How to Make A Quilted Wall Hanging
Sewing a quilted wall hanging is one of the most satisfying and rewarding activities you can engage in if you are passionate about sewing or art. These beautiful wall hangings have been around for many years and are surprisingly easy to make either by hand or with any sewing machine. So how then would you go about making your very own quilted wall hanging from scratch?
How to Make A Quilted Wall Hanging
Contents
Start by sketching what your quilt would look like before you design it. You can also look for inspirational pieces on Pinterest if you are short of ideas. Gather all the material you will need including fabric backing material, multicolored threads and binding material. Start by cutting the individual design pieces before quilting them to the backing fabric. Lastly, sew the bias binding into place to finish your quilt.
Steps to Make A Quilted Wall Hanging
Making a quilted wall hanging for the first time is fun but also challenging if you are new to quilting. Here is a step by step tutorial to help you make a quilted wall hanging for the first time to help you get a proper hang of it.
Step 1- Design Your Wall Hanging or Find Inspiration
As a decorative designer, it’s always good to put your ideas on paper before you start making the real thing. In fact, some designers like to cut out their designs and trace the fabric pieces around the paper design with a rotary cutter. You can also search for some inspirational quilted wall hangings on websites such as Pinterest if you don’t have any ideas at the moment.
You might find it easier to do your designs on thick paper such as freezer paper if you have any lying around. They will come in handy later should you choose to trace your fabric pieces off them instead of estimating.
Step 2- Gather Your Materials
There are really no rules when it comes to the materials you will use on your quilted wall hangings. However, at the very basic, you will need to gather the following materials before you start quilting:
- Quilt backing- any fabric you might have lying around that can be used to hold the quilted pieces
- Quilt batting
- Some thread of your choice- You can try using multiple colors if you are more adventurous although this will involve rethreading your sewing machine multiple times.
- Binding tape or fabric: This is optional. You can still finish your quilted wall hangings without binding.
Step 3- Cut and Prepare Your Pieced Top
Making decorative quilts is basically cutting out pieces of fabric and stitching them to other layers of fabric to make a complete piece. Therefore, this step may vary depending on the design you have come up with or what you are drawing inspiration from. You can start with simple shapes such as rectangles and squares but make sure you layer them on top of the backing fabric to form a nice pattern and to see how they will fit.
Use a rotary cutter and guiding tape to cut the pieces you will use for your pieced top. Feel free to cut as many pieces as you want and from different materials of varying colors depending on what you have got in mind. All the while, keep arranging the pieces to see how they will come together.
Finally, stitch all the pieces together to complete the pieced top or quilt top. This is the focal point of your quilted wall hanging so take your time to make sure it came out just the way you wanted it to look.
You can use normal running stitches or any other stitches or any other stitch you fancy to complete the pieced top. It’s also at this point that you might experiment with different threads to add to the artistic effect.
You can also try adding some applique pieces and using some decorative stitches such as zigzags or blanket stitches to make your work easier and more consistent, try and leave the needle in the down position whenever you want to change direction while stitching your pieces together.
Step 4- Complete The “Sandwich”
A decorative quilt is more like a sandwich consisting of three layers, namely, the pieced top, the batting and the backing fabric. Some designers don’t even use the batting, especially if they are making light wall hangings. However, it’s good to add some batting to reinforce the completed quilt and make it easier to hang or attach to the wall.
So, to finish the quilt, just arrange the three pieces as you would with a normal sandwich. The backing fabric should start at the bottom, followed by the batting and the pieced top that. Make sure they are properly aligned. You can use several straight pins around the edges to secure the sandwich before you permanently sew them together.
Complete the quilt by stitching all the pieces together using a normal running stitch or any other depending on your design. You could decide, for example, to stitch around the border of the entire sandwich or follow the shapes on the quilted top for a decorative effect. You could also decide to make some additional stitches at the center of the sandwich or use a blanket stitch around the edges of the sandwich.
Final Step- Finishing Your Quilt
There are two methods you can use to finish your quilt. One of them involves stitching a binding material around the edges on the back while the other involves using additional backing fabric to create an edgeless wall hanging.
You can purchase ready-made quilt binding or make your own and sew it all around the back of the quilt to finish the edges of the quilt. Binding is normally sewn using a normal running stitch with high tension and short distance.
The second method involves introducing additional backing fabric. Put your quilt on top of the backing facing down and stitch them together leaving a gap on one side. Use the gap to turn the whole thing inside out and sew the gap shut with a simple hand stitch.
Tips to Improve Your Quilted Wall Hangings
Experiment with multiple fabrics
Don’t restrict yourself to a single fabric when designing your quilted wall hangings. You are free to mix and match all kinds of fabrics and colors to make your final design even more interesting to look at.
Use light fabric
It’s easier to work with light fabric such as cotton, polyester or silk as compared to heavier fabric. You will have to do a lot of cutting and eventually have to stitch the entire thing together. Using heavy fabrics will definitely make your job harder.
Put your design on paper
It’s easier to work from a sketch or printed design than it is to get the design from your head. You can even cut the design pieces out and trace your fabric on them when cutting your decorative pieces.
Don’t forget your binding
It’s easier to finish your decorative quilted wall hangings with binding than any other method you might try. Attaching binding is a straightforward process and doesn’t take too much of your time.
Related Questions
How Do You Hang A Quilted Wall Hanging?
There are several ways you can hang you a quilted wall hanging. You can sew a pair of triangle pockets at the top edge of your quilted wall hanging and use them as hooking points. You can also decide to use double-sided glue if the quilted wall hangings are light enough. You can also sew a purposely made hook to the back of the quilted wall hanging that will then be secured to a wall-mounted hook. Another method is to use command strips to attach quilted wall hangings to the wall without damaging the paint.
Crafting has always been a deep-seated passion of mine, one that has flourished and evolved over the years.
I've dedicated considerable time to both studying and practicing in the realm of fashion and sewing, amassing a wealth of experience and skills.
It brings me great joy to share these insights and experiences with you all, hoping to inspire and foster a similar passion for the art of sewing.
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