need:

• A tracing tool: a ruler such as a patchwork ruler or Japanese ruler (a ruler borrowed from a school pencil case will also work very well!) to draw parallel lines using your markers.
• A FriXion-type pen, which erases with heat. Be careful, however, of the white marks it can leave! Test it first on some of your scraps. Otherwise, a piece of chalk like tailor's chalk will work just fine. 
• Classic, tone-on-tone, contrasting, or glittery polyester sewing thread. Follow your mood!

Little extras that can help:

Some non-essential accessories for your sewing machine can still help you, namely:

• A dual-feed presser foot to help your machine cope with the thickness of the fabric,
• A sewing guide or quilting guide: this is a small tool that attaches to your sewing machine to allow you to have a regular space between each seam without having to trace all your lines by hand. It's a significant time saver.

• An extension table for larger rooms.

Preparing the “mattress”

The layers of fabric stacked with batting are called "mattresses." To prepare your mattress, you'll draw your lines, overlap the different layers of fabric and batting, and then finally pin or tack them all together. (See video) 

Make sure you leave enough room around your pieces. Quilting consumes and reduces the size of the fabric, so it would be a shame to run out of fabric to cut your pattern pieces! Ideally, quilt your entire fabric before cutting all your pieces. This will give you the best possible result. We also recommend ironing your fabric thoroughly; this will help ensure even results. 

Next, you can trace your lines. To do this, start with the center line on your fabric, then draw parallel lines on either side. If you're using a sewing guide, only trace the first line.

If your pattern is more complex, less straight, you won't be able to trace your lines with a ruler. There are several techniques for this:

• Print or draw your pattern on a sheet of paper. Place your fabric right sides together on carbon paper, and your paper pattern on top. Using a rolling pin, trace your pattern by applying light pressure and following the lines of your pattern. Carbon paper is coated with ink that allows you to duplicate patterns. By pressing, the ink will be deposited on your fabric following your tracing. Once your project is finished, the ink will wash off. If your lines are not visible enough, you can trace them with chalk or a FriXion pen.
• If you have one handy, you can also use a video projector and project your pattern onto your fabric before tracing it by hand!

Next, you'll place your different layers of fabric on top of each other. First, place your lining, wrong side up, then the batting layer, and finally the outer fabric wrong side against the batting. You can also choose to quilt only the batting with an outer fabric.

You will then pin your different thicknesses or build them together with a contrasting thread. We prefer this method because it takes more time but allows you to be more precise, more flexible, and not forget any pins in your project. 

Once your mattress is secured, you can assemble it. 

Sew the quilting

1) Start by sewing the center line of your quilting, then alternate seams on either side of this line. Follow the lines you have drawn. This technique is ideal for beginners; the lines will be straight and your work will be even.

If you're sewing with a guide, you'll sew along the first center line, drawn by hand, then place the guide in the groove formed by the first seam, and off you go! This technique allows you to have an even spacing without spending too much time tracing the lines.

You can also quilt according to the width of your presser foot, or use masking tape or painter's tape. This repositionable tape is used by aligning it with the first seam and sewing parallel to the other edge. The only drawback of these two techniques is that you are limited by the predefined width of the presser foot and the tape. You can also use lines or squares already present on the pattern.

2) If you are working on large areas, there is no need to make a stop stitch.

3) If the wadding sticks to your machine, you have several solutions:

• Slide tissue paper between the feed dogs of your sewing machine and the batting. Once you've finished sewing, you can remove the tissue paper by tearing it along the stitching's dotted lines. 
• Reduce the pressure on your presser foot slightly or increase the length of your stitch. 

4) Once your quilting is finished, you can remove your pins or basting thread.

You can then cut out all your pattern pieces. For pieces that need to be cut on the fold, we recommend not cutting them this way, as you'll be lacking precision. Instead, place your piece on the quilting in a single layer and place a few pins at the fold. Cut around your piece, except on the fold line of course, then mirror your piece along the pins. You can now cut the other half.

5) Overlock your pieces on all edges so that the quilting lines do not come undone.

You can now assemble your garment by following the instructions in your pattern! Be careful with the finishing touches: if your garment is lined or has a facing, don't worry, but you can also choose to edge the pieces with matching or contrasting bias tape.

And there you have it, you've mastered quilting! This technique has almost no limits, whether in the choice of fabric or the quilting pattern. We can't wait to see your beautiful #ikateecouture creations.

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