How many times have you vowed to not acquire any more fabric until you use up (at least some) what you have in your stash? I’ve said it many times, and the commitment has lasted only until the next sale or caring friend who says, “Do you know anyone who would like…? (and the word fabric is in the same sentence).”
Recently I was with a friend who was making Grainline Studio’s Tamarack Jacket, and it looked like a fun project. Something a bit different from my standard coastal attire sweatshirt dé jour. I searched the stash and realized I didn’t have enough of any single suitable fabric to make the entire jacket, but I did have one piece that would work for the lining. So pattern mixing to the rescue!
One of my favorite color combinations, and likely not shared by many, is orange and hot pink. I had a groovy knit dress back in the late ‘60s and that color combo always made me happy. So, lo and behold there were several related pieces in the stash to combine for the jacket—one enough for sleeves, another for the fronts and yet another for the back.
But I needed to quilt them. Easy-peazy! If you’ve never quilted your own fabric, let me just take you through the simple process.
- Using a removable marker, trace the rough shape of your pattern piece onto the outer fabric layer. If there are multiple pieces to be cut from the same fabric, leave 2” between the traced pieces.
- Choose your batting carefully—too thick of a batting and you’ll look like the Michelin Man. A thin cotton batting, or even flannel works best for garment sewing. Check the label of the filler as some battings and flannels can shrink up to 6% which wreaks havoc with garment fitting.
- Be sure to preshrink—run flannel yardage through the washer and dryer; soak cotton batting in hot water, pat out excess moisture and roll in a towel, then hang to dry. If you prefer using a dryer, put it into a lingerie bag or pillowcase to avoid damage… and be sure to clean your lint filter!
- Layer the backing fabric wrong side up, then the batting, then the outer fabric right side up. Generously pin the layers together. If you prefer, use a temporary spray adhesive to hold the backing and outer fabric flat against the batting. Be sure the fabric/batting layers are smooth and wrinkle free. If you’re using multiple fabrics in the project like I did, you’ll have separate pieces to layer and quilt.
- Set the machine for a slightly longer than normal stitch length (3-3.5). Install a new needle and if you have one, use a walking foot. A quilting guide is helpful for spacing. The thread can be matching or contrasting depending on the desired finished look. The bobbin thread can match the top thread, or not.
- Begin by marking a line down the center of your largest pattern piece then decide how far apart you want the quilting lines to be. I chose 1 1/2”, but you can go wider or narrower. Stitch on the initial line you drew extending the stitches about 1” outside the drawn perimeter. Continue drawing lines across the entire pattern piece or use your quilting guide to measure the distance from your needle and align the guide with the previous row of stitching. Always stitch in the same direction on the fabric (the quilting guide can extend to the left or right of the foot) and from the center of the piece outward.
- Continue stitching across the entire pattern shape.
- Lay the paper pattern back on the quilted section and cut out the piece. Note that you likely will not be cutting exactly on your original drawn lines as there is some “take up” when quilting and the joined fabric layers will pull up slightly.
- Quilt and cut each garment section, remembering that you need both a right and left garment half so be sure to flop over the pattern piece.
- If your fabric has a pattern to it, that could provide a fun quilting pattern, so you don’t have to simply use vertical or horizontal lines. I quilted along the fabric print waves on my jacket front.
Inside Scoop
If your mom told you that your sewn garments should look as nice on the inside as they do on the outside, consider binding the quilted seam edges—a nice finish to hide the multi-layer adventure.
Choose a fun print or solid and cut 2”-wide bias strips for binding. Press the strip in half, then press each raw edge to the center forming a double fold. Apply the binding to the seam edges, either totally by machine, or finish by hand.
~Linda Griepentrog is the owner of G Wiz Creative Services and she does writing, editing and designing for companies in the sewing, crafting and quilting industries. In addition, she escorts fabric shopping tours to Hong Kong. She lives at the Oregon Coast with her husband Keith, and three dogs, Yohnuh, Abby, and Lizzie. Contact her at gwizdesigns@aol.com.
