It’s a good way to make use of scraps of fabric or the remains of clothing that you can no longer wear, for some reason or other. The instructions for making the following quilt, I have received from my mother (a very traditional way to learn quilting). It’s a very basic and simple quilt--easy to start out on. Also, it’s a good project for more than one person. In fact, it’s impossible for one to do it all alone.
First, decide on the type of material that you are going to use, and be consistent throughout the quilt. If you use cotton, don’t stick in a bit of wool someplace. If you are using the fabric from old clothing, remember to remove zippers and buttons and save them for future use.
Take an old postcard to use as a pattern and cut blocks the size of a postcard from your fabric. For a double bed size quilt you’ll need 450 blocks and 30 half blocks (allow an extra 1/2” on these for a seam).
On a sewing machine, sew the blocks together in rows--15-1/2 blocks per row. Sew the rows (or courses) together in brockwork pattern as shown. Make sure you have arranged the blocks in interesting patterns with contrasting colors and prints.
Once you have sown all these together, you must decide on the inner lining of the quilt. Some people will claim that you must use cotton batting, but this tends to be complicated and expensive. Flannel sheet blankets are good substitutes. If you have a used one, that would be okay to use. Otherwise, buy a new one (it would be best if you could find them on sale), making sure that you have enough of the flannel to fill the 80” by 86” quilt you are working on. The backing to the quilt should be of a material that is consistent with your patchwork--cotton if the patches are cotton, and so forth. Buy five yards of this material. Cut it in half and sew it together lengthwise.
For the final process you will need a quilting frame. Since you may not know someone who has one, I’ll include instructions on how to make one. You will need two pieces of wood 2” x 2” x 90” and two that are 2” x 2” x 80”. With a staple gun attach a small strip of denim to each of these pieces--this is needed as a base for pinning the quilt to the frame. Place the 2 x 2’s on four kitchen chairs (oh--I forgot to mention that you’ll need a good sized room in which to assemble the quilt). Make them form a rectangle.
Now pin the backing on to the frame tightly. Make sure the outside of the backing is on the bottom. You’ll need four large clamps to grip the four corners together--this way you will have a solid working base. Lay on the filler and then the patchwork top. Pin all around the edges, stretching it so it is taut on all four sides.
This quilt involves very little in sewing, as compared to some that are very complicated. With a large needle and yarn, tie double knots at the corners of the blocks (as shown by x’s in diagram 1). After tying, clip the ends so that 1/2” of yarn is left. Start tying at one end of the quilt and work by rows. When you have done as far as you can reach, undo the clamps and roll the quilt under until you come to the untied area. Reclamp and start again. If more than one person is doing this, you can work from both ends.
To finish it off after tying, take it off the frame. Bring the backing forward and sew in a hem around the quilt. Mitre the corner (i.e. make a diagonal seam from the inside corner to the outside) to make it neat in appearance.
A well-made and cared for quilt should last at least 50 years, I’ve heard. They can be washed in warm water, but carefully. If you have succeeded at this quilt and want to go on to something more difficult, or if you want more directions, I found the following book to be rather comprehensive: Quilting Manual, by Dolores A. Hinson, Hearthside Press, NY, 1966.
When this article appeared, Etta L. Worthington was on the editorial staff at Sojourners.
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